2. Agenda – Finding a New Gig
Resume
Interview Preparation
Interview
3. Example of a Bad Resume
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:
Software Professional, having over 6 years of hands on experience in various SDLC levels of Application Development.
Strong programming skills in Java, Multi-threaded applications and J2EE technologies.
Expertise in architecture/application development utilizing J2EE based technologies, such as Jakarta Struts 1.2, EJB 2.1, Spring 2.5, Servlets 2.1, JSP, JDBC, XML,
JMS, CORBA, Swing, Paypal Integration, Jasper Reports, Hibernate 3.2, Web Services, and SOA.
Experience in MVC (Model View Controller) architecture with Struts framework and J2EE design patterns.
Proficient in writing and deploying Enterprise Beans (EJB 2.1) viz. Entity Beans & Session Beans.
Experience in XML for data parsing using JAXP (DOM and SAX) as well as coming up with the schemas.
Extensively worked with Relational Databases MS-SQL Server 2005 /2000, MySQL 5.0, Oracle 10g/9i/8i, DB2 v8.0, Informix 9.0, and MS Access 2000.
Specialized in using IDEs like Eclipse 3.0, and IBM Rational Application Developer 6.0, WSAD 5.0, My Eclipse 6.5
Worked on application servers and web servers like Apache Tomcat 5.x, BEA Web Logic 8.1/7.0, IBM WebSphere 6.1/5.0 and JBoss 4.1/3.2
Good knowledge on OSS Architecture, IP Routing, IP Performance Management, and System Engineering.
Expertise in HTML and JavaScript. Exceptional ability to quickly grasp and master new concepts and technologies.
Experience in Managing build files using ANT and logging using Java Logging using Log4j and used Subversion as version control system.
Schedule tasks on a daily/weekly basis. Involving coding and design efforts and integration and customization of the application and databases.
Excellent communication skills, creative problem solver, positive listener and team player.
Functionally proficient in performing business process analysis, gathering and analyzing requirements, creating design specifications, unit test plans and system test
plans, testing, development, and production support.
Technically proficient in module development and upgrades based on organizational needs.
Education:
B.S in computer science Engineering 2002, University of Texas, Austin, TX
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Operating Systems: Windows 98/NT/2000/XP, UNIX
Languages: Java, J2EE (Servlets, JDBC, EJB2.1, Java Beans, JNDI), RMI, XML, C and C++, SQL, PL/SQL, JUnit 3.8, Swing,
WebServices (SOAP, WSDL), and Hibernate 3.2, SOA, JMS, Jasper Reports, Spring 2.5, CORBA, Shell Scripting.
Databases: MS-SQL Server 2005/2000, MySQL 5.0, Oracle 10g/9i/8i, DB2 v8.0, and MS Access 2000, Informix 9.0
Web/Application Servers: IBM WebSphere 5.0/6.0,BEA WebLogic 8.1/7.0, Tomcat 5.x, and JBoss 4.1
Web technologies: Java Server Pages (JSP), HTML, DHTML, Java Script, AJAX, PERL
IDEs: Eclipse 3.0, WSAD 5.0, IBM RAD 6.0, My Eclipse 6.5
Others: Rational Rose, UML, ANT, MAVEN, Agile Methodology, Apache Axis v1.3, CVS, Subversion, MQ-Series, Paypal Integration, MS-Visio
4. Example of a Good Resume
SKILLS SUMMARY
Web Development
HTML
DHTML
XHTML
CSS
JavaScript
AJAX
Dreamweaver
XML
Serverside scripting
PHP
ASP
ColdFusion
Interactive
Flash
ActionScript 2.0
ActionScript 3.0
Database
SQL
MySQL
Graphics
Fireworks
Photoshop
Illustrator
Paint Shop Pro 8
PROFILE
• Creative and artistic Web/Flash Developer at a Fortune 20 company.
• Former entrepreneur of an online based ecommerce business.
• Extremely motivated and dependable with exceptional leadership attributes.
• Highly trained in achieving goals within a team environment.
EMPLOYMENT
9/07-Present: Dedicated Technologies / Cardinal Health,
Web/Flash Developer
• Develop & rebuild microsites of cardinalhealth.com
• Dreamweaver, XHTML, CSS, JavaScript, ASP
• Construct promotional and interactive experiences
• Flash & ActionScript
• Email marketing/newsletters using Responsys
• Use AccVerify to improve quality, accessibility, and usability of
• the public site to improve its SiteMorse compliance ranking.
• Create web ads using HTML and Fireworks
• Build websites that follow Cardinal Health’s branding guidelines
• Work with clients to transform ideas into web applications
5/07-Present: Freelance, Web/Flash Developer
• Create dynamic websites and interactive applications using:
• Dreamweaver, XHTML, CSS & JavaScript.
• PHP/MySQL/SQL
• Flash/ActionScript/Fireworks/Photoshop
5. Phrases better left out
Note: Please don’t misconstrue my 14 jobs
as job-hopping. I have never quit a job.
Reason for leaving last job: They insisted
that all employees get to work by 8:45 every
morning. Could not work under those
conditions.
I have a bachelorette degree in computers.
Failed Sun certification exam with relatively
high scores.
11. Education
What were your vocational plans while in
college?
If they are different now, what changed your
way of thinking?
12. Personal Characteristics
Tell me about the last time you failed to
complete an assigned task within the
constraints provided.
What obstacles did you face?
How did you overcome them?
13. Goals / Motivation
What factors do you believe have
contributed most to the success you have
achieved so far in your career?
14. Job History
What was the most valuable experience you
obtained from your job at XYZ
Technologies?
How could that be of value to our company?
15. Attitude / Performance
Describe the most effective supervisor
you’ve had.
What were their strengths?
What were their limitations?
18. Top 10 reasons for a manager not hiring
a technically qualified person
1. Didn’t ask questions
2. Condemnation of past employer
3. Inability to take criticism
4. Poor personal appearance
5. Indecisive, cynical, lazy
6. Overbearing, “know-it-all”
7. Late to interview
8. Failure to look at interviewer during interview
9. Unable to express self clearly
10. Over emphasis on money
19. Suggested questions to ask:
What are the day-to-day responsibilities
I’ll be assigned?
Is this a new position? If not, would you
describe for me the actions of a person
who previously achieved success in this
position?
What personal qualities or characteristics
do you most value?
20. Suggested questions to ask:
By what criteria will you select the person for
this job?
Now that we’ve talked about my
qualifications, do you have any concerns
about me fulfilling the responsibilities of this
position?
What’s the next step in the selection
process?
21. Questions better left unasked:
What are your psychiatric benefits?
How do you define sexual harassment?
How many warnings do you get before
you get fired?
I suppose that everyone has had the urge
to kill someone in a drunken rage, right?
All resumes are beginning to look the same.
Bolding is okay, but specific to the job and bold intelligently
Resume is your introduction
What are you doing now?
What are you really good at?
What is your passion?
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE MAY BE WHY YOU DID GET THE JOB, BUT IT IS USUALLY NOT WHY YOU DIDN’T GET IT.
This is one time you need to pay attention to the fluff.
Lose earrings (ladies, minimize jewelry), cover tattoos, keep long hair pulled back.
Business casual is okay if you know it is the dress code, but a suit is always best.
Nice notebook & pen – If you open your notebook during the interview, refer to notes (questions) you’ve written down and take some notes as well.
Resume
If someone presented your resume, have a copy of that version.
Men & women’s body language say different things. Women are generally noisier with their body language. Be especially aware with opposite gender interviewer.
Stand when meeting.
Firm, brief, dry handshake.
Sit slightly forward, but don’t invade space.
Maintain eye contact
Be aware that you may be watched and evaluated at all times.
Phone interview? Consider doing the same things. It will come through in your voice.
Allow interviewer to run the interview, but be active, not a passive participant.
Never say, “It’s on my resume.” It’s okay to refer to your resume for dates.
There is more to being a success than technical ability. BTW – behavioral interviewing questions.
This is a “negative” question. No one’s perfect. Respond with the negative situation, neutralize it, move on.
This is a nice template to use in responding to negative questions. You neutralize by how you overcame or from what you learned.
If you get a question like this, always be prepared for the next question…”What factors may have handicapped you from moving ahead more rapidly?”
Another one I especially like if the person is currently employed – What do you think our company can offer that XYZ cannot or will not?
Expect questions to try to determine attitude and willingness to perform. “I can, but won’t” spells failure as clearly as “I cannot.”
I really like the flip of this – Describe the most ineffective supervisor you’ve ever had. What steps did you take to ensure success? Were there others they managed that seemed to thrive under their direction? Tell me why you think that was so.
Not every manager is skilled at interviewing. Most don’t like to and have not been trained on how to do it successfully. Still respond with open-ended answers to close-ended questions. For this, try, “I’ve recently had to deal with just this type of situation. I was successful because blah, blah, blah. And, my relationship with that coworker is now…”
This conveys to me that the person is not interested in the job, someone who is bored or boring, an introverted individual, or someone who is easily intimidated. None of these qualities say, “HIRE ME.”
Have 4-5 questions prepared, phrase them in your style, write them in that notebook you have with you, practice asking them so they sound natural.
First one, ask early on to help frame your subsequent responses to questions.
Besides being a good question to get at information, the second question has a positive spin that puts you in the light as a positive person.
The third question will help you determine non-technical qualities the manager wants and may give you some insight into the organization’s culture.
It would be nice if my acct. reps. would ask this first question of the manager. It would make my job a lot easier.
This second question is a must ask question for 2 reasons. First, any unspoken concerns become negatives about you as soon as you walk out the door. And secondly, this question will give you the opportunity to demonstrate your ability to take criticism professionally.
The last question is another must ask question and should be the last one you ask. Wealth of information will be found in their response.
Last question was actually how one of my candidates responded to me when I asked them how they deal with stress.
