scared, please i need your thoughts

[tikeyas_mom]

I am so scared, i am applying for my first job tomorrow. I am totally freaked out, My resume is 4 pages long and it has a self addressed envelope attached to it as well as a cover letter and my main resume., is that ok?? mehh!! i am so scared, I am applying at the local petcetera for a job in their small animal, and aquatics specialist depo. . need thoughts. i really need this job, i would be perfect for it too.

...

[Shelteez2]

Well I'm not sure what the self addressed envelope is for, I've never heard of attaching that before.
A cover letter and resume is good though. Just remember to act confident. As you go hand in the resume (and try and hand it directly to the manager) keep repeating to yourself exactly what you just typed here

i would be perfect for it

Confidence will take you a long way! Good luck!

[slick]

Dress appropriately too!! No torn jeans, etc. but I guess you already know that.

I have had a little experience hiring people and to be honest a 4 page resume is really long. You really don't want an employer to have search for your skills. When I hire data entry personnel for summer work I prefer a resume that is short, sweet and to the point, keeping the work experience and skill level on the first page.

Mind you it's just my opinion and I'm certainly not a Human Resources expert.

Good luck Jynnelle.

[Fuzzy317]

A 4 page resume is a bit much. Try getting down to 1 or 2 pages. You may have details about past jobs or about your education, try and take out much of the details. Give keywords or short little descriptions, if they need more information about certain things, thats something that will come up during an interview

[binka_nugget]

Good luck!

You might want to cut it down a bit. Try having some white space so it doesn't look too crammed up. And fiddle with font sizes and bolding/underlining/italicizing. Try cutting out the stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the job you're applying for. Our CAPP teacher told us to keep it to 2 pages max with only relevant information. And when you hand it in, look for the manager. That way, you're sure your resume will be looked over instead of pushed aside. And be confident! No slurring words lol. It took me many hours to get my introduction right for an interview but I got the job in the end. Good luck!!

[Cookiebaker]

Best of Luck Jynelle! I'm sure you'll do just fine!!!

[babolaypo65]

You'll be great!

[andrea_NMAggie]

How exciting! I'll be rooting for you!

About the resume...you'll want to cut it down from the 4 pages. I'd suggest 1-2 pages, use strong descriptive words, and try to put down important accomplishments from your previous experience. Definitely try and not get too wordy, sometimes using bullet points works well too!

Good luck!

[Karen]

I'll echo the others. Four pages is far too long for a resume. I'd rarely reccomend going beyond one, frankly. The resume is just for a quick look at the person's skills and experience. It should not require a lot of time to read - that makes it look unprofessional and more likely to be discarded entirely unread.

Be succinct.

Summarize your applicable skills using bullet points.

Group related items together.

Separate your name and contact information from the body of the resume with white space - at least a line.

You do not need to include references on the resume itself. A simple "references available on request" line at the bottom is sufficient.

Your cover letter should be brief but enthusiastic. It can repeat/refer to relevant experience from your resume, but just briefly.

Did they ask for a self-addressed, stamped envelope? If not, don't include it. Clutter is bad.

For the interview, wipe your palms on your pants before you go in if you get sweaty hands when you're nervous. Smile, be friendly. Be confident. Say "I am the person you want!" instead of "I really want this job."

There, that enough advice?

[Soledad]

Make sure you have at least two other people look at it for edits. You may miss spelling/grammatical errors. Errors on your coverletter/resume will most likely get you nixed immediately.

[Karen]

Originally posted by Soledad
Make sure you have at least two other people look at it for edits. You may miss spelling/grammatical errors. Errors on your coverletter/resume will most likely get you nixed immediately.

Good point, Soledad.

I'd be happy to proof it for you, if you want to email it to me, Jynelle.

[neko1]

I would only make it 1 page and check for spelling and grammar errors!!!!

We've been trying to hire someone for a receptionist job at the office for the past 2 months. You would not believe the amount of resume's I went through in the past few months and how many of them had simple spelling errors....needless to say I tossed them right out! We also only kept the ones that were only 1 page.

[Tonya]

Everyone above had good advice. So all I have to say is best wishes!!! Let us know!

[CatDad]

All of the advice is excellent, and I don't have anything new to add.

However, I just wanted to add one more voice to the 4 pages is long for a resume. Karen is absolutely correct in that it needs to be succinct. I have had to read through resumes before and anything over 2 pages is just a bit to long to wade through. Take Karen up on her offer to proof read it. It is true that you want to have no errors or very few errors in it.

I am sure you'll do fine. Good Luck!!

[tikeyas_mom]

my resume consists of a cover letter *1 page* then a 3 page resume.. ... i had binka nugget help me out with it, and i cant make any of the fonts smaller without making it impossible to read. i have done alot of volenteer work in the past thats why it is so long ... this would be my first paying job.