AdobePinon

1. No.
2. No, if you have something worth saying.
3. No.

Your appearance and DOB are not typically qualifications for a job. Same goes for marital status, kids, pets, clubs, and hobbies - unless those hobbies demonstrate competence in a qualification.

CO.Ski

Hi I work in HR for a large national company in the US
Do NOT put your age,
Do NOT add a photo,
and most importantly tailor you resume to the position you are applying for, the majority of companies use some sort of hiring software, which will pull resumes using a key word search, which allows recruiters to shift through loads of resumes in a short amount of time.
Keep your resume short, only put relevant experience on the first page it is not necessary to list your jobs you had at school.

Good Luck

N1cky

And whatever you do make sure you SPELL CHECK it with the American dictionary

Poppy girl

Bloody heck he looks fit for 60yrs old, girl

cindyabs

Some of us age better than others,

merz

Good idea Nicky, and that should be very easy as my Word spellcheck thinks its American anyway, however many times I change the language back to English (UK) it still spellchecks in English (US)

Much thanks to everyone for the practical advice.

Please await the 'what not to say in an interview' question which will (fingers crossed) be posted here.

merz

meauxna

Putting the 'can't' in applicant

The folks at careerbuilder.com asked managers to share some of the more surprising things they've heard while interviewing applicants. Here's a sampling, and here's hoping you don't recognize yourself.

Do you have any questions?
"What is your company's policy on Monday absences?"

"If I get an offer, how long do I have before I have to take the drug test?"

"When you do background checks on candidates, do things like public drunkenness arrests come up?"

Why are you leaving your current job?
"I was fired from my last job because they were forcing me to attend anger-management classes."

What are your weaknesses?
"I get angry easily, and I went to jail for domestic violence. But I won't get mad at you."

Is there anything else I should know about you?
"You should probably know I mud wrestle on the weekends."

Tell of a time you made a mistake and how you dealt with it.
"I stole some equipment from my old job, and I had to pay for its replacement."

Have you submitted your two weeks' notice to your current employer?
"What is two weeks' notice? I've never quit a job before, I've always been fired."

And just in general ...
"May I have a cup of coffee? I think I may still be a little drunk from last night."

(During a telephone call to schedule the interview): "Can we meet next month? I am currently incarcerated."

N1cky

Amazing how stupid some people are isn't it.

We once interviewed someone in the UK, when asked why she was looking to leave her current position, she answered I don't get on with my boss, he always complains at me for leaving at 5.00 so now if I get to work early I sit in my car and read a book until exactly 9.00

E3only

That's interesting.....

Xebedee

And most importantly,

* If you get to meet the HR goblin-from-hell, do not (repeat) not stab them through their heart with the nearest sharp object *

Letter opener, pencil, flowerpot, shoe, etc.

(They cannot be killed with conventional weaponry)

Steerpike

Also, make sure you format the resume for US paper size - 'letter' (8.5 x 11). If you format it for UK (A4), it will print oddly on a US printer. Further - make sure you change the 'page setup' to a US printer setting; if you send a document created on a UK computer to a US recipient, and they print it - it will often hang up the printer (and thus all the jobs submitted after it!), saying 'load A4' ... - not a way to make an impact in the place you are applying to!

chartreuse

A very good point. To take it further, after setting your word processor to letter, run the document out to PDF and email that.

Trixie_b

Just as importantly as spell checking, make sure that you have a nice looking resume when it's opened electronically.

If you're emailing your resume, and have listed yourself as having good or excellent computer skills, aligning your text with spaces does not cut it. Get your tab settings sorted out. If you can't manage that, build your resume in tables to get the allignment set up properly.

Many companies are viewing resumes electronically and even though they may print out beautifully, if they're not visually stunning on the screen too, you wont make the final cut.

merz

Excellent replies everyone, and fantastic advice.

I am already working on my new US friendly masterpiece
I certainly didn't consider the page size difference, and the fact it would be viewed electronically and needs to look good when opened.

Thanks again, and any more tips are very welcome!



Merz

.

Bob

aye, much better, less likely to have someone butcher it, especially if you go through a recruiter who will try and remove contact details.

Things to generally include, up top and clear -
Name,
phone number
email
address
website

For a resume, Objectives - a few bullet points in what you hope to achieve at the place
Summary - a few bullet points of what you have achieved and if you can't hide how English you are, at least that you are work authorised without the need for sponsorship in the US

Relevant work experience - Company name, location, dates m/y, bullet what you did, more if you've not got many companies, but kept brief if other wise, it's what you bring up in an interview, or if a science/tech position you can include on seperate sheet.

If you don't have much experience or fresh graduate - Other work experience, as above to show you've managed a restaurant or a crew of people or what have you.

Education - degree, institution, year and grade if it's a really good one, if you don't have much experience highlight some pertinant classes. Don't bother with A-levels unless your fresh grad, in which case note subject and specifiy equivalent to US highschool diploma.

Awards/Memberships - list any charters or trade associations and any awards/publications you might have

Misc - Any languages and other cool and useful facts, not that your a world record hot dog eater.