Jose Santos

Qualified Mechanical Engineering Technician accomplished in mechanical engineering design and production. Detail-oriented mechanical engineering team member with methodical approach and expertise in drafting. Works great with team members to optimize designs and achieve project specifications. Analytical in approaching and solving technical problems.

• Summary / Introduction, Jose, immediately what I noticed about your current resume is that it opens with your "Education", which means you are completely missing a summary section. In today's difficult job market a resume should start with a hard-hitting and compelling summary that draws a reader in. Starting with your education is a weak marketing tactic because you do not immediately clarify in the mind of the reader what you bring to the table. As a strong higher-level candidate with significant experience, you need to start with a clever summary that focuses on what makes YOU stand out from the other candidates by showing the unique value you bring to a potential employer that others cannot claim. You need to let a reader know from the very beginning what position you are looking for, and what position you are qualified for. This is done by an exciting summary paragraph that describes your background and capabilities. Starting with your education does not give the employer the information they need to know immediately. Remember, the first person to review your resume will most likely be a recruiter or human resource professional. They will take approximately 10 seconds to scan your document, and if they continue reading, they'll spend an average of only 45 seconds total skimming your information. That's how much time you have to hold their attention. It is CRITICAL that you immediately catch the reader's attention and encourage them to keep reading. Think of your summary as a good commercial that makes you want to go out and buy the product or a strong movie trailer that makes you want to see the film. In your case, it's an enticing sales pitch of your qualifications that makes a recruiter want to read more and eventually pass your resume to a hiring manager. In order for you to rise above the other candidates applying for the same positions, and prove YOUR capabilities, you must create a Summary section that conveys what you can offer a potential employer. Think of the top ½ of the first page of your resume as valuable, high-priced real estate. This is space which needs a Summary that establishes your background and provides the reader a clear and concise picture of your skills and what value you bring. Consider how you can more effectively tout your experience and demonstrate your PROVEN ABILITIES in this highly viewed and visible space. A strong Summary focuses on what makes you stand out – your dynamic record of achievement, unique skill set, the value you bring to the table, all things that nobody else can claim. For example, you may want to start with something like "Highly skilled and results-driven customer service associate with experience in handling various amounts of cash and increasing paper sales. Top-performer and valuable contributor to customer service teams." This is the section where you truly need to sell yourself. To improve your chances of a reader spending more time on your resume, I highly recommend including a Core Competencies section with the Summary to get the reader’s attention right from the start. This is a strategy that employers are now expecting to see from all their candidates because it makes it easy for them to recognize your specific skills. Essentially, this is a "buzz word" section that will improve your marketability. Also, it's a great way to highlight your specific skill sets in an easy-to-follow and eye catching format. Anything that helps improve your chances of a recruiter reading your resume is needed and a core competency section makes it easy for a recruiter to see your skills. Also, remember Core Competencies are not a listing of soft-skills, but should be your own personal areas of expertise and industry specific terminology. For example, specific buzz words applicable to your background might be "Customer Service" and "Drafting/Design". You see what I'm looking for? Draw the reader’s eye to your specific skill sets in that top ½ of the first page of your resume. Make them want to learn more about you by clearly and directly selling your skills.
• Content, Jose, currently the job content you have provided is extremely weak. It looks like you've taken a less-is-more approach to your job descriptions. I highly recommend you develop stronger job content to highlight your qualifications and capabilities. You need to dig-deeper and give the reader specific information about how you do your job and what the results of your hard work were. To draw the reader in you must define your skills and experience in an easy-to-read format and provide any quantifiable information related to your work. If you have had successes or measureable achievements, this is where you want them to be emphasized, using bullets under your job description to highlight those achievements. For example, you wrote "Assisted in data collecting and calculating of datum to aid in the production of civil and architectural surveys". This is way too generic. You need to be more specific so that your skills don't become traits/qualifications that anyone in the industry can claim. "Increased paper sales by 7%" is a great example of an effective bullet point, but you need a lot more of these. You need to show off your accomplishments and add more job responsibilties and achievements. How will a potential employer know what you can bring to the table if you don't tell them? To draw the reader in you must define your qualifications and capabilities in an easy-to-read format, along with your quantifiable information. To make you stand out to employers you need to clearly show how you are better than the other candidates with similar experience. The employer will only call the candidates who have the best qualifications that are presented in the resume, and they need to be able to clearly see those qualifications. You must have SOLID content and make sure you don’t leave out details, timelines, and metrics, all of which improve your marketability. Paint the most vivid picture possible of your capabilities and what value you bring to a job. I also recommend including a brief company description to help give the reader a better idea of the environments you’ve worked in. Company descriptions should include information such as main product/service delivered, revenue, size, etc. Providing this information will give the reader a better frame of reference for your achievements and abilities. Overall many of your sentences are not very exciting and do not convey what was achieved as a result of what you did. It's like me saying "I went for a bike ride last weekend". What I didn't say that would demonstrate my initiative, hard work, and ability to succeed is - - my bike ride was actually a 75 mile bike ride in support of cancer research, in which I raised $3,000.00, rode in 35 degree rainy weather, all while nursing a torn calf muscle. See what I mean? A completely different picture was painted of my "bike ride". This is what you need to do with the content of your resume. Don't leave out details, timelines, or metrics, all of which improve your marketability.
• Mechanics, Keep in mind, a resume is a specific form of communication. When most people write their own resumes they fail to appreciate the power of strong action verbs, grammar, punctuation, and verbiage while describing their qualifications. After recruiters see hundreds of resumes from qualified candidates, the resumes begin to look and sound the same. It is imperative you develop content using strong action verbs to describe what you have done. You want the language within your resume to create excitement on the part of the reader to encourage them to keep reading. Do not include months when writing dates of employment. It's not necessary. Only use the year because months will only draw attention to gaps in your employment. Small "mechanical" items play an important part in the overall appearance of your resume. Make sure you thoroughly proofread and edit your document and present a clean and error-free resume to a potential employer.
• Design and Format, Jose, your resume is in need of a better design, more organized and descriptive content, and a marketing strategy. You desperately need to develop significant content and highlight your accomplishments. You need to showcase your qualifications by using solid job descriptions and an effective bulleting formula to sell your skills. I think you are probably a much better candidate than your current resume conveys but you must completely overhaul your content in order to be perceived as a strong candidate and serious contender. Consider the first impression you want to make. Unless you are being referred to a hiring manager by a personal contact, your resume is what will get you in an employer's door. It has to be PERFECT and GREAT! A lot can be done with formatting and design to improve first visual impressions. Also, ease of reading, skimming, logical flow, and consistent organization all make for a more positive impression. I am sure you have heard the saying "you can't judge a book by its cover". Well, the saying is almost always true, except when you're speaking of a resume. Remember, the resume is your "cover" and the reader will judge you by how well you present yourself, skills, and accomplishments in this document. Always think about your audience and how you want to be perceived. Good organization + a strong summary section + powerful job descriptions and achievements = higher probability your resume will be read and higher potential for a job interview.
• Summary and Proposal, Jose, recruiters will only spend time reading a document that captures their attention and they find visually appealing. Also, recruiters are trained to screen-out rather than screen-in and it's much easier for them to put a resume into the "no" pile than to read further to figure out what the candidate can offer. This is why it's critical you position your information in a way that strategically and effectively sells your qualifications. Remember, the first person who skims your resume will not be your future boss; it will most likely be a recruiter or human resources professional. You need to make sure whoever is looking at your resume finds it compelling enough to pass along to your potential boss. At this point I recommend you implement the suggestions made above or consider having your resume revised and rewritten by a professional resume writer. Writing your own resume can be a tedious and daunting undertaking, especially if you are not used to writing in the style required for a resume. Your resume is your sales pitch and your first impression. Remember, you only have one opportunity to make a first impression, make sure it counts! If you are interested, I would be happy to provide you a professional resume reflective of your background and experience, incorporating the changes and suggestions for improvement listed above for $425.00, and if you would like to include a cover letter the price is $524.00. If you decide you would like to work together, please let rachelle.romano or me know. If we do move forward I will ask you to complete a questionnaire. The questionnaire will provide you an opportunity to collect/organize your content in a thought-provoking manner and will help you develop a tailored list of core competency skills. It will also provide me additional information to create the new resume you deserve. I wish you much success in your job search.