Resume Question

[EmperorIQ]

If it has been 2.5 years since I've graduated college, and I have worked in industry since then. Should I still list my college extra curricular activities in my resume?

 

[Jeff7181]

Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

 

[EmperorIQ]

cool, thanks jeff

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

I was wondering how to slip that in there!

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

 

[mcmilljb]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

WoW guild or real world guild?

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

WoW guild or real world guild?

WoW... but I didn't get specific. I said something like I held a leadership role in an online gaming community of friends which provided valuable and unique experience in dealing with different types of people, as well as helping to develop organizational, teamwork and leadership skills.

*EDIT* I also made a bit of a joke about it. Said something like, it may sound silly, but even in something so trivial I was able to take something away from the experience and use it to better myself personally and professionally.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

WoW guild or real world guild?

WoW... but I didn't get specific. I said something like I held a leadership role in an online gaming community of friends which provided valuable and unique experience in dealing with different types of people, as well as helping to develop organizational, teamwork and leadership skills.

Well done, sir. I played a similar card during an interview. It's all about the wording.

 

[mcmilljb]

I'm not knocking it unless you just put down WoW guild leader expecting the HR person to know all about it lol. Well played too. I turned 100 hours of community service for getting in trouble in college into volunteer hours. That's right I got 100 hours for basically pissing off one of the network admins, and their shitty policies.

 

[zinfamous]

have a section titled "Other Experience" or "Interests"

you can throw in extra curriculars there. I still have "Italian" in my "Other skills/Interests" section. Was called in for an interview, spent about 90% of the time talking about Italy...and Skiing (that was in there too). (Of course, none of this has anything to do with the position)

I was hired.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

WoW guild or real world guild?

WoW... but I didn't get specific. I said something like I held a leadership role in an online gaming community of friends which provided valuable and unique experience in dealing with different types of people, as well as helping to develop organizational, teamwork and leadership skills.

*EDIT* I also made a bit of a joke about it. Said something like, it may sound silly, but even in something so trivial I was able to take something away from the experience and use it to better myself personally and professionally.

I would read that and say: Dude will be up all night playing with online friends. therefore, not capable of real work.


Of course...I'm not in IT/Computers like 97% of the people here, so the positions that I apply to would not be friendly with that.

I think you can cram in other interests without going into 2 pages. No reason not to.

Readers like to find things outside of the position that they can actually talk to you about. A job interview, if focused squarely on the position, does not set itself up for an actual conversation. They would like to hire someone that they can "talk to." See what I mean?

 

[Jeff7181]

Originally posted by: zinfamous

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181

Originally posted by: mcmilljb

Originally posted by: Jeff7181
Only if they're applicable to the position you're applying for. People are under the impression that it's necessary to list all their qualifications and experience. Untrue. That's why people end up with two page resumes that get tossed. Don't be afraid to leave gaps in experience/work history. That can be covered in the cover letter or preferably during the interview.

*EDIT* In addition, if they're not applicable to the position you're applying for but you think they speak for your character, build a career portfolio and put them in that.

That's where you mention you're a guild leader. :laugh:

Actually, if you're applying for a position that requires leadership skills and you're clever enough, you can definitely use that as a qualification. I did.

WoW guild or real world guild?

WoW... but I didn't get specific. I said something like I held a leadership role in an online gaming community of friends which provided valuable and unique experience in dealing with different types of people, as well as helping to develop organizational, teamwork and leadership skills.

*EDIT* I also made a bit of a joke about it. Said something like, it may sound silly, but even in something so trivial I was able to take something away from the experience and use it to better myself personally and professionally.

I would read that and say: Dude will be up all night playing with online friends. therefore, not capable of real work.


Of course...I'm not in IT/Computers like 97% of the people here, so the positions that I apply to would not be friendly with that.

I think you can cram in other interests without going into 2 pages. No reason not to.

Readers like to find things outside of the position that they can actually talk to you about. A job interview, if focused squarely on the position, does not set itself up for an actual conversation. They would like to hire someone that they can "talk to." See what I mean?

You wouldn't read that because it's not something you put on a resume. You put "leadership experience" on a resume and expand on it during the interview when you can explain how it's relevant to the position.

 

[zinfamous]

If someone expanded on "leadership experience" during an interview with me and mentioned "Guild Leader," I'd tell them to GTFO.

But again, that may work in the IT industry. I honestly wouldn't know. You do want resumes to be pretty specific, of course. But I think it's also important to show some diversity, some personality. In my experience, at least, that has always worked.

Video games though....not good for bosses.