[OScubed]

Ok, as a business owner of a web company that sees LOTS of resumes I will tell you that you have some work to do on this one. Please don't take these critiques personally - I just want to be sure you have the best chance at getting in the door for an interview. I'm going to just go through this point by point:

1) Full mailing address - even though it's old fashoined some companies use mail to send out notices. Your FULL mailing address should be in the upper right. If you don't want to give out your home address a PO box is fine.

2) Although it is artistically nice - you need to be sure that if someone tosses your resume into a scanner (as just about any placement firm will be likely to do) that everything can be machine read accurately. Placing your name in a special font that is considerably larger than the rest of your text may make the scanner believe it is a graphic and your resume won't even have a name to identify it. Use a standard, sans serif, easily machine read font for all content. If you do add a graphical element, repeat your that information with your contact info, or with a section close by. Although they're very pretty consider using a machine readable font for your major selections along the left edge.

3) This sentence makes no sense: Extreme literacy and instruction in
current software technologies.

4) Your first sentence has WAY too many "and's" in it and does not identify what you want to do. Its not a sentence and makes no sense. Furthermore, its pretty generic. Keep it simple, and have someone who is really good at English clean up that sentence letter by letter until it is perfect. Consider changing it entirely from a generic statement that basically outlines the steps ANY web developer would do to create a website to something that is unusual, creative and unique.

For instance: I will create the best interactive social media sites using a combination of my experience and talent as a designer, copywriter, and web programmer.

(note I just put in social media sites - you can put in whatever you want, but the more specific the goal is the more likely you will be to find a fit).

You indicate that you want to build international sites, but don't show any qualifications here. Are you fluent in more than one language - say so. Have you developed multi-language sites? Say so.

5) If any of these positions were unpaid volunteer positions - say so.

6) For each job - try to identify quantifiable accomplishments that the interviewer can check - For instance instead of "edited all pictures for the site" indicate (even if approximate) how many pictures you edited, For instance: "Edited over 1000 pictures and posted and positioned them on site".

7) Never submit a web resume without checkable website links to the sites you developed. If they are internal sites or significant portions are behind a password be prepared in your interview with a portfolio of images of the sites. As an employer I want to see your work. don't bother sending links or even putting in your resume sites you wouldn't be proud to show me.

8) You should consider adding all the platforms you develop in and have experience with (IIS, Linux, Apache, Iphone/Mobile apps, etc.). Do you know any languages (Javascript, ASP.NET, ASP, Java, etc.). Do you know any back-end programming tools (.NET, SQL, MySQL, etc.).

9) Indicate who distributes the awards.

10) If you've developed something for the iPhone or mobile platforms be sure to indicate that. It's a hot area.

11) Active voice. Perfect spelling and grammar. Easy to contact you based on information in the resume. These are all ESSENTIAL. This is your first chance at impressing someone whom you are going to work for. They look at so many resumes they just toss any that give them a reason to. For me - I'd have tossed it after reading your objective. As a business owner I don't have time to hire someone who is going to be my "content editor" for websites and teach them how to write complete sentences.

I know some of these criticisms sound a little brutal - but believe me in over 20 years of being in this business I see a LOT of resumes (over a dozen a week). Yours needs to stand out, and not give me a reason to say "NEXT".

Feel free to email me directly about the resume and post other versions. I'll be happy to look over your edits, and give you pointers on job hunting in general.

Cheers and good luck,

Lee Drake
CEO
OS-Cubed, Inc.