Looking for help with resume

[Jigjoe]

Hey guys. I'm trying to refine my resume to make it more simpler and geared towards this industry. This resume was focused towards working in the aviation field which is why there's a lot of info on it. That's where a lot of my experience has been in the past few years and I'd like to eliminate that and focus more on the HVAC portion, even with the little experience I have.

As for the education part, the portions in red are the parts that I never finished. I signed up for those majors but only took classes here and there. The certificates on the other hand have been obtained. So I was wondering if I should leave the parts in red out and only display what I've received while in school, or just leave everything. I will be starting a 1 year HVACR certification program tomorrow (Tuesday) and was wondering how I can fit that in as that's on going.

The HVAC part was a shortcoming due to some family business reasons so I'd rather not explain that online. If the employer asks, I'd be more than happy to talk about it to them but I just threw that out there in case anyone was wondering.

[DLZ Dan]

Lose the part entitled aviation experience. It doesnt have anything to do with the position youre applying for so it just takes up space. Remember, most employers wont read the entire first page so put your big info first. Name and address, certifications, objective then experience and schooling.

Experienced with heat pump units, split systems, package systems, damper systems, and startups

Change this to: Experienced with (whatever you did with) heat pump units, split systems, package systems and damper systems.

That way it the flow of your thought doesnt change. Before it was Noun, noun, noun, noun, verb. Doesnt flow.

[Jigjoe]

Thanks for the tips. I always wondered about that. So its best to only put in things that pertain to the field your applying for and not a work history right?

[DLZ Dan]

Think of it like this:

If i'm applying to be an HVAC tech and all i did was fix washing machines for the past 4 years, it's more important to show that i've been working for a period of time on washing machines. Is it really important to know what model numbers i worked on?

Put your 'A' game up front and anything else the interviewer wants to know he'll ask.

[jnsrose]

Hey Jigjoe, With that IT experience you might consider applying for an entry level controls position. You may want to focus that a little morre on your resume.

[Jigjoe]

Ok here is round 2. Thanks for the critique so far. Its far from perfect but at least I eliminated most of the other information.

@jnsrose. I didn't even know what controls meant prior to coming here and to be honest, I still really don't know much about it, let alone looking for a job focused on them. It sounds interesting though. Do you have any information on them?

[DLZ Dan]

Good.

Make sure it's clear that you HAVE worked from 2007 to present even though it may not have been HVAC.

Also be sure to put "References Furnished Upon Request" at the bottom.
And make sure you have references and they know you will be using them as a reference.

[Joe Harper]

You should really look into controls. Thats where your experience is going to be of the most valuable.
I would write a letter to Nelson Ulloa at Trane, and inquire about a controls apprentice. You can go to stromquist ( its a controls parts house) on lee rd. They mightbe able to help steer yoh in the righ direction. Having del-air on your resume is not a great thing...
.

[Jigjoe]

Hey thanks again guys. I went ahead and updated it with my current job to show what I've done since 2007. Hey Joe, just curious as to why I should take delair out of there? That's my only HVAC experience to show for.

I'd really love to read more about controls if that's available anywhere. Things like what type of work does it involve, typical working environment, typical qualifications, and so on.

[Joe Harper]

I wouldn't take it out. DA is not known for hiring people with technicial proficiency. Its the birds of a feather deal. I have a friend that works there, you might be able to get back in for the summer, as they are shorthanded beacuse of the big winter cut they had to do...

[Jigjoe]

IMO they were a great company to work for straight off the street but that's about it. I don't want to get too much into it because most of the techs I worked with and one of my supervisors were really nice people and taught me a lot. I would of loved to have stayed considering all the money I made, and the positive call backs I was getting were really encouraging but, there were a lot of things I didn't agree with that forced me to leave.

So now that I'm trying to get back into the field, I think I'm going to take it a little slower when looking for a job and really evaluate the different companies out there. I'm sure my choices are very limited considering my lack of experience but, I'm hoping to find some kind of break with an internship/apprenticeship of some kind with a commercial company out there. I am currently working (non hvac) so I have that luxury of being patient.

[wolfstrike]

your resume doesn't have to be perfect when applying for an AC company.

go online and type in "contractor resume template" and you should find one that looks like this.
this is the same template that my trade school gave me years ago.
i just change the info for what ever i want.

i takes some practice to learn how to edit the info in Microsoft Word, because the program is crap.
but you'll get used to it, just make sure everything is straight as possible, (unlike my example)

i've been hired at about 5 different companies using this template, each time with different info.


if some employer starts giving you a hard time about your resume, you're not going to get the job anyways, so don't worry about it.
a lot of AC companies are a big waste of time to apply for, just try to keep a positive attitude.

[Krzyd]

My thoughts, I am an employer for what it's worth.

-Your resume matters, punctuation and grammar count, if you can't get 1-2 pages to look right when it counts, should I trust you in front of a chiller? It's not a deal breaker for all positions, but it is a red flag.
-You should definitely mention the types of equipment you are comfortable with, I don't hire "sales techs", but sales/customer service experience is relevent in service technician positions. I'm adding a couple positions right now, generally speaking, I prefer a longer resume. The prospective employer may see you as a fit for a position that isn't even advertised.
-Out of industry experience can be tricky, it can help you show stability, or that you don't know what you want to do. I prefer at least 10 years of work history.
-Educational references should include what you're working towards.
-ALL MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL EXPERIENCE MATTERS!
-ALL MILITARY SERVICE MATTERS! To me at least.

Good Luck.

[Krzyd]

My thoughts, I am an employer for what it's worth.

-Your resume matters, punctuation and grammar count, if you can't get 1-2 pages to look right when it counts, should I trust you in front of a chiller? It's not a deal breaker for all positions, but it is a red flag.
-You should definitely mention the types of equipment you are comfortable with, I don't hire "sales techs", but sales/customer service experience is relevent in service technician positions. I'm adding a couple positions right now, generally speaking, I prefer a longer resume. The prospective employer may see you as a fit for a position that isn't even advertised.
-Out of industry experience can be tricky, it can help you show stability, or that you don't know what you want to do. I prefer at least 10 years of work history.
-Educational references should include what you're working towards.
-ALL MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL EXPERIENCE MATTERS!
-ALL MILITARY SERVICE MATTERS! To me at least.

Good Luck.

Got this one this morning, this is the complete resume, I edited the name.

Resume Headline: ############ Resume Value: hg5szqibqc8f8yd2


EXPERIENCE: 8/2006 - 7/2007 Morrison Homes, Inc.
Superintendant

Supervized the construction of new housing. Worked with trade partners, inspectors and homeowners.

3/2005 - 8/2006 Woodside Homes of Arizona, Inc
Superintendant



9/2002 - 3/2005 KB Home Jacksonville
Superintandant


DON'T BE THIS GUY!