thescratchpost.com

Ed Harris is the owner of EdHarris.com. A privately owned corporation based in the USA. Committed to delivering the best resources for those of you that are involved in the area of computer graphics and animation, specifically if you are creating a demo reel, job hunting or learning SoftimageXSI.

**********

Importance of resumes and cover letters

Resumes and cover letters are important, but not nearly as important as your demo reel. However, they can get your reel watched, and if no one is able to see your reel then it won’t matter how good it is. Take some time and create a good resume and cover letter. Many people just throw it all together at the last minute thinking that it does not matter. The truth is, in many places it doesn’t. But there is no way of knowing which ones those are. You’ll need good ones, just in case.

Contact Information
Your contact information goes at the top of your resume. Put your name, physical address, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and web site address at the very top. If people don’t know whose resume they are looking at, then it might as well be blank. Of course, if your website is “under construction” or not up to par with your demo reel, you might want to leave it off.

Don’t Misspell Anything

It is very important that you do not misspell anything on your resume. Misspellings make you look careless and not very “detail oriented.” This makes it seem as if you might not be a very good employee. Why? Because, being detail oriented is very important when you are working on a complicated set of computer graphics. Overlooking the smallest thing can wreak havoc on a production. It can be especially bad if you are close to a deadline. Check the spelling of names as well. It may take a few extra minutes to research a software, company or person’s name, but it is worth it.

Take Your Time

People who create their resume in the morning and send it out that afternoon almost always think of two or three really good points that they wish they had put on it after it’s in the mail. Don’t let this happen to you. Start on your resume today. This way, when you need it, all the information will be there.

Writing a resume is not something that you sit down and finish in 30 min. It is almost impossible to remember all of the things you’ve done as well as all of your qualifications, off the top of your head. You need to think about them for a while. Carry a pad of paper or a PDA with you for a few days. Whenever you have a few spare moments, think about the sorts of things you’ve done that you would put on your resume. You’ll be surprised what will pop into your mind when you let it wander. Write all of them down.

Things to leave off your resume

Social security number, marital status, health, citizenship, age, travel history, previous pay rates, reasons for leaving previous jobs, and components of your name which you really never use (i.e. middle names).

Printed Resumes

Make your resume simple and clean. It will be photocopied, scanned, e-mailed and printed. Do not put logos or artwork on your resume. These just confuse the scanners and look horrible after the 3rd or 4th time they have been photocopied. If you really want to create a resume that has graphics on it, make sure you send it along with a “simple” version a clean resume with no graphics. Don’t use small or difficult to read fonts. If you have to use small fonts to get your entire resume onto one page, perhaps you should think about leaving some of the information off or going for a two-page resume.

Some applicants send more than one copy of their resume. This is supposed to make it easier for the human resources people to send it to multiple places without making photocopies. This practice gets mixed reviews. I’ve heard people say that they like it because it saves them time and I’ve heard others say that they didn’t like it because it caused confusion and required more work on their part. Unfortunately there is no “right” answer to this question. Go with what you feel most comfortable doing.

What are Scanned Resumes?

Companies scan resumes in and convert the images to text. This process is often referred to as OCR. (optical character recognition). They store these resumes in a database. Then, if they need an artist that is good at “particles and fluid animation” they type those keywords into a database search tool and all of the matching resumes show up. This is why it is important for you to do a very good job of clearly listing your skills. OCR software has trouble with textured paper and strange fonts. Stick with laser prints and standard fonts. Handwritten resumes are especially bad news, as are resumes printed on dot matrix and some older ink jet printers.

Cover letters

Cover letters get read less than resumes do. But that does not mean you should avoid writing one. If you really want a job, then I suggest that you do everything that you possibly can to get it. This includes writing a cover letter. In your cover letter, list or describe the type of position that you are applying for. Make it short, but explain enough so that they can see you understand the demands of the job and feel that you want to work for them. Don’t use a form letter where you just change the first and last line. Include a few sentences that mention some of the work they have done recently. Tell them how much you liked it. If they’ve been written about in a recent trade magazine or a web site then read that article. There is bound to be something in there that is related to the job that you are applying for. Mention that particular gem and if anyone actually reads your cover letter then they will know that you are serious about working there.

Make your Cover Letter Professional

Like your resume, make sure that you use good grammar and correct spelling on your cover letter. Neatness is very important. You want your cover letter legible. Don’t hand write it, use a printer instead. Don’t be rude and don’t use offensive language. Employers won’t be impressed. You may think that an offensive cover letter will get more attention than a standard letter and you would be right. But it makes you look unprofessional.

Research the Company

A cover letter might be a lot more important than you think. A lot of applicants submit materials without a cover letter and just by reading their resume the employer cannot work out what sort of job they are applying for. Many places get a lot of submissions from people wanting jobs in an area that the company has no involvement in. With just a small amount of research they could have avoided wasting that letter and the employer’s time.

Be Sociable, Share!

•