Resume Tips and Tricks

When looking for a job, your resume is the most important element in marketing yourself. Studies show that on average a resume is only glanced over for approximately 10 to 30 seconds. Your resume must catch the eye of the viewer if you want to stand out from the other hundreds of applicants.

To help you, we have provided a few Tips you can use to improve your resume:

Determine your objective. Your resume should be specific to the position you are applying for. It is best to keep in mind what the company is looking for in an applicant and highlight these skills and qualifications in your resume.

Make your point. Though you do not want to leave out any important information, you also don’t want your resume to be too lengthy, especially since it will only be viewed for such a short period of time.

Begin sentences with action verbs. You want to be portrayed as an active individual who gets the job done. Use the past tense so as not to confuse the reader.

Focus on your achievements. It is a common mistake to simply state the duties you had in previous jobs. Your resume should be used to state the overall accomplishments you had while you were in any given position. When appropriate, try to use percentages, dollar totals, and numbers because they stand out in the body of the resume.

For example: Successfully managed a large pipeline project with a $2 million budget. Completed project 2 weeks ahead of schedule saving $24,000 in labor costs.

Organize your information. There is nothing worse than a resume that is confusing or unpleasing to the eye. One of the simplest and most overlooked things you can do to improve your resume is to just change the formatting and fonts (See the resume examples below). You can either put things in chronological order or by type (experience, education, skills, etc.). Using bullets is also another way to make your information look neatly arranged.

Proofread. Studies show that spelling errors and typos leave the highest negative impression with employers. Get a friend or a professional to look over your final copy. Sometimes all you need is a second opinion, because they are more likely to catch something you didn’t.

We hope that these tips have helped you to improve your resume. However if you need more assistance, due to the requests from our candidates, SiliconCantera recently started a new resume service. It is an easy way to get a new and improved resume with the help of a recruiting professional. Our resume specialists knows all there is to know about resumes because they look at them all day long for a living! Click here or e-mail Courtney at cmartwick@siliconcantera.com for more information about our resume service which starts as low as $35.

Below is an example of a resume SiliconCantera revised for one of our clients, as you can see many of the tips mentioned above helped to improve the overall appearance of the document.

What More Than 96% Of Interviewee’s Aren’t Doing That They Should Be Doing

When it comes to the interviewing process, everything counts, including thank you letters. How you represent yourself as a possible employee plays a vital role on your chances of getting hired. This is why it is strongly recommended that you do everything you can to make yourself look like a good fit for their company. Thank you letters are a great way to show that you realize and appreciate the time and effort they took to interview you.

Here are some reasons why you should write a thank you letter:

• According to the York Technical Institute less than 4% of applicants send thank you letters yet it’s considered a common courtesy


• Employers appreciate thank you letters


• They demonstrate that you understand and practice good business etiquette


• Some employers actually think less of interviewees who fail to follow-up promptly


• They illustrate that you are really interested in the position, it keeps your name in their head, and it sets you apart from the rest


• A good interview thank you letter might help the employer decide in your favor

Tips to writing an effective thank you letter:

• Be sure to send the letter within 24 hours.


• You can handwrite, type, or e-mail your letter. Choose what you feel is appropriate.


• Make the letter personalized.


• Reinforce the fact that you want the position.


• Be specific and refer to details from the interview.


• Mention what you learned during the interview, specifically those things you feel you are qualified to do.


• Use this as an opportunity to address things of importance that were not covered in the interview.


• Invite the employer to contact you for more information if necessary.


• Include a final thank you at the end of the letter.


• Use correct spelling and grammar.

Thank you letters should be tailored specifically to your interview. You can use them to schedule a second interview, stress that you are a fit for the position, address concerns you may have, or even for damage control. Below is an example of one of the best thank you letters we have ever come across. In this situation, the interviewee knew that he wasn’t the top candidate for the job but he believed that his knowledge and dedication to the field would make up for what he was lacking in. He used his thank you letter as a way to further explain why he is a good fit for the company. This is a great example to anyone who is looking to make a final lasting impression on their interviewer:

Ms. Christenson:

Thank you for the opportunity to meet with you today regarding the electrical specialist position that you have open at Oil and Gas, Inc. The possibility of working with an engineering design group like OG's is very exciting! I received a call from SiliconCantera and they explained that I was not a candidate for the position you have available because I lacked industrial experience.

I understand that you are looking for a leader who can teach the design team the ins and outs of the electrical industry in order to improve the team's ability to design and understand the inner workings of the projects they are working on. You may feel that I am not the lead you are looking for because of my lack of "hands on" industrial experience. However, I do understand that the materials used for industrial electrical work are different from those used in commercial and that industrial electrical work codes are much stricter due to safety requirements. I know these differences and that's what makes me a fit. Again, though you may feel that I am not the senior level electrician that you are looking for, I believe I can be a valuable member to your design team if given the opportunity. I have enough experience and knowledge in the electrical field in addition to my AutoCAD knowledge to be an asset to OG and would love the opportunity to prove that to you.

If you would reconsider, I respectfully request that you allow me the chance to join your team. Working in the electrical design field is my goal and the opportunity to join as an entry level is one I would love to have. I will work hard and will dedicate myself to quickly learn everything needed for industrial electrical work. Why? I have a wife and a daughter that I provide for and I cannot let them down. All I need is the opportunity, someone to believe in me. I will not fail you, I cannot fail you, I owe that to my family. If needed, I will take a cut in pay. Please tell me how I can be a part of the OG team?

Humbly submitted,

Christopher Neely

*The names have been altered to protect the identity of the people and companies involved*

"Meet the Bloggers"

Good day and welcome to the inaugural post of our brand new blog dealing with the job market and recruitment in Houston with an emphasis on the Oil & Gas Market. I would like this to be an informative place for you to come and learn about Houston, the Recruiting Industry, and the Oil & Gas Market. Our staff talks to people in this market everyday and it is my hope that we will be able to give you insightful and helpful information along with funny stories we have seen.

SiliconCantera is a specialized staffing firm that has been servicing the Houston market under Silicon Solutions since 2000 and Cantera Systems since 2001 before we merged into SiliconCantera in 2005. We have worked with all types of companies from small start ups to fortune 500 helping them find and attract top talent. We also deal with all levels of candidates from entry level engineers to VP level candidates, with our niche being senior engineers and mid management throughout Houston.

Now with all of the formalities out of the way, let’s “Meet the Bloggers”

I am John, a reformed fast talking Yankee who decided to carpet bag down to Texas to become part of that small fraternity of Fighting Owls from Rice. I have a great wife with 2 beautiful children and too many pets to count. I love baseball and if Drayton ever decides to sell and I can raise a couple hundred million dollars, maybe I will own the Astros one day. My focus will be to give you personal stories about recruiting and Oil and Gas that I hope will entertain you and quite possibly help your career. If I at least entertain you then I am batting .500.

Next meet Chris, my partner in crime who if he was left handed might be in the Major Leagues as a crafty lefty. He’s a onetime scratch golfer who has a family of four, and if he ever gets a dog will be on his way to creating as big of a family as mine. He brings his 12 years in the Houston recruiting business and his endless string golf stories with the hope of enlightening us with some funny stories and antidotes dealing with clients and candidates. If I can tear him away from the phone you will see a blog or two from him.

Then there is our crack blogging team of Samantha, Courtney, and Piero. I thought it was best to let them introduce themselves:

My name is Samantha and my education background is in Psychology and Business at Mercer University. Here are a couple of things you should know about me before reading my writing. I like to cook for the people I love. I smell everything before I eat it. I love sushi. Love brownies, but I’m temperamental about chocolate. I like outdoor activities and making new friends. I go to coffee shops but won’t drink the coffee. I despise anything spearmint. I love my mom, and I truly believe…"Laughter is The Closest Distance Between Two People"--Victor Borge.

My name is Courtney Martwick and my education background is in Communication and Business at Texas A&M. I enjoy long walks along the beach, getting caught in the rain, and gazing at the stars. I like to find music that expresses the way I feel. I randomly burst out in song, dance or both. I have a bucketlist and I add to it often. I like to meet new people, and I consider myself a very outgoing and friendly person. I love spending quality time with my family and friends. In my spare time I hang out with my dog Peanut, and sometimes I let my boyfriend join us.

Hey everyone, my name is Piero. I am studying International Business and Spanish. I enjoy running, playing soccer, backpacking through Latin America, and eating. I like bubble baths and French poetry. I spend my free time snuggling up to the fire on cold winter nights while reading twilight. Most importantly, I love piña coladas and getting caught in the rain.

Now that you have met the bloggers, here we go……