Help on how to write a prepress resume?

[Michelle_J]

Hello all!

I have recently decided to move to a new city, and need to update my resume so I can start job searching. I'm new to prepress (have been doing it for a year and half, but have worked at a commercial printing company for 2 1/2 years.)

I was just wondering if people had suggestions for writing a prepress/production specific resume. I've been in the professional world for 10 years, so I'm not office inexperienced. If anyone has ideas, I could always show you what i have already and see what you think.

Thanks for the help!
~michelle~

[fuzorsilverbolt]

First off I like to use the resume wizard in microsoft word 2003/XP. The resume wizard will ask you for your contact information and will place it at the top. In my case the functional resume wizard works really well for me. The resume wizard lets you pick fields that you know that you can fill in. The first field should be the objective. Such as

Objective: To obtain a job as a prepress technician.

Then make sure that you have fields for your work experience. Such as when you worked at the job, how long you worked at the job. Next to the bulleted points write a one-line sentence of each duty you performed. List only the last three jobs you had and only if they're related to prepress. Most places don't care if you worked at McDonalds when you were 16. (My case.) If you have references, don't forget to include them too. The resume should be one page, anything extra you want to add should be in your cover letter. Make sure to write your cover letter specifically for the job you want. For example when I see a job I want advertised in the newspaper they will state a few qualifications that they are looking for. Make sure that you mention that you have those qualifications in the cover letter and always thank them for taking the time to read your resume and coverletter.

One last think, never embelish your resume or coverletter. Anything over the top will always bite you in the behind if you get an interview or are hired for the job. Another place with a resume wizard I often use is at monster.com.

[kierst_thara]

Maybe this is just my anti-Microsoft bias showing through, but personally, I'd recommend against setting up your resume using Word's wizard. Wizard resumes tend to look like wizard resumes no matter how you polish them, and if you're applying for prepress jobs, you probably have more advanced skills in better layout programs than Word, so why not show them off from the get go? No need to create an overblown 'artistic' monstrosity that uses every transparency effect in InDesign, but an elegant, simple PDF created with proper print specs will speak a lot in your favour, if your resume happens to get passed by anyone with prepress knowledge. Just my 2 cents though.

[Michelle_J]

Thanks for the replies!
Actually, I'm not as concerned about layout (unless there is a specific layout that is more angled to pre-press managers, ie. listing all of the software/hardware that you know as the first thing.)

I'm more concerned about what would catch someone's eye content-wise. Especially since the only job I've had for pre-press is my current one. I've also worked in an art gallery, and a publishing company, but not doing pre-press.

I'm glad to hear that others think one page is enough tho. I was curious about that and whether one is still enough.

Thanks,
Michelle

[born2print]

It's smart to want your resume to be as polished as possible, but in my experience, the content is what we (the hire-ers) focus on.
I've seen very "nice looking" resumes before, but if they didn't have the appropriate education and/or experience content, they did NOT gain any further consideration.

...AND run spellcheck AND proofread carefully! Nothing funnier than a resume w/ typos!
8)

[SlaveToTheMan]

Originally Posted by born2print

Nothing funnier than a resume w/ typos!
8)

Wanna bet? Saw a resume recently that had all of the corrections still marked up in the PDF version! In red no less. Talk about a screaming lack of attention to detail. :P

Good luck Michelle, the more to-the-point the better. Long-winded 3 page resumes just scream "padding" and don't get read all the way through.

[born2print]

Originally Posted by SlaveToTheMan

Wanna bet? Saw a resume recently that had all of the corrections still marked up in the PDF version! In red no less. Talk about a screaming lack of attention to detail. :P

Good luck Michelle, the more to-the-point the better. Long-winded 3 page resumes just scream "padding" and don't get read all the way through.

OMG, that's awesome!

[Michelle_J]

yeah, spellcheck is my friend!
funny story, we recently searched for a new pressman, and one of the resumes received mis-spelled Komori..."Kamori"!
HAH!

~m~

[kierst_thara]

One thing I've learned in regards to content, is that you want to make sure you include your relevant technical qualifications and experience, but you need to do it in a very simple and concise way. Often, the front-line HR or manager types who look at your resume first don't know a lot of computer/industry specifics, so detailed lists of software and hardware knowledge are just going to look like gibberish to them. If you can get past that point, there'll likely be some kind of quiz or technical evaluation from the actual prepress department, so that's where you can really show off the depth of your knowledge.

I remember sitting nervously at an interview while the owner in his 60s spent about 10 minutes looking over the technical part of my resume, and then he looked up at me and said 'So what does all this mean, anyways?' :P I did get the job, but he was obviously taking it on faith that I knew what I said I knew as far as digital skills went.

[The_Stevinator]

it's hard, because there is so much technical information that i think belongs on a quality prepress tech's resume. i got mine down to 2 pages, but thats after A LOT of cuts.

best thing, research who your giving it to, and tailor it for them.