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Resume critique: No experience in a shop. Just graduated school.

aniiran

Plastic
Joined
May 25, 2012
Location
Oregon
I'm honestly confused what a resume for no one with experience should look like. I have a real issue. I have been an aircraft mechanic for 11 years and decided when I left the Air Force CNC machining looked like a cool gig. I was given a position while I was in school that paid well that was not a machining position. Now that school is ending that opportunity is going away and I will lose my income. I began sending resumes out about a month ago but have gotten no calls. Not even from head hunters or people offering jobs that are entry level and low wage operator positions. I think the formatting is fine, but I think the body info is off putting. I had my resume looked over by a non-machinist and said it was fine, but I think I need to have it looked at by machinists.

Another issue is: I earned another degree because the idea was that I wanted to be able to fix CNC machines or get in on the ground floor of 3D Printing so I took a course called Mechatronics where I learned about and got hands on experience with PLCs, hydraulic circuits, pneumatic circuits, 3 phase AC motors with VFD's, Industrial Wiring, Programing Fanuc Servo robots, SMC pick and place robots, Electronics labs, servo motors, ball screws and lead screws... the list goes on. I am however unsure if any of that is useful to CNC machining.

What I have been doing is tailoring my response to ads. What I am finding is many companies want a bunch of soft skills. So I keep putting in soft skills. This is the most general one I keep putting out.

John K. Doe
116 SE 1st Ave. – Oregon City, Oregon 97XXX
(5XX) XXX-XXXX
[email protected]

EDUCATION

• Machining Technology A.A.S., College, Oregon (Completion 12/12/15)

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Full setup and operation of: Haas VF series 4 axis vertical mills; Okuma Crown L1060 CNC lathes; manual milling machines, engine lathes, and surface grinders; Haas TL series CNC tool room lathes; Prototrak CNC prototyping mills and Charmilles Robofil wire EDM machines.

• Proficient with MasterCAM X6/X7/X8, at-machine G and M programming, and G and M code programming theory.

• Able to effectively use precision measurement equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, depth gauges, comparators, and Coordinate Measurement Machines with PC-DMIS to inspect machined parts.

• Executed complicated procedures from blueprints, diagrams, or technical manuals with speed and accuracy; completed parts to within .0005” of specification.

• Versed in GD&T, Lean Manufacturing, in-process inspection, 5S, Kanban, ISO 9000/AS9100, HAZCOM, LOTO, industrial safety/OSHA standards and hazardous materials handling.

• Current knowledge of high-performance tooling from SME ToolingU. Produced products reflecting high level of tooling knowledge.

Other Skills/Attributes:

Common hand tools, common power tools, AutoCAD 2015, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Allen Bradely RSLogix PLC programming software, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, college level trigonometry/algebra, strong oral and written communication skills, college level writing courses, group project management skills, 50 WPM typing, punctual, clean driving record, reliable automobile, able to work physical jobs.

WORK HISTORY

Weapons Section Crew Leader, United States Air Force
Air Force AFB, AE Sep. 2000 to Nov. 2011

• Supervised an accomplished five person team that overhauled, rebuilt, and integrated new weapons systems on the A-10C Aircraft. My team received many coveted awards for consistently beating standards and maintaining a perfect safety and reliability record.

• Awarded numerous high value accolades for outstanding implementation and improvement of in-process inspection procedures for A-10 fighter jet phased maintenance. Earned command level Quality Assurance Honor Roll award for 100% “no discrepancy” rating on 261 inspections of critical airframe components.

• Bench tested and installed upgraded 1553B multiplex data buses and Line Replaceable Units. Team was able to bring mission capable rates up 15% in just one year through thorough testing, expert electronics troubleshooting and quality electronic component installation.

WORK STUDY EXPERIENCE

Medical Records QA, Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Medical Center Jul. 2012 to present

• 25 hours per week. Scanned over 20,000 critical medical documents and quality checked over 200,000 critical medical documents. Department received P.R.O.M.I.S.E. award for excellence.


You can be as cruel as you want, it's the internet, I don't know you, I have thick skin.
 
Your resume looks like mine when I started A lot of the back ends skills but no front end operating skills.

What I mean by that is being able to repair and work on machines is a Huge plus in my eyes because you are not only focused on Pressing the green button and reloading parts but you are knowledge to keep Eyes and ears out for Out of the ordinary operation of a machine. Which is a huge bonus to keep machines up and running.

Down side is not having much experience with In Field use of Bore gauges,ETC means your need some Baby sitting. Not a huge deal but most shops like a operator they can just give them a walk around of the machine and control, There general System on paperwork and setup. week worth of training and send them on there way.

I didn't make it to far so I ending up working my way from a chipper and grinder, to a cnc machinist, to shop supervisor, to where I am now. working in a small shop and starting my own shop on the side. Owning my first Mach3 CNC mill the first year I started working as a chip and grinder.(DO not miss those days at all)

my suggestion is get a job no mater how sucky the pay is to get time logged in the books as a operator/Machinist then look for a better job or do like most of us on this forum start buying your own CNC equipment fixing it up and ...... Turn into a shop (starts as a hobby).

Im not sure if any of what I wrote helped but from the sounds of it your are very capable in my eyes to operate a CNC machines with little training, The problem now is machining market is flooded with operators from the slow down.

My word of advice is if CNC machining, Fab, Automation,ETC is something you truly love and want to do there nothing better then doing a hobby that you love and making money at it:)

Best of Luck

Matt S.
 
Take it from someone who had not written a resume to get a job for the past 20 years, wrote plenty of them as part of proposals, but that is a different perspective altogether.

If i were to read you resume as a potential employer i would totally miss the fact that you are not a snot nose kid fresh out of chip school :). So why don't you turn it around a bit. First talk about your professional goals, What do you want to do for an employer, what team and management skills you bring to the job based on you air force training. State it upfront that you are an aircraft mechanic with 11 years of experience, both as team leader and team member. Build on that to show that you acquired machine maintenance and machining skills through the recent education to round out the expertise you gained in maintaining flying machines. Heck if you can fix a jet engine, sure you can fix a measly mill, much smaller and does not rotate that fast :). Expand into the machining skills you acquired as the extension of your mechanical aptitude. And expressing what you want to do with each sentence you put in your resume. It is your sales brochure. You want to get the reader excited about meeting you and talking about all the cool stuff you have done. So instead of telling me that you replaced data buses. tell me where you were stationed and what aircraft you have maintained taking what missions, what was the complexity of the repairs that your team had to tackle, was it damage to the airframe due to enemy fire? The weapon system...did you have to deal with controls, what mechanisms etc...the cool junk. Ok you got an award nice. Tell me more about the team, were you a technical supervisor only or you had management responsibilities over the personnel issues of the team, did you hire the people on your team or were they assigned to you. etc.....

The reason i am pointing these things to you because people hire two kinds of people for different reasons. the ones who can keep their head down and get stuff done, or the ones who keep their heads up and get the other to keep their heads down and get things done, while they are looking out for the things that don't get done, and move the team forward by pointing them out. And the second type you need fewer of and you pay them more because they are harder to find and you have to trust them.

Choose where you want to be...your resume reads like you just want to keep your head down.

dee
;-D
 
EDUCATION

• Machining Technology A.A.S., College, Oregon (Completion 12/12/15)

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Full setup and operation of: Haas VF series 4 axis vertical mills; Okuma Crown L1060 CNC lathes; manual milling machines, engine lathes, and surface grinders; Haas TL series CNC tool room lathes; Prototrak CNC prototyping mills and Charmilles Robofil wire EDM machines.

• Proficient with MasterCAM X6/X7/X8, at-machine G and M programming.

• Able to effectively use precision measurement equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, depth gauges, comparators, and Coordinate Measurement Machines with PC-DMIS to inspect machined parts.

• Current knowledge of high-performance tooling from SME ToolingU.

Other Skills/Attributes:

Common hand tools, common power tools, AutoCAD 2015, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Allen Bradely RSLogix PLC programming software...college level trigonometry/algebra...

WORK HISTORY

Weapons Section Crew Leader, United States Air Force
Air Force AFB, AE Sep. 2000 to Nov. 2011

If you want a job doing setups, making chips and working up to a supervisory position in a CNC machine shop I'd emphasize the above and not bother with the rest. JMO but we get lots of students who think majoring in robotics automatically qualifies them for a CNC machining environment.

Again, JMO but "Produced products reflecting high level of tooling knowledge" is glittering but doesn't really say anything. Saying you can offhand-grind a 1/2 drill that will cut to size close enough that a .502 pin won't go, now that speaks volumes and you wouldn't need to say another word.
 
It may not be so much as your resume that's not producing you a job as it is the current state of machine shop production.

I do not know jack about your area but here there are lay offs and closings due to the oil market.

Shops that are busy can cherry pick the candidates they want, a year or so ago and the head hunters would have bought you lunch
to get you onboard with a contract.

Take what ever pays honest money and hang on, the market for us machinist will swing back the other way in time. How long, who the hell knows.
 
Looking at your resume it is obvious that you are fairly inexperienced in machining. Which isn't a big deal. What I want to know is - Why do you want to work in machining? Do you enjoy it and find it interesting?

Someone without any experience that likes what they are doing will figure out a lot of the details themselves. Someone that is just looking for a job - not so much.

If you are interested in this as a career make that more apparent on your resume. Talk about why you want to get into machining and what you hope to accomplish by doing so.
 
I'm honestly confused what a resume for no one with experience should look like. I have a real issue. I have been an aircraft mechanic for 11 years and decided when I left the Air Force CNC machining looked like a cool gig. I was given a position while I was in school that paid well that was not a machining position. Now that school is ending that opportunity is going away and I will lose my income. I began sending resumes out about a month ago but have gotten no calls. Not even from head hunters or people offering jobs that are entry level and low wage operator positions. I think the formatting is fine, but I think the body info is off putting. I had my resume looked over by a non-machinist and said it was fine, but I think I need to have it looked at by machinists.

Another issue is: I earned another degree because the idea was that I wanted to be able to fix CNC machines or get in on the ground floor of 3D Printing so I took a course called Mechatronics where I learned about and got hands on experience with PLCs, hydraulic circuits, pneumatic circuits, 3 phase AC motors with VFD's, Industrial Wiring, Programing Fanuc Servo robots, SMC pick and place robots, Electronics labs, servo motors, ball screws and lead screws... the list goes on. I am however unsure if any of that is useful to CNC machining.

What I have been doing is tailoring my response to ads. What I am finding is many companies want a bunch of soft skills. So I keep putting in soft skills. This is the most general one I keep putting out.

John K. Doe
116 SE 1st Ave. – Oregon City, Oregon 97XXX
(5XX) XXX-XXXX
[email protected]

EDUCATION

• Machining Technology A.A.S., College, Oregon (Completion 12/12/15)

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Full setup and operation of: Haas VF series 4 axis vertical mills; Okuma Crown L1060 CNC lathes; manual milling machines, engine lathes, and surface grinders; Haas TL series CNC tool room lathes; Prototrak CNC prototyping mills and Charmilles Robofil wire EDM machines.

• Proficient with MasterCAM X6/X7/X8, at-machine G and M programming, and G and M code programming theory.

• Able to effectively use precision measurement equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, depth gauges, comparators, and Coordinate Measurement Machines with PC-DMIS to inspect machined parts.

• Executed complicated procedures from blueprints, diagrams, or technical manuals with speed and accuracy; completed parts to within .0005” of specification.

• Versed in GD&T, Lean Manufacturing, in-process inspection, 5S, Kanban, ISO 9000/AS9100, HAZCOM, LOTO, industrial safety/OSHA standards and hazardous materials handling.

• Current knowledge of high-performance tooling from SME ToolingU. Produced products reflecting high level of tooling knowledge.

Other Skills/Attributes:

Common hand tools, common power tools, AutoCAD 2015, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Allen Bradely RSLogix PLC programming software, Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, Illustrator, college level trigonometry/algebra, strong oral and written communication skills, college level writing courses, group project management skills, 50 WPM typing, punctual, clean driving record, reliable automobile, able to work physical jobs.

WORK HISTORY

Weapons Section Crew Leader, United States Air Force
Air Force AFB, AE Sep. 2000 to Nov. 2011

• Supervised an accomplished five person team that overhauled, rebuilt, and integrated new weapons systems on the A-10C Aircraft. My team received many coveted awards for consistently beating standards and maintaining a perfect safety and reliability record.

• Awarded numerous high value accolades for outstanding implementation and improvement of in-process inspection procedures for A-10 fighter jet phased maintenance. Earned command level Quality Assurance Honor Roll award for 100% “no discrepancy” rating on 261 inspections of critical airframe components.

• Bench tested and installed upgraded 1553B multiplex data buses and Line Replaceable Units. Team was able to bring mission capable rates up 15% in just one year through thorough testing, expert electronics troubleshooting and quality electronic component installation.

WORK STUDY EXPERIENCE

Medical Records QA, Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Medical Center Jul. 2012 to present

• 25 hours per week. Scanned over 20,000 critical medical documents and quality checked over 200,000 critical medical documents. Department received P.R.O.M.I.S.E. award for excellence.


You can be as cruel as you want, it's the internet, I don't know you, I have thick skin.
.
1) send resume as a Word document and not Adobe pdf file. some do not look at anything but word documents
.
2) customize resume to job posting. list skills and experiences you have that would help with a particular job posting and leave out stuff that might make you over qualified. company hiring has a certain pay level in mind. if they think you will want too much money or will not be happy with job they have to offer, they will not hire you.
.
for example hiring a senior very qualified broad experienced machinist to be a cnc operator who never does setups or programming ever at $10/hr they know that person will not be happy with job and soon leave
.
3) i have talked to hiring person who disqualified a person who listed on resume he did just about everything in machining. i ask him well maybe he has done just about every type of machining and either way any new person is tried out for 90 days to prove them selves. they did not even try the person out for the job.
.
4) i usually list on resume i like learning new machines and machining methods. often they want to hire people who have experience but are willing to learn the company way of doing things and who can follow the required work procedures. they want people who do as they are told to do or who follow orders
.
5) be aware some people get pissed off at many things. i like to calculate feeds and speeds and optimize cutting parameters when machining. you mention that to a programmer and are applying for a operator job that may disqualify you if they hate anybody messing with their feed and speed settings. some people have a very serious need for signs you are showing them respect. saying yes sir, no sir, saying you know a way to do something but are not sure if it is the best method and asking advice of a senior machinist if they think there might be a better way. some people dislike know it alls even if person does know a lot
..... just saying it can be hard to know the correct answer for many things when different people might react different ways to the same resume or to the same answers to the same questions
.
i was once asked at a job interview have i ever failed at doing something and what did i do. i answer yes they changed manufacturing parameters and old machine design could not be changed economically and i lost my job when they shut down big production machine and i looked for another job and found one. that was not the answer they wanted. they were asking hypothetical how would or did i react to job stress. could i work well with other team members or coworkers, etc
 
something to be aware of. you might be surprised at jobs wanting mastercam programming experience but require you able to read and write gcode fast and from memory and program for wear comp only, NOT full tool length and diameter comp.
.
often there is more a need for cnc operators that can read and write and understand gcode at a cnc to spot problems before they happen to eliminate crashes before they happen. they may say they want a cnc programmer but job might really be 98% cnc operator with very little actual programming needed or required or even wanted. often the person hiring is not telling the full truth about a job. you can easily start a job and find what you thought you might do only occasionally at job interview you end up doing 98% of the time
.
just saying be prepared at a job interview for them to ask you hand write a simple gcode program with pencil and paper and no reference material quickly and in front of others watching you and using only wear comp so you need to compensate for tool radius
 
employment agency

employment agency or head hunters who can help get you hired get a bonus finding people from the company hiring. they often get a 2nd bonus after 90 days if you are permanently hired.
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so it is in there best interest to find the right job for you that you will stay at. they often can tell you verbally what the job is really like and is not said on a job posting.
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employment agency can also get you temp jobs usually at low pay. but at least you will be getting job experience.
.
craigslist web site has many job postings from employment agencies and head hunters. i replied to a craigslist posting and got a telephone call within 10 minutes from a head hunter who found me a good job that i have been at 3 years now. i also got a job interview from a head hunter where the people interviewing me never read my resume or got it and even leaving them a copy and coming back the next day for a 2nd interview i literally was walked out the door and told by email i was not qualified or experienced enough even having 35 years experience. i had failed the quickly writing gcode from memory with wear comp test in front of others. silly me i was practicing my mastercam ability and never freshened up on hand writing gcode from memory which was not mentioned at all in the job posting that is ability to quickly read and write gcode from memory
 
Wow, TOM thank you for a wealth of information.

I have a cover letter that addresses many of the suggestions. But I'm having trouble with professionalism vs. sounding like a desperate puppy dog. The letter is always sent with the Resume. Normally, there is a place to attach it but if there is not, I just attach it anyway.

I can write programs from scratch with wear comp only. But I'm curious how I would word that. I actually shortened the resume.

To whom it may concern:

I am interested in interviewing for the CNC operator position. I am eager to apply my formal training in the machining and manufacturing industry through work experience in a shop environment.

I have earned an A.A.S degree in Machining Technology from Clark College with a 3.93 GPA. I have taken many courses beyond what my degree normally requires including courses in Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing, MasterCAM X6/7/8, and Lean Manufacturing principles. I have also completed college Trigonometry and college level technical writing.

I have no prior work experience in a shop. However, I have two years of experience with machine setup, tooling, and at-machine part programming with G and M code on Haas controlled CNC mills and Haas and Okuma lathes.

Prior to college, I was a United States Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer responsible for overhauling fighter jet aircraft during in-depth phased inspection. I have excelled at learning the machinist trade and will finish my degree at the top of my class. I always go above and beyond my normal duties and I am always open to learning a new skill. I would love to learn 5 axis horizontal mills and get experience with live tooling CNC lathes.

I would appreciate the chance to discuss my qualifications and experience. I can make myself available for an interview at any time, any day. My mobile telephone number is (5XX) XXX-XXX.

Sincerely,

And I changed the resume to this:

John K. Doe
116 SE Broadway Ave. – Oregon City, Oregon 97XXX
(XXX) XXX-XXXX
[email protected]

EDUCATION

• Machining Technology A.A.S., Community College, Town, State

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS

• Full setup and operation of: Haas VF series 4 axis vertical mills; Okuma Crown L1060 CNC lathes; manual milling machines, engine lathes, and surface grinders; Haas TL series CNC tool room lathes; Prototrak CNC prototyping mills and Charmilles Robofil wire EDM machines.

• Proficient with MasterCAM X6/X7/X8, at-machine G and M programming from scratch.

• Able to effectively use precision measurement equipment such as calipers, micrometers, height gauges, depth gauges, comparators, and TESA CMMs.

• Executed complicated procedures from blueprints and diagrams with speed and accuracy; completed parts to within .0005” of specification.

• Versed in GD&T, Lean Manufacturing, in-process inspection, 5S, ISO 9000/AS9100, HAZCOM, LOTO, industrial safety/OSHA standards and hazardous materials handling.

Other Skills/Attributes:

Common hand tools, common power tools, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, college level trigonometry/algebra, strong oral and written communication skills, 50 WPM typing, punctual, clean driving record, reliable automobile, able to work physical jobs.

WORK HISTORY

Weapons Section Crew Leader, United States Air Force

Air Force AFB, AF Sep. 2000 to Nov. 2011

• Supervised an accomplished five person team that overhauled, rebuilt, and integrated new weapons systems on the A-10C Aircraft. My team received many coveted awards for consistently beating standards and maintaining a perfect safety and reliability record.

• Awarded numerous high value accolades for outstanding implementation and improvement of in-process inspection procedures for A-10 fighter jet phased maintenance. Earned command level Quality Assurance Honor Roll award for 100% “no discrepancy” rating on 261 inspections of critical airframe components.

• Bench tested and installed upgraded 1553B multiplex data buses and Line Replaceable Units. Team was able to bring mission capable rates up 15% in just one year through thorough testing, expert electronics troubleshooting and quality electronic component installation.

WORK STUDY EXPERIENCE

Medical Records QA, Department of Veterans Affairs
VA Medical Center Jul. 2012 to present

• 25 hours per week. Scanned over 20,000 critical medical documents and quality checked over 200,000 critical medical documents. Department received P.R.O.M.I.S.E. award for excellence.
 
Another thing I want to add.

I had over 11 years in the Air Force the reason I am playing up what I did is because by 22 years old I was signing documents that said "This airplane is safe to fly." Most 22 year olds aren't given that kind of responsibility. I'm trying to show attention to detail and responsibility. Never was there one bolt, one screw, one electrical connector that went un-checked. I was put in phase because of this. In phase you take the entire airplane apart and but it back together, If one connector is loose if one bolt is loose you fail the inspection. 261 times out of 261 opportunities I was the person who said "yes, I am 100% sure my teams work is 100% correct." 100% of the time I was correct. I keep thinking that I need to get rid of one bullet but then I think, it looks like I did almost nothing in 11 years which could not be farther from the truth.

Also, I'm putting in my work study experience because I don't want it to look like I was a lazy bum who just went to school. I want to show that I also worked at least 25 hours a week.

I do want a career in machining as a matter of fact the reason I left the Air Force was I had done everything and wanted to cross-train to machining. But being of mid level rank, it was not possible. Once you get past E-5 they want you to stay in your career field or go to a critically manned carer field.

We used to make plaques for going away and part of that plaque was that the machine shop cut piece of aluminum shaped like a bullet, we have tons of used brass but of course the bullet fires off, so we have the CNC shop make an aluminum replica. One time the shop was really busy and I needed 12 made. It was mid shift so the sgt. there was like "here see this foot switch this opens it and then like like this closes it, Pull the bar forward 5. 5 inches like this. Then close the jaws, close the door and hit the green button then get your part out of the bottom and just repeat." Looking back I had no idea what I was doing and I can't really believe he was having us do this but it wasn't the first time we were given the keys to something we didn't really know how to use. Burn tables, routers, sand blasters, paint equipment, hydraulic presses, scissor lifts, 100k forklifts. Anyway, after that, I though the idea that a piece of metal could be shaped that intricately in 45 seconds blew my mind. You could make literally any thing with this machine! At that time I had looked at it like you'd look at a bread maker. I had a very simplistic view of what it was. I didn't even know it was called a lathe at that time. That night sparked my curiosity. Because I was thinking, I could make motorcycle parts, I can make fancy metal holders, I can make custom fasteners, this machine is amazing.
 
resume keep to 1 page unless you have worked over 20 years. long resumes often do not get read. also if entry level job and you are labeled over qualified you will not get the job. they will not even respond to a job application
.
i could not get a job cutting steel on a saw probably as the pay was so low they figured i would not stay a week. probably look for cnc operator job. many places will want some experience which being in school earning cnc degree i would consider machine shop experience. i would not list on resume no actual work experience. they can figure it out reading resume. some places will want a job reference. people they can call to verify your college degree is not fake. and to verify you can come in every day on time. or a school attendance record copy.
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often they will require a drug test including hair sample which will show drug use. many companies are having trouble finding people who can pass a drug test.
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i sent over 30 resumes out looking for a job. i only got 3 replies. only 2 job interviews. one job i accepted after 6 weeks looking. often it takes much longer to find a job
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some times of the year there are more jobs. January people often retire and replacements are needed. April workload often increases in many companies. September students go back to school so sometimes companies hire then.
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worse times to look for job December some companies lay off so they do not pay benefits for the new year. June students out of school and some companies hire summer help.
 
some companies do not post jobs on craiglist type sites. big companies often have their own web site and have their own job posting web site.
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each State has a department of labor web site that often lists job postings
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keep in touch with school teachers, students, and any other people you know. often just asking around you find out somebody got a job and they might help you get a job in the same company. you might be surprised the amount of jobs there are if you know somebody or have people who will act as job references. many companies do not post jobs. they ask employees to recommend people for jobs
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2nd shift, evening or night shift always has trouble finding people. you might need to work 330pm to 12 midnight shift or 11pm to 7am shift. i would think of it as a different type of night school classes where you get paid
 
I did find employment. As a matter of fact as soon as I changed my resume to 1 page, made a summary of positions and changed everything to reflect that I have graduated I had 3 interviews lined up within an hour.

If anyone finds themselves in my position I suggest 5 things.

1. A one page resume.
2. An enthusiastic and sincere cover letter, free of errors.
3. Wait until you are out of school, they don't want people who have restrictions on shifts.
4. Don't discount staffing agencies. Interestingly enough the company I am about to work for is one I have applied to without success.
5. If you don't have the experience don't lie to get more money. The staffing person kept telling me about a manual machinist job that paid 18.75 to start. But after reading the ad I decided I did not have the experience and I got placed into a great operator position just 10 minutes from my house for $15/hr with an aerospace company working 4 10s on swings. All I needed to do is get my foot in the door. Now, I have 90 days to prove myself.

Thanks guys.
 
I don't get to do the hiring and firing, but looking at that, I'd let one of the guys at my shop go, and given the option.

Good resume.
 
If no one is calling you back you might want to go knock on doors of every shop you can find. A lot of shop owners like gungho type guys that show up and ask for a frickin job.

Be the guy they want in every shop:

Good work ethic
Shows up on time (early)
Works hard
keeps head down
will do anything
will listen and learn
has mechanical aptitude.
Doesn't complain at any task, no matter how bad.

When I was in high school I stopped by an aluminum fab shop in my town and told the owner I would work for free if he gave me a chance. I said I would do anything and work my ass off. I ended up working there for a few years. That's my only evidence that showing up and asking for a job works. I'm sure a lot of guys will tell you to F off, but I think it will work if you keep at it. My dad used to tell me to go back every week and ask for a job until they say yes. I never had the balls to go that far.

Good luck
 
I did find employment. As a matter of fact as soon as I changed my resume to 1 page, made a summary of positions and changed everything to reflect that I have graduated I had 3 interviews lined up within an hour.

If anyone finds themselves in my position I suggest 5 things.

1. A one page resume.
2. An enthusiastic and sincere cover letter, free of errors.
3. Wait until you are out of school, they don't want people who have restrictions on shifts.
4. Don't discount staffing agencies. Interestingly enough the company I am about to work for is one I have applied to without success.
5. If you don't have the experience don't lie to get more money. The staffing person kept telling me about a manual machinist job that paid 18.75 to start. But after reading the ad I decided I did not have the experience and I got placed into a great operator position just 10 minutes from my house for $15/hr with an aerospace company working 4 10s on swings. All I needed to do is get my foot in the door. Now, I have 90 days to prove myself.

Thanks guys.

job well done :).
 








 
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