Part I – Standing out from the crowd and your resume.

I am a cartographer by professional with over 25 years in the GIS / Mapping Industry. GIS has allowed me the opportunity to work around the globe in countries like Singapore, USA, New Zealand, East Timor and throughout Australia. I have a passion for helping people in the industry with their careers and have spent most of the last decade running my own GIS specific recruitment company and websites.

Over the coming weeks, I will give you some tips which have assisted job seekers in successfully gaining the positions they have applied for.

Stand Out

How do you stand out?

The job market is extremely competitive at the best of time so you need to make sure that everything you do sets you apart from the next candidate.

The way you are known in your industry circles, the look of your resume, the people you know, the associations you are members of and the way you interact online, all these are important to your continued career development.

Resume

What does your resume look like?

Given that the majority of your job applications are submitted in electronic format, your resume becomes an integral tool for getting noticed and considered over other candidates.

Resume Tips:

• Add a title page that is simple but gives a quick overview of you and your qualifications
• Use colour as this will immediately set you apart from candidates who use the standard black text resume.
• Add a photo of you as this gives an immediate connection for the employer.
• Core information in two pages or less. This includes a career statement, education, skills and key attributes.
• Skills table – our industry is very much hands on. Include a skills table that lists the hardware and software that you have used, when you last used it and a self-assessment on your skill level i.e. novice, intermediate, experienced and guru.
• Work experience – give as many details as you can without going overboard and remember to keep the information concise and succinct. For recent graduates, use this section to expand on your studies to demonstrate the skills that have been acquired.
• References – include relevant referees in line with the role you are applying for.