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  • 1.  Random Riveting Resumes

    Posted 12-14-2023 10:50 AM

    I wanted to start a light topic and ask what some of the most interesting or funny things are that you have ever seen on a resume. I'll start by sharing some favorites. 

    I myself used to keep a single line at the bottom of my "work experience" section detailing my college work as a paintball referee. More than once I had interviewers ask me questions about it, either out of interest or because they also used to play paintball.

    Recently I interviewed someone who basically wrote a formal description up for "dug a really big hole at the beach". He had the same thought as me, keeping a light topic on his resume and showing that it could be marketed and described using technical language. Turns out it was a covid project with some friends who all wanted to get out of the house for a day. 

    I've also seen a resume that listed "vertebrae dissection" as a "laboratory skill." Again, while not relevant to the job posting I was reviewing for, it was still an eye-catcher that I wanted to ask about. 

    What about you?



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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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  • 2.  RE: Random Riveting Resumes

    Posted 12-15-2023 11:15 AM

    I've seen a fair amount of interesting items on resumes over the years. One that stands out was a student having a grant from NASA to test compression and direct shear strength on simulated lunar regolith (read - moon dirt, how cool is that?). Another was a candidate that had published a book describing the experience of processing their sibling's death (a sad subject, but very illuminating on the individual's hopeful character). 

    One funny item I remember at the moment was a candidate that listed, in all caps "SHOVELIN WORK" under Special Skills. Turns out he'd spent a summer working for a (cheap) contractor that performed utility trenching for the local county and had spent 80 days with a team of workers and no equipment digging storm water ditches by hand, truly becoming an expert at "SHOVELIN."   



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    Lawrence Simonson P.E., M.ASCE
    Senior Engineer
    Bunnell-Lammons Engineering
    Greenville SC
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  • 3.  RE: Random Riveting Resumes

    Posted 12-20-2023 12:38 PM

    That poor shoveler! Sounds worse than the story "holes". Thanks for sharing!



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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Random Riveting Resumes

    Posted 12-18-2023 08:06 AM

    I can't speak to others' resumes, but I'm proud to say that I got my last job on a resume which listed "Founding Member, Bread Club of Princeton High School," along with our slogan, "No Meetings, Just Eating".  A reviewer at an undergrad resume workshop once described it as "quirky" and recommended that I remove it.  I did not.

    Wonderful question; I'm looking forward to reading others' examples.



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    Christian Parker P.E., M.ASCE
    Structural Project Engineer
    Princeton NJ
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  • 5.  RE: Random Riveting Resumes

    Posted 12-20-2023 12:37 PM

    I'm glad to hear the Bread Club came through for you Christian! Truly a victory for self-expressers on their resumes. 



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    Christopher Seigel P.E., M.ASCE
    Civil Engineer
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    Original Message


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