Hi, Since i got such a good critique for a previous CV/Resume here, i am back for more. A little about me: I am really an artist, but since i am unhappy with the quality of my portfolio for the moment and eager to start paying off some of the debt i accrued at uni/college i am going to apply for a QA job. Here's what i have: CV Update 01 Original CV Ps. Would the formatting for my artist CV be in appropriate? Daniel_Lodge_Artist_CV.pdf Thanks for your time. :) Dan/Bam. [Edited by - bam104 on June 12, 2008 7:17:24 PM]

It certainly needs formatting a bit better. For example, the 'Qualities' and 'Technical Experience' headers are the same style as the content under Education. I would enlarge and embolden the main headers.

One other little thing:

"Working knowledge of Mac OS - We used Mac's at Uni/ I owned a Powerbook for a year."

Would read better as:

"Working knowledge of Mac OS - We used Mac's at University and I also owned a Powerbook for a year."

However, owning one doesn't indicate you have technical experience with it. What did you do with it?

EDIT: I would also bulletpoint the software lists too.

Quote: Original post by Dave
One other little thing:

"Working knowledge of Mac OS - We used Mac's at Uni/ I owned a Powerbook for a year."

Would read better as:

"Working knowledge of Mac OS - We used Mac's at University and I also owned a Powerbook for a year."

I'll assume your experience with the Mac OS is relevant in this case (I haven't seen the job description). Unless you used a Mac while orbiting the ISS, the physical location of the hardware the operating system ran on is fairly irrelevant. You might want to tell them which Mac applications you have used that might be of interest to them.

Quote: Original post by bam104
Ps. Would the formatting for my artist CV be in appropriate?

I'm not an artist nor have I ever applied for a Q&A position. But it makes it harder to read than necessary and it isn't showing off any particular skills that might impress them. Realize that having a background pattern and large black blocks isn't very printer friendly.

Cheers Dave. I agree with all your comments.

Quote: Original post by WanMaster
But it makes it harder to read than necessary and it isn't showing off any particular skills that might impress them.

I actually got alot of positive feedback from that design from employers. After handing it out i was contacted regarding several roles that were way too senior for me. Admittedly i had printed them out on semi-gloss paper with a quality laserjet and they were for artist jobs. The idea is that the pink allows you to read the content of the cv in about 15 words. Yeah the stripes are purely aesthetic but then i don't think they hinder reading and since ive just done 3 years of graphic design at uni, i don't see why that shouldn't effect everything i do.

Quote: Original post by WanMasterRealize that having a background pattern and large black blocks isn't very printer friendly.

I also provide a black and white printer friendly design :)

On the Mac thing, i am considering dropping it completely. I may even be able to squeeze it back onto a single page.


QA_CV_update1.rtf


[Edited by - bam104 on June 9, 2008 8:04:26 AM]

Quote: Original post by bam104
Cheers Dave. I agree with all your comments.

Quote: Original post by WanMaster
But it makes it harder to read than necessary and it isn't showing off any particular skills that might impress them.

I actually got alot of positive feedback from that design from employers. After handing it out i was contacted regarding several roles that were way too senior for me. Admittedly they were for artist jobs. The idea is that the pink allows you to read the content of the cv in about 15 words. Yeah the stripes are purely aesthetic but then i don't think they hinder reading and since ive just done 3 years of graphic design at uni, i don't see why that shouldn't effect everything i do.

Well, I told you I'm not an artist. [wink]

But note that I'm not saying it is badly designed, but I would feel that providing a portfolio with screen caps of your 2D/3D modeling would give more insight into what you're good at. A resume layout might not.

Ok,

I am working on a cover letter now. How does this sound:

Dear ?????,


I am a graduate eagerly seeking a job in the games industry. I feel some experience in QA can help me build a strong foundation with which to pursue a career in games. As a result i have decided to start my career as a Tester!

My working and theoretical knowledge of game art creation can help me to provide concise yet detailed bug reports.
I am knowledgeable on UV mapping, shader creation, animation cycles, collisions and much more. I also have experience developing all elements of flash games and text based C++ games.

I have been involved in the professional development of video games before as an intern where i was praised for my positive attitude and ability to learn quickly.


Thank you for your time and i look forward to hearing from you,

Daniel Lodge.

Obviously, it won't be undelined. :)

I think that sounds fine, however i would replace the ! with a . at the end of the first paragraph.

Your cover letter should emphasize what you can do for the company, not what they can do for you (re "I feel some experience in QA can help me build a strong foundation with which to pursue a career in games.")

Your artist CV is solid, and the design is appropriate for art positions. It wouldn't fly for business and tech, though.

Your QA CV, however, leaves much to be desired, both in terms of content and layout. Work through this technical resume writing guide and then post your updated resume. Briefly:

• Consider replacing the "Qualities" section with a "Summary" that focuses on actual skills.


• Reformat your "Technical Experience" section: the description of your Windows and PC hardware experience is unnecessary (that's what the interview is for!), and you can simply state "Mac OS familiarity" - don't tell us a whole song and dance. Look at the IT Skills example on this page for ideas on how to make this section concise.


• Given the dearth of experience, your CV should really be just one page.


• List your prior employment before your education, because it indicates valuable experience within the industry you are applying to. The only case when you do otherwise is if you really haven't worked (ie, only worked cashier or stockroom at M&S, etc).


• Lose the conversational bits: "I never thought a job could have me jumping out of bed a (sic) 6:30 am but this one did" - that's not something you want to tell a prospective employer!


• In your "Education" section, drop your grammar school education. It is implied, if you obtain a university degree, that you passed your GCSEs, and your A Levels are only useful if they demonstrate a relevant aptitude, like Additional/Further Mathematics.

He has a point. You need to personalize each individual company so that they know that you express an interest in them and don't sound like a generic dork. Trust me, this helps manifold.

Thanks for your additional feedback guys. Unfortunatly i had already sent some applications off. The good news is, i have an interview on monday with a pretty good company.

Now, i have been looking into wages and according to my calculations (See below)the average for QA is around £20k. Since i am going for a junior role, i expect this to be lower. A consideration is that i could be spending around £200 per month on travel. I feel i can convince my interviewers that i am an educated and able employee with a background in both playing and making games so i don't want to under sell myself. At the same time i obviously want to earn as much as i can.

What sort of sum could i suggest?

Edit: I would be working 40 hour weeks.

Thanks again to everyone contributing. This thread has been very helpful for me and i hope it helps others too.


My Calculations:

An article published on this site (Game Dev Wages Survey) claims average wages for QA jobs is:

$39,063 PA (I assume)

Which divided by 12 is:

$3255.25. Per Month.

Converted to Pounds sterling is:

£1671.85. Per Month (£20,062.02 PA).