- Invest the time required to polish and update your résumé. This may take up to a few hours, but it will
probably be the most productive time you'll spend during your job search. Your résumé should be absolutely
perfect, since it is a prime example of your technical writing skills and will be reviewed for evidence of
professionalism, thoroughness and your ability to do methodical, detailed work.
- A one-page résumé is best, but use two pages if truly necessary. If two pages are used, the second page
should have a header with your name (e.g., "Susan Smith, page 2 of 2"). Do not use a single sheet printed on
both sides (because the automatic scanning process would then scan in only one page of the résumé).
- Make your résumé "scanner-friendly" Many companies (including Intel) now use electronic scanners and
computerized databases and retrieval systems to efficiently manage applicants' résumés. In response to these
developments, you should produce a plain-text version of your résumé that looks unexciting to the human eye,
but may be scanned easily and accurately by electronic OCR scanning equipment. Specifically, do NOT use
any of the following: bullets; boldface or underlined text; different font sizes and styles; graphics; photos;
colored paper. (Note: 11- or 12-point fonts on white paper are best for scanning.) It's advisable to have two
versions of your résumé: one with, and one without, the above-mentioned features (one for the human eye, and
one for scanning). Offer both versions to recruiters: they'll be impressed by your thoroughness and ability to
keep up with the times!
- Make it easy for us to reach you: Be certain that your résumé lists your current address and phone number. If
there are other ways to reach you, tell us how (e.g., E-mail address, phone number for messages, campus or
office phone number). Make sure your phone has an answering machine, and that it works properly. If
roommates or relatives take messages for you, alert them to the importance of job-related calls you'll receive.
- Carefully check the spelling and accuracy throughout your résumé, but especially regarding your name,
address and phone number: Many mistakes are made in this vital area! Also, if you use a nickname, show it, too
(e.g., "Chris 'Pat' Johnson"). Use a spell-checker (this will catch most, but not all, spelling errors), then
visually review it line-by-line, checking each word. It usually helps to have someone else review it, too.
- Clearly list your primary academic credentials: your degree(s), discipline(s), date(s) you did or will graduate
and your school(s) (e.g., "M.S. Electrical Engineering, June 1995, Stanford University ").
- Always list your overall GPA for each degree (e.g., "Overall GPA: 3.3/4.0"). Also list your major GPA, or
your recent GPA (e.g., "GPA since 1992: 3.6/4.0"), if higher than your overall GPA. Many managers will not
even consider résumés without GPAs; they assume the GPAs must be very low. Do not assume that a statement
like "graduated with honors" is an adequate substitute for a GPA (preferably, include them both).
- List key academic courses and projects, especially if related to your career interests. Also, list those that are
important, though "indirectly related" (e.g., Technical Communications, Engineering Management).
- List your work experience: If it is related to your current career goals, provide 2-3 lines with specific details;
otherwise, provide a brief summary. Even work experience that does not seem related may impress a
prospective employer. Work experience is very often the deciding factor when managers compare résumés, so
your résumé should reflect both the breadth and depth of your work experience. For each position, list your job
title and the average number of hours per week that you worked (e.g., "avg. 30 hours/week").
- Load your résumé with "buzz words" (e.g., specific equipment, operating environments or software
applications; technical jargon; relevant acronyms; etc.): This will improve the chances of your résumé
"matching" the database queries used by managers to find suitable résumés for a particular opening. If you
have been exposed to Intel products, architecture or technology, be sure to indicate this on your résumé, and
include the word "Intel" (e.g., "developed cache memory simulations on a Pentium-based PC using Intel x86
assembly language under MS-Windows 3.1") . Do the same for other key companies' products, etc.
- Highlight your computer skills: List in detail the hardware platforms, programming languages, operating
systems and application software you have been exposed to, even if you are not an "expert" in each. Don't
expect managers (or their database queries!) to assume that you have used PCs, DOS, Windows, UNIX, C or
anything else. You will "get credit" only for skills and experience that are printed on your résumé.
- Show evidence of ability to work in a team (e.g., "Summer '94 at Intel Corp.: Worked with team of 6
hardware design engineers on robotics project for chip fab; I developed software test suites to test speed and
range of motion of robot arm" or "3 years on high school soccer team; played guitar for 4 years in a 5-member
Rock band").
- Show evidence of leadership abilities (e.g., "Jan-Aug '94 at Intel Corp.: Was senior engineering intern in a 9-
member VLSI design team; supervised group of 4 junior interns doing qualifications of sub-micron VLSI
devices" or "4 semesters as teaching assistant directing lab section for circuit design class").
- Do not waste space on extraneous "personal information" such as height/weight, marital status, number of
children, color of hair, etc. Likewise, do not include photographs. These things are not relevant to your ability
to carry out your job assignments, and therefore are never considered by Intel.
- Especially in an interview, offer other documents in support of your résumé (e.g., transcript, letters of
reference, work performance reviews, school project reports, sample of technical writing, abstracts of theses,
dissertations or publications, etc.). Most recruiters will appreciate this, since additional documentation may
make it easier to assess your skill sets and to find a suitable "fit" between job openings and applicants.
- Have plenty of conies of your résumé (ideally, both a plain-text version and a fancy-format version) with you
at all recruiting events, and have a couple of copies with you at all times. Don't hesitate to offer your résumé to
anyone who might help you find a suitable position.
- Submit an updated résumé if your résumé has changed in a significant way (e.g., new address, phone number
or work experience) since you last submitted one. New versions of your "scanner-friendly" résumé may be
mailed at any time to Intel at the following address, and we will update our database accordingly:
Intel Corporation
P.O. Box 1141
Folsom, CA 95763
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