Resume Advice

[Dstealth]

I was in the Navy for 8 years; while in I worked on the USS Jimmy Carter and left as a MM1(SS).  Since the Navy I moved to Lake Havasu City to take care of my mother who fell ill.  I am currently working in a PVC extrusion manufacturing plant as a Lead Operator.  While here I used my GI bill to go back to school and will be finishing a degree in Technical Management next month with a 4.0 average.  When in power school I graduated top half of everything.

I qualified everything I could while on my sub up to ERS.  I made first class 3 months prior to leaving my boat and never became EWS qualified.  While on the Sub I did everything from gage calibration, maintenance, Quality Assurance, RPPO, pubs, etc...  

I now have a strong desire to get back into the nuclear world and for the past 6 months I have had very little luck.  I am reaching out to try and start networking.  I am not picky about what I do and will work hard.  My requirement is Full time work, benefits, and 60k a year(or close to that)

When looking at the job boards the thing that describes the Mechanical position best is the Auxiliary Operator Position.  So my question is what other positions should I be looking at?  I have applied to Teaching and Planning positions as I see them come up.  

I am at the point that I would hire a headhunter to help me move back into the Nuclear Field.  Any suggestions on job postings that I would be qualified for that I have overlooked would be appreciated.  Any suggestions on how to get back into the Nuke world would be appreciated.  

Thank you for your time.

[Dstealth]

Summary
I served for 8 years in the Navy.  At time of discharge I was an E-6 qualified in subs as a Navy Nuclear Machinist Mate.  I have read the job posting and I meet all the requirements for the position.  I have over 11 years operational and maintenance mechanic experience with 5 years of Supervisory experience.  6 years focusing on all areas of Propulsion Plant equipment operation, maintenance, testing, quality control and safety.  3 years focusing on PVC extrusion.  I have superior knowledge of mechanical system maintenance methods and operation of the Nuclear Power Plants and extrusion lines.  I am a fast learner and a hard worker who absorbs information; I use the information safely and practically following all procedures. 

Education/Training

•   Bachelors of Science in Technical Management, Devry University, 2012 – 4.0 GPA
•   Qualified in Submarines in less than 30 days of being on a boat underway.  March, 23 2003.
•   QAI – Submarine Force Quality Assurance Inspector – Groton, CT - Graduated July 2003
•   Leadership – First Line Leadership Development Program – Groton, CT - Graduated Dec 2003
•   Department of Defense EPA Certification Program for CFC and HCFC universal technician- 07NOV2001
•   Nuclear Field “A” School - Mar 2000 to Jun 2000 - 3.367 GPA on a 4.0 Scale
•   Math Honor Man (Scored 100% in all Math subjects)
•   Nuclear Power School - Jun 2000 to Dec 2000 - 3.61 GPA on a 4.0 Scale
•   Nuclear Power Prototype Training Facility  -  Dec 2000 to Jun 2001 - 3.26 GPA on a 4.0 Scale
•   Qualified second in class at S8G prototype

Work Experience

•   Prioritized, supervised and inspected maintenance and testing of all propulsion plant related equipment onboard a nuclear powered submarine.  Specifically responsible for preparing quality control work packages, ordering parts, inspecting in-process work and verifying system integrity and operation.
•   Anticipate plant responses and make changes as required to ensure efficiency, safety, and production guidelines are met.
•   Performed gage calibration on equipment, and ordered all parts needed for all M-Div maintenance. 
•   My can do will do attitude was critical to finish the refit on time and meet the USS Maryland’s vital Operational Commitments. I was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal.
•   My High level of technical expertise and sound judgment were often called upon during the arduous new construction period.  Leading up to initial sea trials and inter-fleet transfer.  I documented all the initial testing and repairs which directly contributed to the ship passing its first operational Reactors Safeguard exam.
•   Supervise/Perform Start-ups & Shut downs of a Nuclear Power Plant and PVC extrusion lines.
•   Superior troubleshooting abilities that reduce down time, scrap, and deficiencies.

   Process Improvement/Quality Control

•   Used lean manufacturing techniques to save the US Navy over $400,000 in repair cost of deluge valves.  Repaired over 1450 new valves using the new method all of which had 0 rework as the result and was done in 10% of the normal time.  This set the new standard for the maintenance shops, and I was awarded the Lean Zealot Award.
•   Consistently maximized training benefits for all incumbents.  Actively seeking out any and all training opportunities possible.
•   Qualified Quality Assurance Inspector, Gage Calibration, and all mechanical Engine Room Watch stations.
•   Took charge of the division’s training program, transforming the command’s vision into a vibrant program.  Ensured that the divisional training plan benefited everyone in a 21-man division, regardless of experience level.
•   Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, and Windows.

Employment Chronology

•   Lead Operator - North American Pipe, Yucca AZ – Feb 2009 – Present (90days temp/direct hire on June 2009)
•   K-mart – Salesman, Lake Havasu City, AZ, Oct 2008 – Feb 2009
•   Papa Johns – Delivery Driver, Houston, TX – May 2008 – Oct 2008
•   First Option Mortgage – Loan Officer, Houston, TX– Feb 2008-May 2008
•   MM1(SS)- US Navy – 1999 to 2008(EAOS)

[Fermi2]

Your resume screams custodian.

Oh and if that in fact is your resume it's poorly written and would get no one's attention.

[Dstealth]

That is good to know.  I had another resume and this is the format the last headhunter told me to write it in.  He said it was perfect; however, obviously I did not get that position so I am open to a new format/way to write the resume.

Writing a resume is something that I have always had difficulties doing.

[Fermi2]

What does this mean?

"•   Took charge of the division’s training program, transforming the command’s vision into a vibrant program.  Ensured that the divisional training plan benefited everyone in a 21-man division, regardless of experience level."

Too general. What does vibrant mean. Exactly how did the training transform into performance?

[Dstealth]

What does this mean?

"•   Took charge of the division’s training program, transforming the command’s vision into a vibrant program.  Ensured that the divisional training plan benefited everyone in a 21-man division, regardless of experience level."

Too general. What does vibrant mean. Exactly how did the training transform into performance?

My Chief wrote that statement on an evaluation after I started to give training in the department.  How I understood it is that my training benefited everyone regardless of of their experience.  It was a vibrant program because it was alive and existed more than just in the class room setting.  We trained on every inch of that Engine Room and its operations.  

It transformed into performance by increasing the qualification and operation knowledge of the mechanics on the boat.  We also had competitions to create the best power point presentation.

I always thought it sounded awesome how he wrote that on the evaluation.  However; I can understand how an outsider who wasn't there might not be able to envision a machinery division being excited over training.

Training is just what I do.  I either strive for more knowledge for myself or try and give it to others.  I can remove that line if you suggest and put something else there...  I'll post my other resume below that I was using before this one.

PS> I don't mind harsh criticism.  In the end I just want to get back into nuclear power.

[drayer54]

Get someone who knows nothing military to read this and identify your jargon. What's it mean to qualify subs? Honor man?

Also, it's a grammatical mess. Random capitalization, missing commas, etc...

Resume's need to be 100% factual. I'm not saying you didn't prove your ability on a ton of valves and save an Obama-term of money, but you should make sure this is something you can defend and not just feed out navy eval lingo.

You made a vibrant program? Just tell me what you did and if you were rewarded for it, I nor anyone else care about how awesome your self assessment is.

If this is draft 1, then it's a start. If you have been submitting this, then STOP and get it reviewed by some other people first. Please.

Also, google some other resumes and look at different formats and steer this boat away from the Navy eval that it looks like I am reading.


good luck!

[Dstealth]

Here is what my resume looked like before I talked to the headhunter...  As for the $400,000 I obtained a Lean Zelot award for it.  With a letter from the admiral and such.  Anyways, maybe this resume is a better basis to start with. 

I am a Technical Management graduate with 9 years of supervisory experience.  As a former Navy Nuclear Engineer I helped install and test a new construction Nuclear Reactor on the USS Jimmy Carter.  I am an energized, positive, and committed to being a key player.  I work well in groups to achieve results; leading to documented results of $400,000 dollars in cost and production time.

Education:

1.   Bachelors of Science in Technical Management – 4.0 GPA at Devry University– Online – June 2012
2.   QAI – Submarine Force Quality Assurance Inspector – Groton, CT - Graduated July 2003
3.   Leadership – First Line Leadership Development Program – Groton, CT - Graduated Dec 2003
4.   Nuclear Engineer – Nuclear Power Prototype Training  – Ballston Spa, NY - Graduated June 2001

Supervisory Skills        Customer Service Skills      Teaching Skills      Troubleshooting Skills
1.   Lean Ideas           1.Multitasking                 1.Coaching              1.Analysis data
2.   Organization         2.Communication             2.Team Player          2.Attention to detail
3.   Persuading           3.Negotiating                  3.Open Minded         3.Quality Assurance

Feb 2009 to Present - Lead Operator – North American Pipe Co., Yucca, AZ

•   Supervise daily operation of equipment and production operators on multiple lines
•   Anticipate production outcomes to ensure the best quality and efficiency of the product.
•   Train and evaluate incumbents to improve job performance
•   Participate and analysis Six-Sigma/Lean process improvement projects

Feb 2008 to Feb 2009 - Various Jobs in Customer Service – Houston, TX

•   First Option Mortgage – Loan officer => Customer service, Sales, Computer skills
•   Papa Johns – Driver => Customer service, Sales
•   K-Mart – Electronics Department Salesman => Customer Service, Sales, Computer skills

Jan 2006 to Feb 2008 - Shop Supervisor – US Navy, San Diego, CA

•   Supervised and zero rework on all overhaul and repair.
•   Scheduled yearly calendar for repairs and overhauls
•   Performed quality daily inspections in shop and in ships
•   Reduced shop waste and increased production with Lean manufacturing techniques. 

July 2001 – Jan, 2006 – MM1(SS) nuke - US Navy, Groton, CT

•   Supervised and performed mechanical operations and maintenance in the Engine Room
•   Supervised and performed maintenance with Nuclear Quality Assurance work packages
•   Operated and performed maintenance on the Primary and secondary engine room which included High Pressure boilers, turbine generators, pumps, vacuum systems, steam traps, and relief valves.

Dec 1999 – July, 2001 – Student - US Navy, Charleston, SC

[Fermi2]

What exactly were your accomplishments:

Example:

Supervised 20 individuals of which 11 were promoted to leadership positions vs a Navy wide average of 6.


Yours is too generic.

Evals are NOT ways to sell yourself to an employer.

[Rennhack]

Normally I would suggest you post you resume in the job board... you know.. that's whats its here for.

However, it seems that you are getting some very good resume advice that could benefit us all.

Perhaps we should all take a turn posting our, and letting the guys destroy it!  If the resume can survive THIS peer review, it is golden.

[Dstealth]

Thank you Rennhack for allowing us to work on my resume on the forum. 

Okay here is another revised resume.  This one I used paragraphs instead of bullets; I also removed the skills and copied the skills I was assessed with in college 3 months ago. I also tried to go with Broadzilla's suggestion of getting more specific with what I have accomplish with each job.  It is now two pages as I have added in details to the 3 temporary jobs I held while in transition to my current job after the Navy.  Anyways, here it is.




Professional Profile
I served in the US Navy as a Nuclear Engineer for 8 years.  I am currently working in a fast past manufacturing plant.  I am an energetic hardworking person who loves to learn.  In June 2012 I will have my Bachelor of Science in Technical Management from Devry University. I love operating and troubleshooting equipment and I am very skilled in this department.  I give every task 100% of my attention and perform each task with integrity.

Education
Bachelors of Science in Technical Management – 4.0 GPA at Devry University– Online – June 2012
QAI – Submarine Force Quality Assurance Inspector – Groton, CT - Graduated July 2003
Leadership – First Line Leadership Development Program – Groton, CT - Graduated Dec 2003
Nuclear Engineer – Nuclear Power Prototype Training – Ballston Spa, NY - Graduated June 2001

Skills
Advise people, analysis data, anticipate problems, audit records, check for accuracy, communication, coordinate activities, cope with deadlines, delegate efficiently, endure long hours, use precision measuring tools, find information, follow directions, implement changes, investigate causes, learn quickly, mediate problems, mentor others, observer, planner, writing, talking, selling, negotiating, computer use, quality assurance, and CPR/First Aid.

Work Experience
Feb 2009 to Present – Lead Operator–North American Pipe Co., Yucca, AZ
   I supervise start-up, shut downs, and operations of all the manufacturing plant equipment.  I have developed quality operators with my training abilities; this is shown as I have personally trained 10 of the current 16 operators who work at this plant.  My diligence and understanding of machinery has led my shift to have the least amount of rework units in the plant for the past 3 years.  My shift has had zero incidents since I have become the lead operator providing a very safe attitude and environment to work in.  I started this position as an operator and was promoted to lead operator after 5 months of hard work.  This is a demanding position in which my attitude, knowledge, and nature promotes a positive attitude which has created very low attrition rate for my shift.

Oct 2008 to Feb 2009 –   Electronics Department Salesman – K-mart–Lake Havasu City, AZ
   I sold electronics and was commended for having high sales numbers.  I researched all products to provide the best customer service possible and to be able to answer any and all questions that were asked.  I cleaned and organized my area to ensure the customers had a pleasant shopping experience.   

May 2008 to Sept 2008 – Delivery Driver – Papa Johns – Huston, TX
   This was a fun job in which had a lot of energy and team work.  I coordinated routes, delivered pizzas, took orders, made pizzas, stocked the shelves, and cleaned. 

Feb 2008 to May 2008 – Loan Officer – First Option Mortgage – Huston, TX
   This position provided me the opportunity to learn about house mortgages and loans.  I closed my first loan in record time of a person just learning the business.  I coordinated with client’s schedules, underwriters, appraisers, realtors, and banks.  I organized information to present accurate good faith estimates and loan documents. 

Dec 1999 to Feb 2008 – Nuclear Machinist Mate Subs – US Navy – SC, NY, CT, WA, and CA
I served in the US Navy for 8 years.  I was awarded twice while in the nuclear training pipeline; once as a math Honorman and the other was a commendation letter for helping others.  I was in the top half of all my Navy Nuclear training.  At S8G prototype in New York I graduated with the second highest GPA of the mechanics. 
After prototype I was handpicked to serve on the USS Jimmy Carter; this granted me a top secret clearance.  A dedication to my qualification allowed me to qualify all mechanical watch stations with-in 6 months of being on the boat.  As the assistant gage calibration coordinator; I found that the ship yard never removed a mechanism that bypassed the DP cells from working properly; this prevented going underway with faulty equipment that could have caused great damage.  I was also afforded the opportunity to perform many primary and secondary tests that are only performed on initial installation of a nuclear reactor.  As the divisions repair parts personnel I ensured that we always had the right parts to perform every piece of required maintenance.  During my time on the boat I have scheduled and performed maintenance, wrote training, wrote work packages, ordered parts, calibrated gages, performed troubleshooting, and inspections.  While on sea duty my dedication to performance awarded me 2 Navy Achievement Medals, 2 Captain Letters, 1 Admiral Letters.
 While on shore duty I was appointed Supervisor of the deluge valve shop in San Diego, CA.  While here I saved the Navy over $400,000 dollars in repair cost by revamping the procedure used to repair the valves, I was awarded an admirals letter and the Navy Lean Zealot Award for this accomplishment.  This also cut the repair time from 4 months to 4 days for every deluge valve on an entire ship.  While supervising the quality of work was unquestioned as every valve that was rebuilt and hydro tested resulted in no rework. 

[Rennhack]

Thank you Rennhack for allowing us to work on my resume on the forum.

I edited the posts to remove your personal information. (Name, contact info.)

I've also stickied this post.  When everyone is done with you, this should serve as a good guide for others.

[librarian]

My husband was reading this and I just had to chime in.  He is a nuke currently separating from the Navy and I helped him to edit his resume in order to make it easy to read for those not familiar with the Navy nuke program or the military.  The responses to his resume have been good and I would love to help.  I don't have nuke experience but a lot of experience with writing, formatting and editing resumes.

You definitely need to do a lot of work with yours.  Some suggestions:

- Do not use "I", "me", "my" ever in your resume!  Always write it in 3rd person.

- You should be listing your qualifications/duties/jobs, etc. and not putting them into paragraphs.  I definitely disagree with not using bullets.  No one wants to read resumes, they only want to scan them. I want to be able to scroll down your resume to find exactly what I'm looking for instead of having to read the whole thing.  You can always send your resume in a .pdf file if acceptable and there will not be a formatting problem. 

-You are applying for nuclear jobs, they won't care if you worked in customer service/pizza delivery.  You want your resume to be relevant to the job you are applying for so that may mean a different version for different jobs. They may ask about gaps in between leaving the navy and now so you may have to put jobs in as a filler unless you have an excellent excuse for not working such as going to school, taking care of your mom, etc.

-Don't state the same thing twice.  Keep your resume as short and simple as possible.  You don't need to state you've been in the Navy for 8 years, that should be evident in your years worked in your job experience.  If your resume is organized well enough, everything will only be mentioned once.

-Do not use generalizations.  Everyone is a "hard working, eager to learn, energetic person".  You have to prove it, state facts that back these statements up. 

If you would like I can PM you a sample resume.  I would recommend for you to start your resume over completely fresh using the following sections as a guide:

Header (name, address, etc.)
Summary
Skills
Education
Certification
Experience
Awards

[Fermi2]

My husband was reading this and I just had to chime in.  He is a nuke currently separating from the Navy and I helped him to edit his resume in order to make it easy to read for those not familiar with the Navy nuke program or the military.  The responses to his resume have been good and I would love to help.  I don't have nuke experience but a lot of experience with writing, formatting and editing resumes.

You definitely need to do a lot of work with yours.  Some suggestions:

- Do not use "I", "me", "my" ever in your resume!  Always write it in 3rd person.

- You should be listing your qualifications/duties/jobs, etc. and not putting them into paragraphs.  I definitely disagree with not using bullets.  No one wants to read resumes, they only want to scan them. I want to be able to scroll down your resume to find exactly what I'm looking for instead of having to read the whole thing.  You can always send your resume in a .pdf file if acceptable and there will not be a formatting problem. 

-You are applying for nuclear jobs, they won't care if you worked in customer service/pizza delivery.  You want your resume to be relevant to the job you are applying for so that may mean a different version for different jobs. They may ask about gaps in between leaving the navy and now so you may have to put jobs in as a filler unless you have an excellent excuse for not working such as going to school, taking care of your mom, etc.

-Don't state the same thing twice.  Keep your resume as short and simple as possible.  You don't need to state you've been in the Navy for 8 years, that should be evident in your years worked in your job experience.  If your resume is organized well enough, everything will only be mentioned once.

-Do not use generalizations.  Everyone is a "hard working, eager to learn, energetic person".  You have to prove it, state facts that back these statements up. 

If you would like I can PM you a sample resume.  I would recommend for you to start your resume over completely fresh using the following sections as a guide:

Header (name, address, etc.)
Summary
Skills
Education
Certification
Experience
Awards

Not true. AS someone who reviews resumes I absolutely DO care about Non Nuclear things. If an individual worked at Burger King and figured out a way to make their customer service more efficient I am absolutely interested. He showed leadership and made something work better.

So how about letting the experts give him advice...

I HATE bullets. Paragraphs are quite all right. I do not penalize for either method provided the information is relevant.

I do agree with one thing, your Navy experience should be a header (US Navy from X to X)
Then underneath break it down.

But the way you have it is quite all right.

If you want top use adjectives to describe yourself do what I did. I added a summary paragraph that had about 5 to 8 paragraphs describing me.

The best advice you'll get here is from those who have leveraged their resumes into actual jobs, not those who have only seen interest.

I'll see if I can dig up mine.

[HydroDave63]

I'll see if I can dig up mine.

And thus, early warning sites throughout the free world begin their search 

[Fermi2]

LOL the trouble is the one I have at home is not in a Word Format. I believe I made it with works and my new laptop doesn't support works!

[HydroDave63]

LOL the trouble is the one I have at home is not in a Word Format. I believe I made it with works and my new laptop doesn't support works!

Ok my cyber-Amish friend, PM it to me and I'll see what I can do in OpenOffice 

[SA82]

So how about letting the experts give him advice...

I recently completed my job search and found that having someone review my resume from outside the industry was very helpful. It made it easier to describe the things I did in the Navy to those who didn't understand the terms I was using or the types of titles that I held...(WCS, EDPO,....)

If you want top use adjectives to describe yourself do what I did. I added a summary paragraph that had about 5 to 8 paragraphs describing me.

Not sure what a paragraph containing paragraphs is...but he could be describing a cover letter. Cover letters are great for adding a larger summary describing what you bring to the table and why you are a perfect fit for the job that you are applying for. It helps you keep the lengthy summaries out of your resume.

Hope this helps!

[Dstealth]

I just wanted to take a minute and say thank you all for the great advice.  I am still working on revising the resume; however, I work 14 hour days this weekend and have to finish up this weeks college coursework.  I will have more time on Monday to change or create another revised resume.

I will say that I am liking the paragraphs in the resume instead of the bullets.

College papers are written in third person to be more persuasive.  In those papers it is extremely important to remove the I, we, me, myself, etc...  Should a resume be the same way as librarian stated?  Or should the I, we, me, myself be in a resume to add a sense of person to the writer. 

I have also heard of resume scanners that allow HR departments to not even read the resumes that are submitted.  One person in my Senior Project class explained how for government jobs the resume should be as long as possible.  I have always heard of making resumes as short as possible; because, if they are too long people do not read them.

So which is better a long resume or a short resume?  I could add in another 6 years of work experience before my Navy Career if it would be to my benefit.  I have always simply assumed that people only cared about the Navy and the rest just proves continuous employment.  However; Broadzilla explained about carring about working at places such as Burger King as long as a positive lesson was learned at the job.  So in the end which is better?

[UncaBuffalo]

I have also heard of resume scanners that allow HR departments to not even read the resumes that are submitted. 

One way to deal with this is to use a 'keywords' section...

http://www.nukeworker.com/forum/index.php/topic,32798.msg147692.html#msg147692

[tolstoy]

I think you're getting way to angst ridden over your resume.

It looks like you can write a coherent sentence. That's good. Write clearly and concisely. Make your resume as long as it needs to be. Nuke recruiters will like to see what you've done for at least ten years with no gaps. Include everything. If you worked at McDonald's for four years it tells me that you can show up for work on time, do what you're asked to do even if it's not particularly fun, and stick it out.  Highlight skills that you are applying for. Note any certifications you have.

You will never please everyone with your resume. I have worked places where they toss into the round file any resume that says 'DOE' under experience. No it's not fair but it's part of what you will deal with. On the other hand the DOE will really like your navy experience. A lot of commercial rad departments won't care but the OPS groups likely will.

Write it up clean and nice and send it to every job you see coming up and expect it to be a work in-.progress.

...

So which is better a long resume or a short resume?  I could add in another 6 years of work experience before my Navy Career if it would be to my benefit.  I have always simply assumed that people only cared about the Navy and the rest just proves continuous employment.  However; Broadzilla explained about carring about working at places such as Burger King as long as a positive lesson was learned at the job.  So in the end which is better?

[ArthurRyan]

I would think the Degree from Devry University is hurting you.  I'm not doubting your ability but Devry is a lay-up.  It's a on-line Degree. Extremely Easy to receive a 4.0 GPA, well as long as you know how to copy and paste.  I know you expressed the circumstances you were in with your sick mother.  I applaud you for taking care of her!  I'd hire you for that fact alone.  Devry is like Thomas Edison, its a scam.  It's not even an accredited University.  Devry is set up for individuals that already have 10-20 years experience in the industry, and are looking for a spot in upper management.  Most employers will not ask said individuals where they obtained there degree, only if they have one. 

       

[drayer54]

I have also heard of resume scanners that allow HR departments to not even read the resumes that are submitted.  One person in my Senior Project class explained how for government jobs the resume should be as long as possible.  I have always heard of making resumes as short as possible; because, if they are too long people do not read them.

Keep it to 1 page, because nobody is going to read your life story... at least not at this point in the hiring process.

Scanners exist so make sure the word "safety" is in that resume somewhere. Adjust your resume to the job description you are applying for too.

[HydroDave63]

I have also heard of resume scanners that allow HR departments to not even read the resumes that are submitted.  One person in my Senior Project class explained how for government jobs the resume should be as long as possible.  I have always heard of making resumes as short as possible; because, if they are too long people do not read them.

Keep it to 1 page, because nobody is going to read your life story... at least not at this point in the hiring process.

Scanners exist so make sure the word "safety" is in that resume somewhere. Adjust your resume to the job description you are applying for too.

I mostly concur, except that:

a) I've seen people get hired on 2 or even (gasp!) 3 page resumes, BUT it had better be ALL relevant to the position(s) being sought, and even then it runs the risk of being tossed by a human for looking too long to be worth the effort. 1 pagers are best, 2 if you must. 3 isn't worth it.

b) Your college friend was both right and wrong. Programs like Resumix do scan for key words and tricky phrases, but sending a 5 page novel will probably get your resume tossed per point a) above. For government jobs, you have to aim your writing style at the 6th grade level because, well, it is a government job.

c) With all of this in mind, IF a person needed more than 2 pages (I've seen resumes from folks doing this line of work since Reagan was President), then that person might consider doing a CV (curriculum vitae) like the rest of the world does. Your resume would be a strictly 1 page chronological summary, CV would have a specific cover letter, copy of relevant awards, and writeup pages in the back for those things where it soaks up a page and a half in one's resume for how, while LPO at the SIMA shop in Fiji, your shop turned around the USS Seaview's flying sub hydraulics and discovered King Kong, saving 400 gazillion dollars, etc.

[Marlin]

I have also heard of resume scanners that allow HR departments to not even read the resumes that are submitted.  

HR typically is a filter, they pass on qualified applicants to the managers/supervisors. They will look for key points as it applies to the hiring process protecting the company in an increasingly complex set of regulations.

One person in my Senior Project class explained how for government jobs the resume should be as long as possible.  I have always heard of making resumes as short as possible; because, if they are too long people do not read them.

So which is better a long resume or a short resume?  I could add in another 6 years of work experience before my Navy Career if it would be to my benefit.  I have always simply assumed that people only cared about the Navy and the rest just proves continuous employment.  However; Broadzilla explained about carring about working at places such as Burger King as long as a positive lesson was learned at the job.  So in the end which is better?

The answer is yes and yes. I have been a "job shopper" since I got out of the Navy in "78" (17 companies some several times and the 18th coming up this next month). I have written and rewritten my resume many times and have had it written for me by companies submitting me as part of a bid for a contract. One page to four pages max as a general rule. If you have a longer resume use a cover letter to catch their eye, they can scan the longer resume if it sparks their interest, an experience highlights paragraph as a header would work as well. If you are submitting to a number of companies look at the job posting and make sure your resume addresses the job description and as many of the hiring criteria as possible. You got a lot of good advice here but there is no one format or correct answer, plug into each job and company targeted and fit your resume to that specific job. As BZ is a hiring manager his advice would be very good as would be some of the recruiters (civilian that is) that post here.

  Good luck and thanks for your service. The Jimmy Carter must have been an interesting assignment, I have read a bit about her and seen the public graphics of her design and potential missions.