[R] Let me put this another way... was Listing knowledge of R as a skill on a resume...

Spencer Graves spencer.graves at pdf.com
Sat Jun 25 23:21:59 CEST 2005


	  What I would say might depend on the job and the organizition to 
which I was applying.  At a minimum, I might list under "languages" "R 
(a primary platform of choice for new statistical algorithm development 
internationally)".  This may be too wordy, but knowledge of R gives you 
instant access to some of the best statistical techniques available in 
the world today, without having to justify spending more money to buy 
software when you don't know if it will help you or not.

	  However, your question makes me wonder if you solving the wrong 
problem (sometimes calld a Type III error;
http://core.ecu.edu/psyc/wuenschk/StatHelp/Type_III.htm).

	  Years ago, Dick Bolles (http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/) observed 
that Personel Departments (or whatever they are called) typically 
receive 1,000 resumes for every person hired.  They throw away  roughly 
90% of them.  The remaining 10% or less go to potential hiring managers, 
who do roughly the same before they start contacting people.  If 10 
people are contacted for every person hired, that one in 1,000.

	  Bolles recommends you not send out very many resumes.  Instead, 
figure out what you most enjoy doing, find an organization that would 
pay you to do that, tailor your resume and cover letter to what they do. 
  In my last job search, I spent a few days on the web and in a library 
just researching the one specific company I planned to contact.  My 
cover letter read, in essence, "I know something about what you do and 
why it's important.  And here is how I can add value ... ."  My letter 
did NOT go in the trash.  Instead I was scheduled for a "phone screen". 
  By the time of that call, I'd been to the library, gotten a recent 
publication by the person who was to call, and had skimmed it.  I passed 
the audition.

	  spencer graves

Brian Lunergan wrote:

> Okay, Spencer's response points up my mistake in my
> explanation. Let me put the question another way.
> 
> Here's the computer skills sections of my cv:
> 
> Office Suites: Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite,
> OpenOffice
>  Applications: SAP, Microsoft Project, AutoCAD, DesignCAD
>  The Internet: Internet Explorer, Outlook Express, Mozilla,
> Firefox, Thunderbird
>     Languages: XHTML, Cascading Style Sheets, Perl, C++,
> COBOL, Fortran
> 
> What concise entry would I add to this section
> demonstrating knowledge of the R environment and language?
> 
> --- Brian Lunergan <brianlunergan at yahoo.ca> wrote:
> 
> 
>>Afternoon folks:
>>
>>This question may be a touch off-topic, but I had to
>>start
>>somewhere.
>>
>>As I become more proficient with R I would like to play
>>up
>>the point in the computer skills section of my resume.
>>Can
>>anybody on the list provide an idea or two as to what
>>might
>>be an appropriate way to do this? Is it a language or an
>>application? What's a proper description for it?
>>
>>I leave to everyone's judgement as to where to respond,
>>but
>>I suspect off-list would be proper and leave the list
>>bandwidth for more directly R topics.
>>
>>Thanks in advance for any help possible.
>>
>>Regards...
>>
>>
>>---
>>Brian Lunergan
>>Nepean, Ontario
>>Canada
>>
>>______________________________________________
>>R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
>>https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
>>PLEASE do read the posting guide!
>>http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html
>>
> 
> 
> 
> ---
> Brian Lunergan
> Nepean, Ontario
> Canada
> 
> ______________________________________________
> R-help at stat.math.ethz.ch mailing list
> https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-help
> PLEASE do read the posting guide! http://www.R-project.org/posting-guide.html

-- 
Spencer Graves, PhD
Senior Development Engineer
PDF Solutions, Inc.
333 West San Carlos Street Suite 700
San Jose, CA 95110, USA

spencer.graves at pdf.com
www.pdf.com <http://www.pdf.com>
Tel:  408-938-4420
Fax: 408-280-7915




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