Job Ad Questions and Answers

Hints for Applicants for Using the HR Résumé System - Personic

Résumés and CVs

The Lab’s system for handling résumés and CVs is called Personic. With this system, you have three options for submitting your résumé or CV and your cover letter. In any case, be certain that you use your full name, including your middle name. If you are known by a nickname, place it in parentheses, for example, Susan Patricia (Patsy) Gomez. Insert a comma following your name AND include your Z number (if you are an internal LANL candidate). If you work for a contractor and are not a LANS employee, be certain that it is clear that you work for a specific contracting organization. Use only one of the following options to apply for a position:

1. on-line application
Use flush left, straight, plain text. If you opt to paste in an MS Word résumé or CV document and cover letter rather than typing in your document, you risk losing all the formatting because of the browser at the entry point on your system. However, you can create a résumé, CV, or a cover letter in MS Word, save it as a .rtf (Rich Text Format) document, and insert it into the electronic system without encountering formatting problems.

2. e-mail attachment
You may send your résumé or CV and cover letter as attachments to a brief e-mail to jobs@lanl.gov. In the Subject line, indicate the job number for which you are applying. In the body of the text, indicate your Z number if you are an internal LANL candidate. In addition, be certain that your Z number appears following your name on the attachments. Job bid forms are no longer necessary.

3. hard copy
You also have the option of (a) sending your résumé or CV and cover letter as hard copies to HR-Staffing through the mail to PO Box 1663, MS P286, Los Alamos, NM 87545 or (b) hand-carrying them to HR Resume Services on the second floor of the Otowi Building. Again, include the job number and your Z number.

Note: Do NOT submit both an electronic résumé or CV and cover letter and also send a hard copy.

Your résumé or CV and cover letter are considered part of your “official Laboratory record.”

People who rely on formatting or design and art for their careers (writers/ editors, compositors, graphic designers, etc.) might want to submit creatively formatted hard copies rather than electronic versions. Managers have been advised to judge a résumé or CV on its contents, not on the appearance and/or formatting.

External résumés and CVs are kept for one year. Internal résumés and CVs are never purged. If you have applied for an advertised LANL job in the past, do not resubmit a résumé or CV unless there has been a significant change in your personal contact information, education, training, skills, or work experience. If there has been essentially no change, you need only to verify the information shown on line and complete the Personal Information and Cover Letter portions of the application.

Cover Letters

Address the Required Skills and Desired Skills item by item in your cover letter. Use brief statements indicating the variety of experience you have that demonstrates each skill.

Timeframe

You apply on Day 1, and on Day 2 your materials are processed. Therefore, on Day 3, your application materials are e-mailed to the hiring official. You will receive an e-mail confirmation of the receipt of your application materials.

You are strongly discouraged from submitting any additional materials other than a résumé or CV and a cover letter unless the job ad requests such additional material.

Audrey Barela of HR Resume Services will be happy to answer questions concerning Personic. Her telephone number is (505) 667-8383.

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