Work history on cv

DCFC79

How far back should i go with my work history, at the minute ive listed every job ive had inc current one and i list the duties for each job, the history goes back 10 and a half years and covers 5 jobs, do i just list the employer, job title and the time i worked there

pinkshoes

It depends on the length of your CV! If it's going over 2 pages, then just list the company, job title and dates you worked there, then only elaborate on the jobs/work experience that are relevant to the job you've applied for.

If you're CV is looking short, then put them all on in detail!!

DCFC79

The cv is 2 pages long, its the maximum ill have it at otherwise it will become too long to read

OrangeProse

You could put in more detail regarding your most recent two positions, and then just do bare essentials bullet points for the previous three.

Although if your last two positions still take you less than twelve months back, I'd stretch the detail to three if you can.

The other way to do it - and whether you can do this will depend on the industry and role that you're in - is to do a competency-based CV rather than a timeline one. That way, you start off in the usual way (name, contact details, etc) and then you list out your previous employers with just employer name, dates worked and job title, so prospective employers can see where you've worked and when.

Then in the 'main' section, you highlight three or four key projects across any of your jobs; projects that you feel highlight your best abilities or represent you best as a potential employee.

I write my CVs like this, and my key projects aren't even in chronological order. It seems to get me interviews too.

DCFC79

OrangeProse wrote: »

You could put in more detail regarding your most recent two positions, and then just do bare essentials bullet points for the previous three.

Although if your last two positions still take you less than twelve months back, I'd stretch the detail to three if you can.

The other way to do it - and whether you can do this will depend on the industry and role that you're in - is to do a competency-based CV rather than a timeline one. That way, you start off in the usual way (name, contact details, etc) and then you list out your previous employers with just employer name, dates worked and job title.

Then in the 'main' section, you highlight three or four key projects across any of your jobs; projects that you feel highlight your best abilities or represent you best as a potential employee.

I write my CVs like this, and my key projects aren't even in chronological order. It seems to get me interviews too.

thanks orange pose, ill give it a try

Liz_the_Whizz

Hi DCFC,

I read something recently about research which shows the average employer reads about 60% of what you put on the 1st page of your CV, and about 40% of page 2. Beyond that, forget it.

So make sure sell yourself on Page 1 - after name and contact details, start with a career/skills summary which you then expand in your employment history. Under each job, keep job description brief and focus instead on achievements which you want to talk about at interview.

Good luck!

DCFC79

Ok ive got another cv related question Im listing my skills but theres alot so would i just put them into a paragraph under a heading called skills or would i bullet point them and list them as key skills, how do differentiate between the 2 if you see what i mean

KG

'To have the best chance of catching an employers eye you should tailor your CV to each position you apply to.

With the skills thing one approach is to make sure all your skills / experience are alluded to under the specific jobs / education which you can connect them to, but then make sure that skills which are specifically mentioned in the job ad / person spec are highlighted under your 'skills' section, with some more information provided.

For example - if you were a web content editor (like me) jobs specs often ask for experience of content management systems. So, you might say that one of your responsibilities under a particular job was:

'updating content across multiple user groups and time zones'

which shows how you have made practical use of content mangement systems, but under skills list something like:

'Experience of a wide range of content management systems including Tridion, CMADS, Aptrix and Lyris'

which gives more specific information about the depth of your ability in the area.

Bullet points work best for skills - not only does it make it easier to read but it also encourages you to be concise.

For the work history thing - it again goes to relevance. I rarely go back further than my last 2 large roles (which takes be back about 8 years - I have been travelling and done some shorter contracts since) but I sometimes add information about my previous work history if the sector or the experience is relevant to the job which I am applying for.

Having said that, if you have space to include info on past roles it is better to do this than to have a short CV. But keep it to minimal descriptions of roles and responsibilities beyond the last few roles unless there is something relevant. A general rule of thumb is that the further up your CV a job appears, the more info you provide on experience / roles / responsibilities.

Hope that helps

KG

(Former careers adviser and former recruiter - yes I have had a few jobs in my time!)

GrammarGirl

I completely agree with the above.

Another thing I'd recommend is to summarise yourself (including your main skills, personality and anything of particular value) in a paragraph at the top of your CV. Mine starts 'an award-winning copywriter with huge amounts of passion and drive...'

KG

GrammarGirl wrote: »

I completely agree with the above.

Another thing I'd recommend is to summarise yourself (including your main skills, personality and anything of particular value) in a paragraph at the top of your CV. Mine starts 'an award-winning copywriter with huge amounts of passion and drive...'

Yep - this can be a good move, just make sure that the things you include are things which you can illustrate through the experience you have. Personality traits are always difficult to illustrate, though passion and drive are ones which are more positive. For example thoguh, I would steer clear of using words like 'reliable' and 'trustworthy' because these are difficult to illustrate and are basic traits employers take for granted.

reheat

DCFC79 wrote: »

The cv is 2 pages long, its the maximum ill have it at otherwise it will become too long to read

The "right" length of you CV depends what liine of business you are in. For many industries the 2-page limit is spot-on, but if your work is strongly technical and you have 10 years experience it will not have enough meat in it.

Nonetheless the front-page-hit-them-between-the-eyes approach is vital. This "Killer CV" article is very good for engineering jobs.