To pay for a CV review?

kitschkitty

Some good advice that I'd agree with/...

You really need to try to limit it to 2 pages max (even in IT) as it's about how much time a recruiter is going to be willing to spend reading it (and that's a lot less than people expect)!

The ticks are very visually annoying/distracting I'm afraid.

I'd be careful about how much you use bold text, as if you are using iot to draw attention to certain points it also makes a reader think that there must be lots of excess text that they can ignore/need not focus on so much.

If your points are sussinct and sduties are not repeated from job to job they you need less bold (if you ewan to use it at all) I'd imagine.

No need to state reference available, employers already know this and besides they won't be asked for until you get a job offer or at least later in the application process.

Interests aren't required on a CV unless they are pertinent to the job or you have a lack of content on your CV (which you clearly don't).

I expect you already know but one think to always remember on a multiple page CV is to always include your full name in a header/footer on each additional page in case your CV gets separated (as you should never staple a CV). Even if you always email your CV the name on each page is important as an employer may wish/need to print off a copy.

I've also been told that generally they are only looking for about the last 5 years of your experience and as you have so much already you may wish to remove or edit the additional paragraph 1999-2006

Sadly I have a great 2 page CV but have been advised to "dumb it down" into a one page CV to try and get a job as there's so little available in my area and I'm "over qualified" :wall:

bristol_pilot

I don't think this is a 'problem' CV, so I don't think it's worth paying for a review.

A few observations:

Use of ticks rather than bullets is non-standard, annoying and appears arrogant.

You have quite rightly emphasised experience over educational qualifications, but to state that you have a degree but not even note the subject and classification 'raises a question' in the mind of the reader. Anything that 'raises a question' means you are less likely to get interviewed. As a rule of thumb, if your degree was obtained within the last 10 years, these details should be given. If your degree is in computing it should be noted in your 'profile'.

The first of the two sentences in your 'profile' is spot on, as it states what you are and what you can offer to a potential employer. Unfortunatley the second sentence is nauseating and is nothing more than your (inflated) opinion of yourself. I recommend you delete it.

The 'Key Achievements' section needs some work. I would remove or revise the quantification of the second bullet (or tick) point. Saving £80 per week is not a 'key achievement'! It is loose change. Maybe it was £80 per week per user for 600 users in which case I have misunderstood - if I have misunderstood, so may a potential employer. The penultimate bullet point - it is very unclear what you actually did, I suggest you re-phrase or delete this point. I would also omit the point about helping the manager who lost his Blackberry file - the implication is that the manager was a bit of a numpty and the reader is likely to think 'but WE are not numptys here' (even if they are). Overall, the 'Key Achievements' section is a bit 'desperate' and reads like you have not actually achieved that much at all. Try and work it up a bit more.

CVs over 2 pages long - OK, I am not in IT but I am a resource manager in a highly technical field and CVs over 2 pages are only OK if really really really justified by the contents. I don't think that is the case here. Do you really need to include your Interests? You don't say what these are, but unless they are HIGHLY job-relevant I would leave them out - partly to save space, but mostly because they are more likely to count against you than in your favour. (ANYTHING to do with religion, politics, potentially hazardous sports, solitary hobbies or hobbies that involve a lot of time or commitment should not be mentioned). Do you really need to say that you ran the tape backups? Or worked alone at the weekend? 'Anyone' can do stuff like that, so it doesn't make you stand out. Mentioning lots of low grade skills can detract from the higher grade skills you offer.

Do you have a (clean?) driving licence? If so, I would mention it somewhere on the CV. For IT support, the employer may need to know you can get to work without relying on public transport.

So, in summary, the CV is not too bad IMO. Work on the Key Achievements, clarify the degree qualification and reduce to 2 pages if you can.

bristol_pilot

alwaysonthego wrote: »

...I have taken a module at uni which includes looking at CVs and ... plus your referees on a seperate page.

Students are often advised by their uni to provide their Referees up front as the Referees are usually the tutors and it is kind of part of their job to do this. In the 'real world', Referees should certainly not be provided until the job offer stage. For one thing, it is very discourteous to the Referees to give their details without first asking permission on each occasion. And equally important, one often does not want it to get back to one's current employer that one is looking for another job!

bristol_pilot

triggerhappy wrote: »

Also, it's "root cause analysis", not "route cause analysis"

Well done triggerhappy. I hadn't spotted this, but if I had spotted it as a recruiter I would bin that CV immediately. There must be zero spelling errors on a CV.

DCFC79

I agree with the use of the ticks, they are annoying, its alot of text for professional experience, could you not slim it down by only including the main points

ellie101

I wouldn't worry too much about 3 pages. I have 3 on my CV, and work in media/IT. I get a a fair few interviews from my CV, but I've been too nervous at interviews to actually get the job.

You do need to lose the ticks as others have said.

This site here is for IT contractors and has info on doing CVs:

http://www.contractoruk.com/jobs/cv-guides-index.html

One of the agents who posts on there has offered to look over CVs (yes, it's in his interest but he's a regular contributor and comes up with useful advice from the agents point of view). Will find the link and send it over to you when I've found it. May be worth seeing if he's in your field.

Woody_G

Thanks to all who helped and specifically to Bristol Fighter. After taking all the constructive criticism and changing my CV I am inundated with calls from companies and agencies. So far I managed to get three interviews this week and two interviews for next week for contracts and permanent roles.

Went yesterday for the first interview and we were like a house on fire, they will let me know on Tuesday if I got it or not.:D

The problem is, they all want fairly early starting dates in March (if I get an offer) and this is all very confusing, I have a feeling that at list on the contracting side I might get more than one offer. Do anyone here knows what is the best approach/strategy to managing multiple offers?

triggerhappy_2

Glad it's all working out well. Did you cut it down in tthe end?

Woody_G

triggerhappy wrote: »

Glad it's all working out well. Did you cut it down in tthe end?

On some applications I took it down to two pages depending on what the job demands, I left it on three pages for other more complex roles but I took everything else on board. Hopefully there will be an offer at the end.

Reds-on-Sea

Woody_G wrote: »

The problem is, they all want fairly early starting dates in March (if I get an offer) and this is all very confusing, I have a feeling that at list on the contracting side I might get more than one offer. Do anyone here knows what is the best approach/strategy to managing multiple offers?

When you get offers, ask them all when they need a response by. I always think it's prudent not to accept an offer there and then anyway.

This will buy you some time.

If you're getting 2nd & 3rd offers, then let them know your situation. i.e. "I've had an offer from X company, and they need an answer by Friday, so can you give me an answer today"

it just worked perfectly for me.

Congrats on getting all your interviews btw! The thread contributors should set up as a CV-fixing dream team!