CV is crap and full of gaps... so unappealing for like... ALL employers I'm guessing

p83wanad

I have serious issues with my CV. It's all over the place, I have huge gaps and it doesn't look consistent at all. I feel ancient even though I'm on my late 20's and I've worked very little throughout my life: I've always have someone helped me out, which is in a way very lucky, but also very frightening because I don't know what it's like to stand on my own two feet. Which makes me come across as an utterly lazy worthless person.

I moved countries in 2008, only two years after I finished college back in my home country (Latinamerica). In that two years I didn't work much and I was living off some savings/parental handouts basically. Then I come over here, marry and recession hits. Fast forward to 2011 and the job situation is not much better, specially for someone from a different planet almost, with little working experience and with qualifications that mean nothing over here as the education system is so different. No friends, family, teachers or co workers over here. So it's like being cut off from life (although don't worry, I've never been on the dole sucking off taxpayers money in all this time if that's what you think)

Anyway I haven't been able to find steady work since I moved here. Only a few temping/part time little positions that have ended. So I have gaps all over the place. I know that this is completely unacceptable but I can't go back in time and change things. I shouldn't make stuff up either, so what do I put? I can't be honest either and say the truth, that I've been battling depression on and off for like 2 years now as I've found it really hard to deal with the fact that it doesn't seem like I fit anywhere. So much for a fresh start, fat chance. Maybe I don't fit anywhere, fair enough, but then again, I have nothing to go back to.

I thought I'd try to put that aside, and actively seek for work (yet again) but the replies are always either zero or "no". When it comes to unskilled jobs I simply never hear anything back (cleaner, hotel housekeeping, keep getting rejected from Boots shelve stacking jobs...) or when it comes to more professional jobs, I do tick some of the boxes but I don't have the 2-3 years experience proven in so and so they always ask for.

So for example, this job:

To clean guest bedrooms, bathrooms and corridors in the beautiful So and So Hotel. Previous experience in a similar job would be preferable although training is provided.Hours of work will vary depending on the workload of our business.Your work will be flexible and there might be periods where no work is available and that we have no obligation to . provide you with work or min number of hours in any day or week.

I'm perfectly capable of doing that and more. The hotel is like 10 minutes walk from here, I'm completely flexible, reliable, honest, etc etc. But that's not good enough. Because if I submit my full CV as it is, I get no replies. If I remove the irrelevant bits for housekeeping/cleaning jobs, etc then it would be blank as I have no previous experience at all. But it's all I got. Catch 22, no new experience because CV is crap, and CV is crap because I don't get the chance to work anywhere. The gap is reaching abysmal dimensions. So I get more depressed and anxious and the more depressed I get, the less enthusiasm I have to keep trying.

I guess I've put myself in this position but I seriously can't see a way out anymore. So now I don't only need a job, I first need to get some confidence, and I don't know how to do that. Where do you find professional and practical help for that? (I already ended up in therapy but there's no practical career advice there, just touchy feely fluff) :huh:

leese2504

First of all employers dont have time to read people's life stories, when doing a CV for every job you do, bullet point your experience ie:

Company
Job title
* To maintain the reception area
* To ensure all bedrooms are kept clean and tidy
* Booked guests in using internal computer systems.

This then allows the employer to quickly sift through the information they are interested in, if they have to ready paragraph upon paragraph your CV will be binned. Perhaps ask Job Centre to put together a CV or your local careers advice centre. Secondly if you currently have some spare time why dont you volunteer for now, it shows a potential employer that you are more than willing to commit to a job. At the moment you are battling against 100's of other applicants and I know many employers at the moment end up taking on one of their current workers friends or family. Keep going and dont give up !!!

Oldernotwiser

If you write a skills based CV rather than a chronological one, your gaps will be far less obvious and the employer can concentrate on what you have to offer, rather than how you gained these skills. This will also allow you to tailor the skills presented appropriately to the job you're applying for.

ilovethecomps

Why not do some voluntary work? Great for the CV and you can use the manager/supervisor as a reference this will make you look more appealing to potential employers and show that you can hold down a job/regular hours.

Good luck in your job search, don't give up hope because persistence will pay off in the end.

soupdragon10

If you have reasonable qualifications it may be worth looking into getting them ratified so that you can say ' I have xx qualifications which is equivalent to GCSE/A level etc.'

UK Naric http://www.naric.org.uk/ can do this although they do charge, and it may only be worth it if you have relevant qualifications that might help you get a job.