Serious Help Needed With CV

CoffeeSpoons

Apologies for the length of this post in advance.

I need some serious help with my CV. At the moment it absolutely sucks and I've never had to write one before, the reason why will be explained in a moment. I'm 23 and I'm currently unemployed and looking for work.

From the age of fourteen I was self employed, playing online poker for a living (illegally to begin with obviously) and performing card magic at weddings and parties.

After college I went travelling for two years, playing online poker and enjoying an awful lot of freedom. While I was in the United States the Department of Justice shut down online poker and seized everyone's money, therefore I became unemployed and decided to use the remainder of what I had left to travel as much as I could before having to return home. Now that I am back in the UK and I haven't played poker in such a long time I no longer love it the way I used to, even though I have tried to start playing again I don't enjoy it anymore. I want something with a bit more structure, less stress and a guaranteed salary.

At the moment I'm in the process of joining the TA to get some kind of an income, I'm about to start volunteering with an after schools club since I've got all the spare time in the world it would seem, and I'm also in the process of starting an Open University Degree. I've got an HND in Audio and Sound Production, but that is something I have no real interest in pursuing, although if it provided me with an income just now I would take it.

Here is my CV at the moment, it is basically a rehash of what I have done with my life so far and might even sound like a bad online dating profile. I have read articles on how to improve it online but they aren't the most helpful given how little I have to put down on my CV. I can't even provide previous employer references. Any help and feedback is appreciated.

Thanks

Name: XXXXX

Home Address:
XXXXXXX

Home Phone: XXXXX XXXXXX Mobile: XXXXXXXXXX

Email: XXXXXXX@gmail.com Date of Birth: 16/04/1989

Nationality: British

Profile

Being successfully self-employed since the age of fourteen, and having graduated with a Higher National Diploma in Audio and Sound Production, as well as having traveled throughout different parts of the world for the last year and a half, I’m both eager and highly motivated to pursue a career working with an established company.

During my time at college I was able to effectively multitask between my studies, my job as a professional poker player and my extra curricular activities, exhibiting my ability to systematize, work well under pressure, keep motivated and constantly work hard. My background as a successful poker player allows me to think through multiple problems quickly and then make sound logical decisions. Also the extensive traveling I have done has given me excellent social skills and the ability to interact with people on a greater emotional level. I enjoy both working on my own and as part of a team. In short, I am dependable, trustworthy, hardworking as well as having a hunger to learn and a genuine enthusiasm to undertake a new career.

Education

2007-2010 The Adam Smith College
Higher National Diploma (HND) Audio and Sound Production

Modules Included:
Working in the Creative Industries.
Creative Industries Infrastructure
Sound Production: Management and Legal Issues
Sound Production: Location Recording
Digital Audio Workstations

Completed two Higher National Graded Units:

Sound Production Graded Unit 1, Grade A - Composed music and foley effects for a one minute short film.

Sound Production Graded Unit 2, Grade A - Recorded an album using surround sound microphone set up and close microphone set up and compared and contrasted both when recording an acoustic guitar.

Secondary Education
Highers 2007
Classical Studies A
English C

Standard Grades 2005
7 Standard Grade passes

Work Experience

July 2003 - April 2011
Professional Poker Player

For eight years I played online and live poker for a living. During this time I was left to handle my own finances giving me excellent money management skills, as well as gaining the experience to handle stressful situations. Poker held my interest long enough to allow me the opportunity to work for myself and gave me the ability to travel and both live and work in countries such as Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Guatemala and eventually move to Las Vegas for a time. After the United States shut down online poker to enforce new government policy and legislation concerning online gambling I traveled for a while longer and came home in October 2011 to pursue a different career path.

May 2007-2009
Professional Card Magician

I handled my own finances and clients and learnt how to build an exceptional rapport with people I had never met before as I was asked to perform card magic at weddings, parties and other social gatherings. I used the contacts I made to build a network of people who would in the future provide me with more clients and potential work.

Interests

Writing. After traveling for some time I began to write a blog as a means of keeping my friends and family up to date on all that I was doing. In the beginning I used it mainly as a tool to communicate but it’s now developed into a very keen interest to further my knowledge of English and learn how to write more captivatingly.

Sports. When I began college I also took up a variety of martial arts, all of which require strong dedication, motivation and hard work. I practiced Karate up until I left to travel, earning my 2nd Degree Brown Belt. While learning Karate I also took up Muay Thai, some wrestling and Brazilian Jujitsu.

Enjoying Life. I believe that being driven and always having a goal is one of the most important aspects of becoming a more successful person. But if you immerse yourself with work and don’t take time to enjoy all the wonderful opportunities the world and life has to offer, you handicap yourself, and may end up living with regrets. I love an adventure when I can have one, whether it’s white water rafting, zip-lining or scuba and cave diving, all of which I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in.

Skills

Computing. Able to use a computer proficiently and touch type seventy words per minute.

Digital Audio Workstations. I have completed my ProTools 101 exam.

Recording Studio. I have knowledge of how a recording studio is run and I can navigate and work within one, or with similar technology, effectively.

Driving. Full UK driving license.

Writing. I have a good understanding of English grammar and I am proficient when it comes to writing.

Excellent People Person. Accomplished ability to interact with new people and integrate into other teams and groups.

Scuba Diving. Certified Scuba Diver.

References
Excellent references available upon request.

koloko

There is a thread on 2+2 called "why I do not tell people I am a professional poker player". You may be aware of it.

I would be tempted to lose the poker part of your CV. At 23 you can cover the cracks with travelling and study. Try and think of any volunteering you have done as well.

I say this as a full time professional engineering consultant / part time professional poker player myself. You meet so many people in the workplace that consider poker to be a house-edge casino game of luck, that it becomes easier to hide the hobby rather than discuss it.

Elaborating it on your CV may lead people to think you simply have a gambling problem; it does not matter whether they are right or wrong, you have the ability to solve this problem by not mentioning it.

Also - it annoys me when I see CVs that say "referees are available on request". Why do I have to request them? Just put their contact details on the CV!

Also (2) - since you don't have a lot of meat on there, list out your grades at GCSE. Elaborate further on big projects you undertook at college and how you might like to see your involvement in those fields progress in the future.

Lovelyjoolz

OK, so I'll offer my advice as an employer and someone who sees dozens of CVs a week. None of this is intended to cause offence, but I'm going to be blunt here, because you have about 10-20 seconds to impress with your CV before it goes in the bin and the reader moves on to the next one. You must get it right.

The poker playing would completely put me off employing you. To be perfectly honest, your CV just demonstrates a flaky, wander-lust personality who I can't rely on to stick it out at a job. It doesn't scream "I'm a great, loyal employee - hire me!". Calling yourself "self-employed since age fourteen" just makes you sound immature and frankly, delusional. Dress it up however you like but you were really just bumming around the world paying your way through the proceeds of gambling. You ain't fooling anybody here!

I'm not saying you have to apologise for your traveling. Far from it - you can really use it to your advantage on a CV as long as you are honest about what it was and don't try to pull wool over our eyes by pretending it was a business.

To begin with, you need to figure out what line of work are you looking to get in to. Without knowing what you are looking for, you can't write an effective CV. You need to tailor your CV to every application.

A short CV is fine if you don't have a lot of experience. Focus on the good things like your education, and further education. What your travels gave you (other than the poker; i.e. adapting to new environments/cultures, skills in dealing with people of all types, gregarious nature etc). Emphasise your strengths (are you loyal? hardworking? Reliable? Ambitious?).

But seriously, leave out the poker.

Lovelyjoolz

Also, the stuff here in bold? Delete it:

CoffeeSpoons wrote: »

Also the extensive traveling I have done has given me excellent social skills and the ability to interact with people on a greater emotional level. I enjoy both working on my own and as part of a team. In short, I am dependable, trustworthy, hardworking as well as having a hunger to learn and a genuine enthusiasm to undertake a new career.


Enjoying Life. I believe that being driven and always having a goal is one of the most important aspects of becoming a more successful person. But if you immerse yourself with work and don’t take time to enjoy all the wonderful opportunities the world and life has to offer, you handicap yourself, and may end up living with regrets. I love an adventure when I can have one, whether it’s white water rafting, zip-lining or scuba and cave diving, all of which I’ve been fortunate enough to participate in.

Skills

Computing. Able to use a computer proficiently and touch type seventy words per minute.

“greater emotional level” “hunger to learn” – unless you want to be a professional hippy, don’t use this kind of language in a CV. Your CV is a business document and should use professional business language.

The whole “enjoying life” paragraph is pretentious, pompous and downright irritating. Get rid of it.

Seventy words a minute? Unless you can type 120 words a minute (about average for a decent secretary) don’t put it in your CV.

Lovelyjoolz

Seriously, there is a lot of good things there in your CV, it's just presented all wrong and the poker and the hippy-speak is just detracting from it.

Figure out what you want to do. Find a job you can realistically apply for and read the job spec. Identify what skills you have that match the job spec and write your CV emphasising those points. Anything else is irrelevant.

cmw1212

Lovelyjoolz wrote: »

Also, the stuff here in bold? Delete it:



“greater emotional level” “hunger to learn” – unless you want to be a professional hippy, don’t use this kind of language in a CV. Your CV is a business document and should use professional business language.

The whole “enjoying life” paragraph is pretentious, pompous and downright irritating. Get rid of it.

Seventy words a minute? Unless you can type 120 words a minute (about average for a decent secretary) don’t put it in your CV.

Why not? I doubt he is looking for an executive PA/ Legal secretary position, for a general admin role that is a perfectly good speed most basic admin ones are happy with 35-40.

cmw1212

cmw1212 wrote: »

Why not? I doubt he is looking for an executive PA/ Legal secretary position, for a general admin role that is a perfectly good speed most basic admin ones are happy with 35-40.

I agree with the rest of what you said though

Lovelyjoolz

cmw1212 wrote: »

Why not? I doubt he is looking for an executive PA/ Legal secretary position, for a general admin role that is a perfectly good speed most basic admin ones are happy with 35-40.

Well yes, I agree with you that 70wpm is fine for an admin role. But I've never stipulated a required typing speed when advertising for an Admin role, nor have I ever seen one specified unless its a true secretarial job so either way it's irrelvant and shouldn't be on the CV.

theoretica

I think it a particularly bad idea to have a CV that shows you were playing poker at 14 - or anything else illegal.

Many people have a year out travelling at some point - I don't think two years travelling and gaining life experience needs that much explanation.

Do make sure you have your highest maths grade on your CV.

DCFC79

Id leave off the following:

Home Address:

Date of Birth: 16/04/1989

Nationality: British

Home address isn't needed, if they want to contact you they have your email address and a phone number which can be quicker. No harm in putting the city/town your from.

DOB not needed, the person who looks over the CV's can get a rough idea of your age from the rest of your cv eg you went to college 2007 - 2010.

Nationality again not needed.

Good luck with the TA.

bigspender1971

I would agree with what the others are saying however I would also suggest that you add in bullet points as big chunks of text are hard to read.
Also, keep in "references available on request" as it allows you to control the process and only give out details of referees to people you know are serious about hiring you.
You need to tailor your CV to each job you are applying. Hope this helps. Good luck!