Re-doing a CV

[Murdoch]

I’m looking to re do my CV. For the past 4 years I’ve been travelling and working in different countries so have worked a lot of different farming jobs mostly on a seasonal basis.

The usual format of listing your past jobs and what you done there seems to be a bit messy in my situation. Would it be better to split it into say three sections like machinery experience, livestock experience and general experience?

I’ve also gone self employed so I’m wondering wether a CV is still largely relevant?

 

[Tomr10]

Most important thing is first page. That's what most look at list key skills and certifications in a apealing format

 

[deleted user 837354]

Two sides A4 maximum. It does help if you can break it into sections using lines or similar.

 

[Robt]

As bad as it sounds, a photo does actually help. Not sure why but if you have one with and one without. You always look at the photo one first. Its human nature. Less is more, if you are going self employed then think of its an advert for your business

 

[Highland Mule]

Get someone who’s good at English language to check it through too - I used to do a lot of corporate recruitment and when you’re faced with a pile of CVs, you use any little thing to do the first screen - for me it was bad grammar/ punctuation/ spelling etc.

 

[Chae1]

Sure it does. Particularly if your a attractive female.

 

[Brisel]

Sure it does. Particularly if your a attractive female.

That's a mixed blessing. What do you want to be taken seriously for? Your looks or your skills & experience?

I'm ugly enough that I won't be wasting space on a page when I could put something more attractive like my career achievements in that space.

 

[Dry Rot]

You've got to stand out from the crowd somehow. I used to phone the advertiser and say I would be in the area next week (usually a lie!) and perhaps it would save everyone's time if I could pop in and say 'hello'? Often works.

Layout/type setting will help. A few photos, definitely. Different sized fonts for headings, then paragraphs, etc. so it is neat and logical. Perhaps, in your case, sub headings with dates, also locations. Look for examples -- not necessarily CVs -- that look attractive to you and grab your interest without being garish. Go to the library and browse books on the 'Factual" shelves, regardless of topic

I remember getting a letter from someone with all the main topics in red. Totally off putting and unnecessary. On the other hand, neat headings, sub headings, with perhaps important points in italics...

A CV not necessary? Supply one anyway, your prospective employer can always throw it in the bin.

 

[deleted user 837354]

If you get someone else to write it for godsake make sure you understand fully any words or prose they have written. Expect that anything you put on your CV to be asked about, in detail. For example, if you said: 'I used to work in sales and had a sales ledger worth around 1 million per annum' that is great but don't be surprised if they don't ask how that figure would be arrived at- how did you know? What comprised the bulk of the sales etc etc?

 

[Brisel]

As mentioned above, you've got 3 seconds to get the reader's attention when they've got a big pile to read through. I think that's why many put a paragraph near the top, though some of those I've read put me off straight away when they had nothing to really say that added value to the document. "I am a self starting person with excellent attention to detail blah blah" does nothing for me. "I doubled the turnover of my current business" would keep me interested but that candidate would be asked further at interview to explain how, why etc to provide verification.

Exam results and subjects studied are fine for an 18 year old but not for a 35 year old. I'd want to see more about roles & responsibilities by then. Expect any time gaps in employment to be questioned - "nursing my sick mother" is perfectly acceptable. If she was sick & you weren't waiting at Her Majesty's Pleasure instead.

 

[Old Boar]

Keep it simple. You have 6 seconds to make an impression with a CV - to go on the No pile or the possible pile. Use expensive slightly off white paper - it gives an impression to the person reading it without them realising why.
Same font throughout, with headings in bold and a size or two higher. NO colour.
Recent stuff first - if it looks like you have done 15 jobs in a few years, they will think you cannot settle. So "a range of experience in...." is better. Always include any formal qualifications towards the end (but not Blue Peter badge!).
Never lie on a CV - you can be dismissed for this.
Get someone else to check your spelling - you wont see mistakes as your eye tends to skip as you know what you wrote.
Ask the people you list as references first.

Read the job description or website and use the same vocabulary (you will fit in to the company). Each CV should be taylored to the job, but you can have a template ready to which you can add.

I used to teach writing CVs and have read thousands. Good luck!

 

[betweenthelines]

Experienced in: what you've done

Have achieved: certificates for

During my time as xxxx, I improved yyy youngstock manager, reduced mortality by xx%

Hobbies & interests If you put watching tv & playing x box, you're a boring twit, If you put puzzle solving, reading biographies etc, it show's you've got a brain.

A straight list of jobs doesn't say much about you.

A CV is just to get people interested in you so that they want to speak (interview) to you

 

[Tractorstant]

Keep it simple. You have 6 seconds to make an impression with a CV - to go on the No pile or the possible pile. Use expensive slightly off white paper - it gives an impression to the person reading it without them realising why.
Same font throughout, with headings in bold and a size or two higher. NO colour.
Recent stuff first - if it looks like you have done 15 jobs in a few years, they will think you cannot settle. So "a range of experience in...." is better. Always include any formal qualifications towards the end (but not Blue Peter badge!).
Never lie on a CV - you can be dismissed for this.
Get someone else to check your spelling - you wont see mistakes as your eye tends to skip as you know what you wrote.
Ask the people you list as references first.

Read the job description or website and use the same vocabulary (you will fit in to the company). Each CV should be taylored to the job, but you can have a template ready to which you can add.

I used to teach writing CVs and have read thousands. Good luck!

This, you a heavyweight paper like Conquer with an envelope to match. Learn how to fold your C.V. and put it in so that it immediately faces the recipient. Try and find out the name of the person you are addressing too, try to avoid, "to whom it may concern."

 

[deleted user 837354]

I agree ringing beforehand and finding the actual name of the person you need to write to is ideal. Actually talking to them on the telephone briefly can give a big insight into the kind of person they are and in turn the kind of company you are dealing with.

Have never done the posh paper and envelope thing before, worth doing although I do know a lot of professionals who it would not work on. The sort who would have to hunt for a (broken) biro and a tea-stained envelope out of the bin if you told them something important they needed to write down instantly. Nothing wrong with that but I'd think posh stationery would fly right past them.

That said, I do think that the more specialist or technical the applicant, the less time he should have for mangers or similar who bin CV's without a second glance. Companies with that kind if culture are quite possibly dinosaurs. Copying the language used on their website might work but consider a lot of firms will have websites designed by third parties.

People should always be evaluated as individuals, not packs of sausages.

Any individual using what I term 'blue chip' language or terminology would be highly suspect in my book. I remember someone asking me a lame-arse question along the lines of: 'so why us [big name company]?' This is a totally nonsense question, why people ask it I will never know as it requires a made up answer. Anyone who can sincerely say something like: 'because I want work for a market leading company that is going places' or some similar rot is probably more slippery than Alastair Cambell.

 

[Murdoch]

Thanks for all the replies. I never thought about putting a picture or my hobbies on to a CV