FAO Employers! CV help!

[Fez of Mahrez]

Some quick questions (need to get it done by midnight, only saw it advertised an hour or two ago):

1) Do I need to list every single bit of employment I've ever had? The early bits don't look that impressive and, to me, take away from the important stuff which is what I've done recently. Is it a poor show to have unexplained gaps, as I've previously heard and read many times?

2) Can I leave out specific details of my GCSE and A-level qualifications and just have details of my degree? Didn't do amazingly well at school.

I need to make this look the dogs. I can meet the essential (and desirable to a large degree) criteria which is the main thing.

All and any help on this much appreciated.

Cheers

PS - I know this looks a bit lazy but I haven't applied for a job in three years and I need to get this one as right as I can.

[Edmund]

Some quick questions (need to get it done by midnight, only saw it advertised an hour or two ago):

1) Do I need to list every single bit of employment I've ever had? The early bits don't look that impressive and, to me, take away from the important stuff which is what I've done recently. Is it a poor show to have unexplained gaps, as I've previously heard and read many times?

2) Can I leave out specific details of my GCSE and A-level qualifications and just have details of my degree? Didn't do amazingly well at school.

I need to make this look the dogs. I can meet the essential (and desirable to a large degree) criteria which is the main thing.

All and any help on this much appreciated.

Cheers

PS - I know this looks a bit lazy but I haven't applied for a job in three years and I need to get this one as right as I can.

NO GAPS, NO GAPS, NO GAPS.

Also a long list of employment at a young age isn't a good look without reasonable explanation.

[davieG]

Some quick questions (need to get it done by midnight, only saw it advertised an hour or two ago):

1) Do I need to list every single bit of employment I've ever had? The early bits don't look that impressive and, to me, take away from the important stuff which is what I've done recently. Is it a poor show to have unexplained gaps, as I've previously heard and read many times?

2) Can I leave out specific details of my GCSE and A-level qualifications and just have details of my degree? Didn't do amazingly well at school.

I need to make this look the dogs. I can meet the essential (and desirable to a large degree) criteria which is the main thing.

All and any help on this much appreciated.

Cheers

PS - I know this looks a bit lazy but I haven't applied for a job in three years and I need to get this one as right as I can.

For your early jobs, in fact all of them say the duration and the company and then list the skills you developed like teamwork, time management, organisation, communication (verbal & written, supervision (even if it was the tea lady) etc rather than the actual task especially if they correspond to some of the essential requirements

Having done interviews I was more interested in what skills people had used/developed rather than what the job was.

I think if you miss them out people might think you were unemployed and are likely to ask about the 'gaps' which would give them undue attention, like wise with your early exams, just be very brief with them as I'm sure if they are follow your degree they probably wont be noticed anyway.

You are writing it with the most recent jobs and education first in the lists?

Hope that doesn't all sound patronising

[Katy]

What I have always done that has worked quite well is, and this would work well with what you're applying for, is do a basic list of all your jobs then go to town listing the skills and relevant experience in your current job. Also as I said earlier, do a really impressive personal statement and then you can change it slightly so it applies to the different jobs you are applying for. Good luck lovely, sock it to 'em!

[Fez of Mahrez]

For your early jobs, in fact all of them say the duration and the company and then list the skills you developed like teamwork, time management, organisation, communication (verbal & written, supervision (even if it was the tea lady) etc rather than the actual task especially if they correspond to some of the essential requirements

Having done interviews I was more interested in what skills people had used/developed rather than what the job was.

I think if you miss them out people might think you were unemployed and are likely to ask about the 'gaps' which would give them undue attention, like wise with your early exams, just be very brief with them as I'm sure if they are follow your degree they probably wont be noticed anyway.

You are writing it with the most recent jobs and education first in the lists?

Hope that doesn't all sound patronising

Oh I've gone beyond being bothered about anyone patronising me with this (which you weren't anyway), any help is appreciated.

Yeah I am writing it with the most recent jobs and education first so, like you say, it should be fine from that perspective.

I think on reflection you're obviously both right about the gaps so I'll include everything.

I'm actually quite positive, thinking about what I can write in the supporting statement, which is just as well as it's got to be 2 pages long!

[Matt]

When I wrote mine up the other day I asked one of my mum's friends to give me advice and tips as she used to work in a College and read CV's very often, this is a template to how mine is wrote.

Cirriculum Vitae

Name.

Address.

Telephone.

Mobile.

Email.

D.O.B

Previous Employment

Employer

Dates

Duties - Explain your duties with these jobs.

(Start with your the job you last had working backwards - Including part time jobs when at school, e.t.c)

Education

Dates

Uni. (In your case?)

College.

Secondary School.

Qualification

Dates

Uni Qualifications.

College/6th form.

G.C.S.E's

Any other qualifications/achievements.

References

2 References is enough normally apparently. If any more are wanted you can then provide them.

It's not the best set up on here with the alignment of the pages, e.t.c, but you get the idea.

Good luck.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Cheers Matt, that's reassured me as that's what I've come up with so far. Shouldn't be having to write it from scratch really. I am such a lazy bastard and it's come back to haunt me as per.

Had forgotten the references part, I'm so used to it being on an application form. What an idiothole... (tongue in chin, durbrain)

[Katy]

When I wrote mine up the other day I asked one of my mum's friends to give me advice and tips as she used to work in a College and read CVs very often, this is a template to how mine is wrote.

Cirriculum Vitae

Name.

Address.

Telephone.

Mobile.

Email.

D.O.B

Previous Employment

Employer

Dates

Duties - Explain your duties with these jobs.

(Start with your the job you last had working backwards - Including part time jobs when at school, e.t.c)

Education

Dates

Uni. (In your case?)

College.

Secondary School.

Qualification

Dates

Uni Qualifications.

College/6th form.

G.C.S.E's

Any other qualifications/achievements.

References

2 References is enough normally apparently. If any more are wanted you can then provide them.

It's not the best set up on here with the alignment of the pages, e.t.c, but you get the idea.

Good luck.

Curriculum

[Granno]

Curriculum

So that's why he didn't get a job as an English teacher

[Matt]

Curriculum

Thank-god that was just a typo here, Just had to check my CV to make sure it's not spelt the way I spelt it on here, It is spelt correctly on my CV.

[Cobbo]

Got some advise when made redundant recently.

Do not clutter it up with all your education.

Your degree and current role and skills picked up within that are what is important once you have been in full time employment for a while.

Make it clear you are willing to learn and are adaptable to situations etc etc..

[Katy]

Thank-god that was just a typo here, Just had to check my CV to make sure it's not spelt the way I spelt it on here, It is spelt correctly on my CV.

Good because potential employers absolutely hate poor grammar and spelling errors. It would be shite to lose a job you thought you were perfect for by spelling things wrong - this is why it's good to get someone else to have a scan of it before you apply.

[Matt]

Got some advise when made redundant recently.

Do not clutter it up with all your education.

Your degree and current role and skills picked up within that are what is important once you have been in full time employment for a while.

Make it clear you are willing to learn and are adaptable to situations etc etc..

I just made my intentions and ambitions in my Covering letter saying I have working in shopfitting in the past but am looking to move into Kitchen Fitting and also willing to learn how to price, and design - TBH I put that in because i'm desperate, I would be interest in pricing and design but would prefer to fit, but if they had a job and offered me a job in pricing and design i'd take it - They would have to train me up which might put them off me, but it gives me extra options, besides it'd be alot easier (Manual wise)

[Cobbo]

Love teamwork too, vital

[Matt]

Good because potential employers absolutely hate poor grammar and spelling errors. It would be shite to lose a job you thought you were perfect for by spelling things wrong - this is why it's good to get someone else to have a scan of it before you apply.

Yeah I was told this by the person I asked for help and tips off, she said when she used to look through CV's the moment she saw a spelling mistake, grammatical mistake it went straight in the bin. I got her to check it before I printed it sent it and I have it saved so unless I change it somehow it should be good forever now!

As you can judge by my post's on here, my spelling and grammar really isn't the best.

[AoWW]

I also had lots of jobs when I was young. As others have said, focus on the skills you've gained from them. No, you don't want gaps but, to be quite honest, having a hugely long list of 'mediocre' jobs just gives them lots to wade through, even if you have put your most recent position first. I probably shouldn't be suggesting this (though I have done it myself) but are there any of the earlier jobs you could 'lose'... and perhaps some of the others you were at a little longer?... (if you get my drift!)??!! Unless it's a high-security type position, no one is going to check too far back in your employment history. They're only going to contact your referees, not worry about your previous paper-round, waitering, bar work, temping, blah blah.

Focus on the personal statement... that's the part that will sell 'you' and avoid having too much 'clutter' on your actual CV.

Re school qualifications, could you get round the actual grades by just saying 'x number of GCSEs' (add that it includes English and Mathematics if you got them) and maybe something similar for A-levels. Your degree is what they'll be most interested in anyway.

Feel free to PM me if none of that makes sense, or if I can be of help.

[Matt]

I also had lots of jobs when I was young. As others have said, focus on the skills you've gained from them. No, you don't want gaps but, to be quite honest, having a hugely long list of 'mediocre' jobs just gives them lots to wade through, even if you have put your most recent position first. I probably shouldn't be suggesting this (though I have done it myself) but are there any of the earlier jobs you could 'lose'... and perhaps some of the others you were at a little longer?... (if you get my drift!)??!! Unless it's a high-security type position, no one is going to check too far back in your employment history. They're only going to contact your referees, not worry about your previous paper-round, waitering, bar work, temping, blah blah.

Focus on the personal statement... that's the part that will sell 'you' and avoid having too much 'clutter' on your actual CV.

Re school qualifications, could you get round the actual grades by just saying 'x number of GCSEs' (add that it includes English and Mathematics if you got them) and maybe something similar for A-levels. Your degree is what they'll be most interested in anyway.

Feel free to PM me if none of that makes sense, or if I can be of help.

I did this as many of my results we D's, E's, so I just put '9 G.C.S.E Passes', they may be D's and E's they are still passes though!

I was told you want it to fill a whole sheet of A4, No more, No less, but do fill it, No gaps.

[James.]

Fez PM or text me your e mail address and I can send you my CV to give you an idea. I basically adapted my brother in law's one who paid good money to a specialist company to have one made up.

Obviously mine is pitched towards the Finance industry but the layout, format and level of detail should be about right...

[Jay]

If it's not to late Fez I found Monster to have some really good advice on writing CV's especially the bit about what to include in your personal statement and more importantly what you shouldn't include and so they have some templates as well which can give you an idea of what you can make it look like.

[Fez of Mahrez]

Fez PM or text me your e mail address and I can send you my CV to give you an idea. I basically adapted my brother in law's one who paid good money to a specialist company to have one made up.

Obviously mine is pitched towards the Finance industry but the layout, format and level of detail should be about right...

Have texted you, cheers mate.

If it's not to late Fez I found Monster to have some really good advice on writing CV's especially the bit about what to include in your personal statement and more importantly what you shouldn't include and so they have some templates as well which can give you an idea of what you can make it look like.

Will have a look, ta.

Not going to enjoy writing this personal statement... I just want to play Fifa. Bollocks.

[davieG]

Be sure to refer to every single one of the specified requirements in your personal statement;actually makes it easier to do. As part of my interview training we were instructed to do a spreadsheet of all the attributes required split into essential / preferred and cross-referenced against each applicant. Any applicant that had not commented on even a single one the requirements was immediately removed from the short list by the interviewer.

This is important if there are lots of applications because the interviewer will be looking at simple auditable ways to reduce the numbers.

[Katy]

Have texted you, cheers mate.

Will have a look, ta.

Not going to enjoy writing this personal statement... I just want to play Fifa. Bollocks.

You mean you haven't started it yet? What have you been doing for the past hour! Come on David, you know how much you want this job so get your head on it and get it done. Goodness me, where's a cracking the whip smilie when you need one?

[Guest]

Not going to enjoy writing this personal statement... I just want to play Fifa. Bollocks.

That shows that you're a team player, possibly have good organisational skills? Able to read situations and adapt accordingly?

You'll need to list all of your jobs, but you don't need to give any details, especially if they haven't given you the skills or experience for the job that you're applying for.

Good luck!

[Fez of Mahrez]

You mean you haven't started it yet? What have you been doing for the past hour!

Eating me dinner.

[Katy]

Eating me dinner.

Ok, at ease.