Been looking long and hard at my CV – or rather CVs since I have a few variations on a theme. Given the lack of response to assorted job applications that I know I can do, is there something wrong with it that means agents can’t relate what I’ve done to what they’re looking for?
I’ve followed the recommended layout as best I can. There’s a brief description of what I am (or what I think I am!), a list of key skills, a list of key achievements then a potted history of my freelance career. Three pages long, since I’ve only gone into any real detail on the last three or four roles.
You would have thought that the skills and achievements were the most important bits in terms of assessing what I can do. So why does every conversation with an agent (when you can get hold of them, that is) start with “So tell me about your last role at xxxx”. Sorry? It’s there in front of you (and me, come to that, just in case you are trying to verify how much I can remember of what I said), which bits of “Managed a full IT support team” or “Transitioned 1800 migrated servers and BCP/DR faciltites to a new datacentre” or “Rescued a £17m support contract from re-tendering” do you not understand? And if you don’t understand – and I’ve talked to a few who clearly don’t – then what the hell are you doing in recruitment in the first place?
Even worse are the ones that ask “Are you xxx qualified?” despite clear evidence I’ve actually done things successfully, to time and budget, that xxx says you only might be able to do because you’ve done a course on it.
OK, I’m a manager, primarily, I’m usually looking at roles where you need a mix of skills and experience that is often not easily quantified. Nevertheless, the application of a bit of intelligence at the agency end would be nice…
So, how to rewrite it to be more effective, I ask myself. It would be good if I could hook it to my website, which goes into a lot more detail, but the agency won’t have time to read that as well as a three-page CV these days.
Perhaps I should reduce it to one line; “I’ve done everything, I can answer all your questions, I can do this job, hire me!”.
Think that would work…?
cvs are always an area of debate.
given the current market conditions where clients can and do demand a wish list of skills/qualifications to be present before viewing cvs it pays to try to make the cv fit without telling untruths.
read the advert carefully and make sure that cv highlights the skills required to the best of ones abilities.
agents are literally swamped with cvs for every add they run, the agents are also under time constraints,simply do not have time to ring each likely candidate ( having eliminated the dross) and ask specifics about skills.
If they are clearly on the cv chances are a good agent will pick this up and get in touch to talk the cv through against their job description.
be patient some of the job descritions are contradictions, a recently advertised role for a service transition manager specified that they needed to have scrum and agile skills. on speaking to the agent it transired the role was for a development realease managers role hence the scrum and agile, it just so happens the client called it a service role.
I am not gonna add any CV tips as I am cure your CV’s are pretty top notch and we are just struggling with market for a start i.e. the sheer number being looked at and also the personal factor which will always be there. As much as you try and read a CV a few just strike you as better for some subliminal reason. You know, those where you like this candidate from his CV even though he doesn’t actually sound as good the other guy.
One thing I am intrigued to know though is when you don’t even get a squeek about a role you have been doing for 10 years is how much bullshitting people really do on their CV’s. I am proud I have never lied or add something I can’t do no my CV. I don’t feel I need to as I am good at what I do and my CV reflects that. It could however look better if I lied through the back of my teeth. It worries me how much of that happens and frankly pisses me right off that it does.