Why don't some agents 'get' skill based CV

[coe123]

I recently revamped my CV as with several cuts the length was getting out of hand. It now only has two skills summarised with relevant client names under it (only two client each as I manage to stick around a lot) - covering 11 years of experience between them. I only want to market these skills and while the response has been generally positive, some people including some big banner agents just don't seem to get their head around when they need to use their grey cells just a tiny bit and ask for a reverse chrono cv.

Is the skill based CV so rare?

[czakky]

Why try to re-invent the wheel?

Agents are lazy and risk averse, and unless you do something that no-one else at all does, the agent will have other candidates with normal, chronological CV's that they can see as a safe sent to their client co. Please remember also, that clients don't like change much either, and if the role has a HR or procurement screening element to it - good luck with the skills based CV.

A new CV format is novel and nice (I personally love the digital, online portfolio's that are appearing, search google for online, game-ified CV's and you'll see), but unless you occupy that kind of space as a contractor, having a normal CV is the best bet.

If you are finding your CV to long, send a long version to a decent agent and ask for tips, we get these requests all the time, and unless you are a total douche, we will help out if we have a role you match.

[SimonMac]

Its not that agents don't "get" them, I would imagine these type of CV's are prevalent enough these days that its not new to them, however seeing as they have to send these CV's onto hiring managers at clients they might not be as exposed and if you have three CV's sent over, two traditional and one new, the hiring manager will lean to the traditional ones as they are familiar.

This is not to say you can’t have the newer type CV’s, they just still need to give the information to the hiring manager, in a format they are comfortable with.

[coe123]

Thank you. It is 'I haven't seen this before so it can't be right' that frustrates me.

The format isn't new - it is summarised nicely and and to the point to avoid the drivel covering 15 years worth of work. It is just the grouping of timelines that people don't seem to follow. Something like -

Brick Layer
Leading IB (12-15) Retail bank (08-10)
* I can build

Trench Digger
FS Client (10-12), Another IB (05-08)
* I can dig

Followed by case studies of the some of the fancy building and digging work I have done in the recent past. Other older bits and work is confined to one liners in the end. Perfectly IR35 friendly CV if you ask me.

It tells you that you can either hire me as a Brick layer or Trench Digger - take your pick. But they think it all needs to be listed with all the details in reverse chrono fashion.

I'll see how this goes or I'll just lump this all together under building work and have the right chronological order for them.

[expat]

Is it not also that agents generally know nothing of the skills that they are recruiting for, so they can not judge a skills-based CV. Calendar months on the other hand they do get.

[BolshieBastard]

Agents and particularly clients want to see you have very recently used and excelled in the skills they have said their job entails.

They dont want to know how good you are in skills that dont apply to their job. Neither do the clients to see the skills they do want buried 5 or 6 paras down the cv instead of the top.

[fool]

Thank you. It is 'I haven't seen this before so it can't be right' that frustrates me.

The format isn't new - it is summarised nicely and and to the point to avoid the drivel covering 15 years worth of work. It is just the grouping of timelines that people don't seem to follow. Something like -

Brick Layer
Leading IB (12-15) Retail bank (08-10)
* I can build

Trench Digger
FS Client (10-12), Another IB (05-08)
* I can dig

Followed by case studies of the some of the fancy building and digging work I have done in the recent past. Other older bits and work is confined to one liners in the end. Perfectly IR35 friendly CV if you ask me.

It tells you that you can either hire me as a Brick layer or Trench Digger - take your pick. But they think it all needs to be listed with all the details in reverse chrono fashion.

I'll see how this goes or I'll just lump this all together under building work and have the right chronological order for them.

My CV is like this and I've never had a problem:

Job at Place: January 2015 – Current
---------
Tools – Tool1, Tool2, Tool3
Things – Thing1, Thing2, Thing3.

In fact it's super annoying how often I get cold called because I just made a buzzword compliant list, which is all anybody in recruitment or hr is looking for. Once you have the internet, only then may you get asked a question more than "do you know tool?"

[expat]

Agents and particularly clients want to see you have very recently used and excelled in the skills they have said their job entails.

They dont want to know how good you are in skills that dont apply to their job. Neither do the clients to see the skills they do want buried 5 or 6 paras down the cv instead of the top.

That's true too. If they need a van driver, they don't just want "experience of driving red vans", they want "experience of driving red vans in the last six months, and more red van experience than any other vans" or you are not suitable.

Is there any other profession where years of experience and in-depth knowledge can be trashed because it wasn't in the last year?

[Nirajn123]

That's true too. If they need a van driver, they don't just want "experience of driving red vans", they want "experience of driving red vans in the last six months, and more red van experience than any other vans" or you are not suitable.

Is there any other profession where years of experience and in-depth knowledge can be trashed because it wasn't in the last year?

Nailed it, I have in depth understanding of area I worked in 2007, because I was doing that for 3 years prior - not much changed in there, but try explaining that to an agent.

The real reason is them to be able to justify their existance by finding someone who did drive a red van in last 6 month.

[sal]

... Perfectly IR35 friendly CV if you ask me....

There is such thing as IR35 friendly CV?

Strictly speaking you should call it "Portfolio" not CV...

Nailed it, I have in depth understanding of area I worked in 2007, because I was doing that for 3 years prior - not much changed in there, but try explaining that to an agent.

The real reason is them to be able to justify their existance by finding someone who did drive a red van in last 6 month.

You might be some kind of a prodigy but the average person tend to forget a lot of details on something they worked on 8 years ago. Not to mention that the agents are usually not experts in the field to be able to assess if it changed or not. And when you are looking at a pile of CVs for the best candidates the "not much changed" bit will serve as a good differentiator.