Post Corona Jobs / contracts etc

[voodoo1927]

For the last 4 years or so - Ive operating in a completely independent way (no end client) just me doing work that made me money directly rather being the contractor I used to be. Just before the lockdown - I had decided to change direction and either go contracting again - or get a permie job somewhere (oh how I laughed or rather cried with the classic timing of it all) typical timing....

So now I find myself with issue of updating my CV - do I state my title as Chief Technical Officer - as that sounds a bit pompous to me - especially if Im looking at any job I can find. Or would you tone it down a bit to IT consultant ? - any CV formats you can recommend would be useful to.

Talking of which Im looking at Linkedin only at the moment - anywhere else, back in my proper contracting days it was jobserve - but I guess things have moved on since then.

Any advice gratefully received.

(My 3 income streams have dried up, fruit picking seems appealing as well in this weather)

[ladymuck]

You don't say what you were doing, that would drive what the job title would be.

I would also look at target jobs you'd want to go for and see what they're called and tailor your CV towards that kind of language to help with the key word matches.

Good luck!

BTW - fruit picking in the rain? You timed your weather badly too...

[jayn200]

You have to think about who is looking at your CV. Initially it will likely be a junior HR person if you apply direct or some salesman at a recruitment agency if you don't apply direct. Regardless neither of them have any technical competency and 0 sector/industry knowledge. I know people talk about computers doing the first level of screening, this still happens some places but it's happening less and less but the people doing the initial screening are not much better.

If you want to get a phone call the CV needs to be a mirror of the job advert. If the job advert is for a "Senior Business Analyst" and you have "IT Consultant" as your last job there is a good chance they will just discard it especially if they are looking at 50 CVs that have some variant of "Business Analyst" in the most recent job title. (Not saying this is the type of job you would apply to, just an example)

Imagine a 5 year old child who just learned to read is trying to match up your CV with the job advert.

Same thing with skills and technologies. Make sure the CV matches exactly with the job advert.

Be creative where necessary, I'm not advocating lying, but be prepared to defend it when you potentially speak to someone who knows what they are talking about in face to face interview.

I know this seems like a lot of work but if you're applying for the same types of jobs they mostly use the same language because job adverts just get recycled and agents and hr staff mostly just copy job adverts they see online anyway.

So to answer your question more directly I would only put "Chief Technology Officer" if you were applying to a "Chief Technology Officer" Role.

[CoolCat]

You have to think about who is looking at your CV. Initially it will likely be a junior HR person if you apply direct or some salesman at a recruitment agency if you don't apply direct. Regardless neither of them have any technical competency and 0 sector/industry knowledge. I know people talk about computers doing the first level of screening, this still happens some places but it's happening less and less but the people doing the initial screening are not much better.

If you want to get a phone call the CV needs to be a mirror of the job advert. If the job advert is for a "Senior Business Analyst" and you have "IT Consultant" as your last job there is a good chance they will just discard it especially if they are looking at 50 CVs that have some variant of "Business Analyst" in the most recent job title. (Not saying this is the type of job you would apply to, just an example)

Imagine a 5 year old child who just learned to read is trying to match up your CV with the job advert.

Same thing with skills and technologies. Make sure the CV matches exactly with the job advert.

Be creative where necessary, I'm not advocating lying, but be prepared to defend it when you potentially speak to someone who knows what they are talking about in face to face interview.

I know this seems like a lot of work but if you're applying for the same types of jobs they mostly use the same language because job adverts just get recycled and agents and hr staff mostly just copy job adverts they see online anyway.

So to answer your question more directly I would only put "Chief Technology Officer" if you were applying to a "Chief Technology Officer" Role.

well said, good advice that often I dont follow myself...

[voodoo1927]

You don't say what you were doing, that would drive what the job title would be.

I would also look at target jobs you'd want to go for and see what they're called and tailor your CV towards that kind of language to help with the key word matches.

Good luck!

BTW - fruit picking in the rain? You timed your weather badly too...

Just about everything from - delivery manager / technical project manager / networks / security / off the shelf tools type installations / software rollout etc etc - as well as sales / marketing on some projects. Jack of all master of bugger all

[LondonManc]

well said, good advice that often I dont follow myself...

All fitted into place when they likened a recruiter to a 5-year-old child. Makes so much more sense.

[elsergiovolador]

Just about everything from - delivery manager / technical project manager / networks / security / off the shelf tools type installations / software rollout etc etc - as well as sales / marketing on some projects. Jack of all master of bugger all

An intern?

[Lance]

For the last 4 years or so - Ive operating in a completely independent way (no end client) just me doing work that made me money directly rather being the contractor I used to be. Just before the lockdown - I had decided to change direction and either go contracting again - or get a permie job somewhere (oh how I laughed or rather cried with the classic timing of it all) typical timing....

So now I find myself with issue of updating my CV - do I state my title as Chief Technical Officer - as that sounds a bit pompous to me - especially if Im looking at any job I can find. Or would you tone it down a bit to IT consultant ? - any CV formats you can recommend would be useful to.

Talking of which Im looking at Linkedin only at the moment - anywhere else, back in my proper contracting days it was jobserve - but I guess things have moved on since then.

Any advice gratefully received.

(My 3 income streams have dried up, fruit picking seems appealing as well in this weather)

If it sounds pompous, but reflects what you do then are you suffering from imposter syndrome?
It's not uncommon. In fact anyone who doesn't suffer from it is probably an actual imposter, or suffering from dunning-kruger.

As others have said. Depends on what you're after. If you want a CTO role then stick with that. Just remember if you apply for an engineer role, and have CTO as your last role, that will raise questions about what you actually are.