CV Writing

[wattaj]

The main problem is the market. It is common to fire off a ton of CV's and get nothing back...

My view i that it is not as simple as "it's the market". Yes, the current market will have a bearing on the lack of success, but I see the bigger issue being the over use of poorly configured ATS: one's CV is VERY unlikely to be seen by a human if it does not pass ATS.

Literally hundreds of CV are being fired off for pretty much every role, fed into the mincer that is ATS, and tiny percentage make it in front of an agent... let alone a client.

Tailoring CVs is becoming more important, but even that won't help if the key words/configuration being put in place by the grunts in HR is rubbish.

[northernladuk]

My view i that it is not as simple as "it's the market". Yes, the current market will have a bearing on the lack of success, but I see the bigger issue being the over use of poorly configured ATS: one's CV is VERY unlikely to be seen by a human if it does not pass ATS.

Literally hundreds of CV are being fired off for pretty much every role, fed into the mincer that is ATS, and tiny percentage make it in front of an agent... let alone a client.

Tailoring CVs is becoming more important, but even that won't help if the key words/configuration being put in place by the grunts in HR is rubbish.

Agreed but I did say the main issue, not the only one and in the very next paragraph I start off saying nothing wrong with a CV check. You've taken one line out of context to make a point when all the stuff you say is covered in the very next paragraph.

I still stand by the fact the most difficult issue we have is lack of roles, I've encountered it and there was a week long discussion in the market thread where everyone else said they'd seen exactly the same so it is a hard fact the market is pants. But yes you are right, in a hard market you've got to step your game up to make sure your CV and other elements of role hunting are absolutely on point. More so now, than ever, you have to be absolutely on point to make sure you nail the few gigs that come up.

[SussexSeagull]

I haven't got near anything off Jobserve in years. Any role advertised on there gets 100s of applicants, most of which can't do the job, and it is luck of the draw if your CV even gets noticed, regardless of how good or bad it might be.

Obviously different if going through your network but if you have a relationship with your agent and they are backing you for a role they will advise what to do with your CV.

[simes]

I have never used a CV coach or writing service. What I did was to quiz each and every one of the agents I spoke to to gain their feedback, and adapt if I was inspired by their responses.

Over the course of time, I had something that most, not quite all, said was perfect. Indeed I used the same techniques to then help others do their CVs in professions not in the slightest connected to mine. And they got jobs as a result, and the feedback I received ref the CVs from the friends, from their new employers, was very positive.

Fast forward to today, I am getting no response from no one, nowhere (double -tives intentional) And that is due to many of us on sitting the bench combined with current day requirements for Security / SC / Banking / Insurance / M&A / Azure etc. of which I have none.

So, before you get plugged into a CV writing company, first assess whether your CV worked fine in the past, and assess current economy. And then really, the advice above is good enough to commence with without depleting your war chest. Good luck.

[gables]

I use a 3 page PowerPoint, works wonders couldn't help it IGMC

[northernladuk]

I use a 3 page PowerPoint, works wonders couldn't help it IGMC

I use a 10 page CV that's never let me down glossing over the fact I've been at Jaguar Landrover as a contractor for over 25 years

(I can't remember the poster this is quoted from but most of us will remember him. Something to do with bike?)

[pjt]

Thanks everyone for the feedback to my query they last few days. I've been lucky over the past 15 years to basically fall into contract after contract through my network pretty much without breaks in that time. Things seem to be a bit different this time though so my CV is gettings its first proper test of the market.

Thanks especially to northernladuk who has taken his own time to help me get my CV in a lot better shape. Its until things like this happen that you sometimes forget the real value in forums like this one!

With my newly update CV I'm going to tackle the open market with the what seem to be the rest of the world at the moment. So hoping something comes up and if not I may just part with some of the war chest to cover all my bases.

[CoolCat]

not so long ago...

agent A rings, discuss potential role, usual stuff, to cut a long story short they refused to put my CV forward due to trivial presentation fluff (that I really couldnt be bothered with, and didnt really agree with), so parted ways as amicably as I could

agent B rings the next day, same role, puts my CV forward very happy with it, hiring manager wants to speak to me straight away, hiring manager goes out of his way to say he likes the CV and its presentation

when I get to know hiring manager he is openly critical of agent A, the shortlist they provided, and so on

there is a story there somewhere

[malvolio]

not so long ago...

agent A rings, discuss potential role, usual stuff, to cut a long story short they refused to put my CV forward due to trivial presentation fluff (that I really couldnt be bothered with, and didnt really agree with), so parted ways as amicably as I could

agent B rings the next day, same role, puts my CV forward very happy with it, hiring manager wants to speak to me straight away, hiring manager goes out of his way to say he likes the CV and its presentation

when I get to know hiring manager he is openly critical of agent A, the shortlist they provided, and so on

there is a story there somewhere

Yeah. Managers resist changing, even when the supplier is NBG...

[northernladuk]

Thanks especially to northernladuk who has taken his own time to help me get my CV in a lot better shape. Its until things like this happen that you sometimes forget the real value in forums like this one!.

What he doesn't know is those aren't full stops on the pages. They are reams of text that is super super small.

If an agent does a keyword search for 'I'm a cockwomble' he's going to get 2,500 results