Do certain jobs have a 'prestige factor'

[d000hg]

When agents try to convince me to relocate for a contract in London (or overseas) they often bring out lines about "this would be great on your CV" or "this will be a good thing for your career". Is there any truth to this or is it simple BS? I can see that work in a specific sector is great for getting more work in that sector, but does anyone care where you did the work, or just what you did?

2 specific cases:

1)A position working in Canary Wharf using reasonably traditional technology
2)A position based in Holland using very niche functionality

[chewie171]

recruitment agents will say anything to try and get you to take a position.

they are sales people, they dont care about improving your cv.

[BrilloPad]

recruitment agents will say anything to try and get you to take a position.

they are sales people, they dont care about improving your cv.

This is true - but does not make it untrue in every case!

IMO skills are more important than employers.

Though bulge bracket American IBs look good to other banks. i.e. Golman Sachs, Morgan Stanley(who have 0 contractors?), JP MOrgan, Merrill Lynch, Citibank.

[thunderlizard]

There are some clients that really do look good on your CV.

If you're an Oracle contractor, to have worked for Oracle puts you a cut above the rest. Ditto Microsoft.

The same goes for industry sectors. If you're a finance back office specialist, to have done projects for the London Stock Exchange (as long as it wasn't network support...), LIFFE etc will get people thinking you know what you're talking about.

But yes when recruitment consultants say it they are invariably blagging. Have you noticed that they never seem to be recruiting for "a tier 2 investment bank"?

[Fred Bloggs]

I think they do. In Pharma, for example, if you've had a couple of gigs with GSK then it's easier to get a gig with, say, Novartis for example. If you've worked for Shell, you'll get a job with another oil co etc.... Getting the first job in a new (to you) sector is the hardest.

[Billy Pilgrim]

Is this not just pure common sense ?

Surely to God you must know which clients, roles etc would enhance your 'CV'??

[HairyArsedBloke]

Never seen anyone look for that vital skill "worked in Canary Wharf". 'In the City', yes, but never there!

[d000hg]

Is this not just pure common sense ?

Surely to God you must know which clients, roles etc would enhance your 'CV'??

No. The question is not "would working in a bank help me get more work with banks?" That IS common sense.
The questions are:
- "would working in bank X be beneficial on a CV to working in bank Y?"
- "would working abroad make anyone think you are 'special' that they hired someone from overseas in preference to someone local?"

[Liability]

There are some clients that really do look good on your CV.

If you're an Oracle contractor, to have worked for Oracle puts you a cut above the rest. Ditto Microsoft.

The same goes for industry sectors. If you're a finance back office specialist, to have done projects for the London Stock Exchange (as long as it wasn't network support...), LIFFE etc will get people thinking you know what you're talking about.

But yes when recruitment consultants say it they are invariably blagging. Have you noticed that they never seem to be recruiting for "a tier 2 investment bank"?

Have to agree with this - where you have worked makes a massive difference between getting the interview and not.

Oracle, Microsoft, Citrix, VMware, all the main vendors stick out a mile -

[thunderlizard]

Previous Canary Wharf experience is a great help in finding your way to the office on the first day. It's like Hampton Court Maze, but with Cafe Nero's instead of hedges.