If you are not getting interviews

[cojak]

That seems fair but I do not think it is correct. I had a long bench period last year when AFAIK my CV was good in both content and style, but I was not getting anything. There was a market for my skills, other people I knew were getting contracts, but I wasn't. It wasn't the interviews, because I wasn't getting any. I don't know what it was. One agent actually said the same thing to me, he didn't know why I wasn't getting anything either.

So it's not as cut-and-dried as it might seem, and you can't necessarily deduce a single reason for a problem. Sometimes there is a large random or irrational factor in there.

That too...

It has been really quiet on Jobserve, but one guy I spoke to yesterday said that this year has been really busy for my line of work..

Which is why I'm not relying on Jobserve...

[norrahe]

That too...

It has been really quiet on Jobserve, but one guy I spoke to yesterday said that this year has been really busy for my line of work..

Which is why I'm not relying on Jobserve...

I know my market has picked up but it is not being reflected on jobserve.

I also know that I'm up against a bunch of people who have recently been made redundant and will work for peanuts and then go permie

[larson]

A few years ago I didn't believe the following assumption, but it seems to ring true after speaking regularly with agencies:

The majority of roles on jobserve et al will already have had the maximum CVs accepted by the agency and/or client by the time you get to read the job posting. Agencies themselves will prefer contractors particularly close to where the role is happening, and can afford to ignore many of you who are only an hour (or more) or so away from the client location, as the pool of people is large right now.

I am finding that even though I am young and can relocate for permanent positions, me being from the North of the UK basically puts hiring managers off me, as they suspect I will get bored and run away after a year in the job. There's only so far you can go pretending you wont do this, perhaps I am not convincing enough.

Best best is to keep getting your CV to the smaller and more niche agencies, as you will eventually strike lucky.

I know someone who has a very boring forename and surname, so instead uses his forename and an imaginery very unique middle name. He says since doing this his name is now remembered more when he is calling to pursue work. If you're not in a niche line of work, maybe that's an idea; directed at you JoeBloggs!

[ettubrute]

Noob alert...

Reading this thread, I would like to send a PM to Dodgy, but I can't find the PM button? Do you need a certain number of posts before you can send PM's?

<admin note>Yup, PM use now enabled.</admin note>

[rootsnall]

I am finding that even though I am young and can relocate for permanent positions, me being from the North of the UK basically puts hiring managers off me, as they suspect I will get bored and run away after a year in the job. There's only so far you can go pretending you wont do this, perhaps I am not convincing enough.

Put a friend's SE/London address on a tailored CV for SE permie jobs !?

I've been hunting a week, I'd say Jobserve is a waste of space for me at the moment. I'm looking for North West work in a niche(ish) skill and I'd say any work will come from existing contacts or agents who already know me. The chances of an unknown agent posting a genuine job on Jobserve are minimal. Saying that I would still have a gander each day, you never know.

It looks to me like the economy and consequently the job scene have a definite North/South divide at the moment.

[downsouth]

but how many roles are actually advertised on jobswerve? surely the best method is send your CV to all previous agencies you've contacted over the years, whether sucessful for the original role or not, Gets your CV in front of them

I do agree that some of the smaller agencies tend to turn up trumps more often than not.

Had pimp ask me how I was finding the market, then they actually read the CV in front of them and said I had no need to look at the market as been in a long term contract, I mentioned that not many roles actually get advertised, so they actually go through the CV's on their database firstly, dont cost them nowt, so again always pays to get an uptodate CV to an agency on a frequent basis cos thats where they will search first.

[ettubrute]

<admin note>Yup, PM use now enabled.</admin note>

Thanks!

[LegendsWear7]

I've been using Verdana for years since a recruiter totally re-wrote my CV. Now I'm wondering if it looks a bit 'soft' for professional roles? Aside from the font, I would say it is no-nonsense business-like

Question: I've been contracting for 15 years. Must have sent loads of different 'versions' of my profile to the bigger agencies over the years. Do they replace the old one or keep all or worse ..... compare & contrast ?

[BolshieBastard]

but how many roles are actually advertised on jobswerve? surely the best method is send your CV to all previous agencies you've contacted over the years, whether sucessful for the original role or not, Gets your CV in front of them

I do agree that some of the smaller agencies tend to turn up trumps more often than not.

Had pimp ask me how I was finding the market, then they actually read the CV in front of them and said I had no need to look at the market as been in a long term contract, I mentioned that not many roles actually get advertised, so they actually go through the CV's on their database firstly, dont cost them nowt, so again always pays to get an uptodate CV to an agency on a frequent basis cos thats where they will search first.

WHS + 1.

Jobs go on JS after the agents have already called contractors about them. By the time it appears on JS, its normally too late.

Oh and I very much doubt font style is preventing people being submitted for roles unless that is, they are using something like gothic!

[sydb]

I got my first real IT job with a sheet of A4 printed in Courier New 10 point. I used equals signs for heading underlines and absolutely no formatting.

While I have moved on a bit and now use tables 'n' tulip my CV is still pretty basic. I don't really have a problem, I've only been involuntarily out of work for about a month in 6 years of contracting and I've moved about a bit.

Do people use colour and pictures nowadays? Is it de rigeur to have your grinning mugshot and your certification logos? Not that I have any logos I would want to use. Or mugshots.