CV Writing services - Any good or load of crap?

[Old Greg]

Yes, I think you're referring to this:
Job centre staff told unemployed graduate told to 'dumb down' her CV and remove her degree to find work | Mail Online

It would be a pretty intensive piece of work to dumb down psychocandy's CV. I'm just not sure the Job Centre has the skills and resources these days.

[psychocandy]

Og - think your a bit late on that joke

[SueEllen]

Og - think your a bit late on that joke

You know psychocandy sometimes you are better of using search either on this site or through google to avoid the insults.

You know everyone has dilemmas and issues they need to think through but they don't find it necessary to post every single one. Particularly if they have access to search.

[psychocandy]

Well, I gave the CV Centre a try. £60. But they did a money back guarantee.

Complete waste of time. CV came back with nice enough design to be fair but, spelling mistakes, dodgy spacing, wrong job description in wrong job title.
Also, they created some bulltulip profile descrription at the top which was crap and, for some reason, list of key skills right at the bottom. And somehow, they managed to cut so much out that it only came to 1 1/2 pages. Usually I have trouble getting it into 2.

Obvious, that some oik had just cut and paste my CV into their template and did a bad job too.

They did give me a refund but were a bit arsey. Sent them an email asking for refund and listing the reasons why and they wanted to know why I'd bothered criticizing if I wanted a refund anyway. Bollacks to you then - because if I hadn't I'm sure you'd have asked why and tried to talk me around.

Lesson learnt - don't bother. At least I got the money back.

[SueEllen]

Well, I gave the CV Centre a try. £60. But they did a money back guarantee.

IT is a specialist industry how is a bog standard CV writing company going to be able to write a CV for someone in a specialist industry?

You are better of asking DodgyAgent to review your CV and give him the £60 for drinks.

[northernladuk]

Well, I gave the CV Centre a try. £60. But they did a money back guarantee.

Complete waste of time. CV came back with nice enough design to be fair but, spelling mistakes, dodgy spacing, wrong job description in wrong job title.
Also, they created some bulltulip profile descrription at the top which was crap and, for some reason, list of key skills right at the bottom. And somehow, they managed to cut so much out that it only came to 1 1/2 pages. Usually I have trouble getting it into 2.

Obvious, that some oik had just cut and paste my CV into their template and did a bad job too.

They did give me a refund but were a bit arsey. Sent them an email asking for refund and listing the reasons why and they wanted to know why I'd bothered criticizing if I wanted a refund anyway. Bollacks to you then - because if I hadn't I'm sure you'd have asked why and tried to talk me around.

Lesson learnt - don't bother. At least I got the money back.

Wasn't that the advice from every poster that has responded on every thread about CV services? Jesus

Some people just can't be helped.

[evilagent]

+1 with SueEllen.

IT is a specialist area, and generic CV writers don't understand most of the terminology.

With regards to your CV being overlong, you should write all your technical skills, with at least 2 examples of project work involving them. (a paragraph)
Forget how long your CV is, to begin with.

Then, based on the role, you use the appropriate examples to put into your CV, followed by any work experience in length order.

That is, refine your CV to the role.

Any superfluous or irrelevant skills fall off the 2-page CV, or are consigned as 1-liners at end.

Mine's a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Thanks.

[psychocandy]

Wasn't that the advice from every poster that has responded on every thread about CV services? Jesus

Some people just can't be helped.

£60 NLUK. Peanuts. Worth a try at least. Even if I didnt get a refund its not a huge amount of money.

[SueEllen]

£60 NLUK. Peanuts. Worth a try at least. Even if I didnt get a refund its not a huge amount of money.

Isn't that around the amount you get from JSA every week?

[psychocandy]

Isn't that around the amount you get from JSA every week?

£71. LOL. Which is why its worth spending £60 if it helps me get off JSA!