Non Chronological CV’s

[eek]

It's really simple, going via an agent use a bog standard CV

Selling direct, you use a non chronological CV / profile to show what you offer...

[Mordac]

FTFY.

qh

In most cases, the agents know what the client HR numpties will accept, so if you don't want your CV to go straight to the bin, you're being advised to send a chronological version.

[BlasterBates]

Anything relevant should be in a summary at the top. That's where you can highlight relevant roles and what you did.

[Gibbon]

What's this CV thing you talk of? Surely any long in the tooth contractor has enough contacts to just, well make contact. For the first ten years I moved around every 18 - 24 months to different clients, always at strategic points i.e. just after delivery. Been feeding off this ever since. I know people who stayed for too long in their first contract and then really struggled when it ended as no-one else knew them.

[ladymuck]

What's this CV thing you talk of? Surely any long in the tooth contractor has enough contacts to just, well make contact. For the first ten years I moved around every 18 - 24 months to different clients, always at strategic points i.e. just after delivery. Been feeding off this ever since. I know people who stayed for too long in their first contract and then really struggled when it ended as no-one else knew them.

I get most of my work by recommendation but I still get asked for a CV 'for the records'

[northernladuk]

What's this CV thing you talk of? Surely any long in the tooth contractor has enough contacts to just, well make contact. For the first ten years I moved around every 18 - 24 months to different clients, always at strategic points i.e. just after delivery. Been feeding off this ever since. I know people who stayed for too long in their first contract and then really struggled when it ended as no-one else knew them.

It's nothing to do with the contractor and what we want IMO. We are at the mercy of the agency and clients and what they want. Yes we could be long enough in the tooth, business in our own rights you name it but if the client is stuck working with CV's and the agent just churns the request then CV's it is. It's not us that has to move with the times, it's the clients and agents. As it is, it's still the best tool to get what they need (they think). I've even seen clients requesting CV's of the people large outsourcing companies will put on site so even if contracts can be gotten the proper way it's still possible a CV will still be needed by individuals in the client.

It is what it is and we just have to tow the line.

[Gibbon]

It's nothing to do with the contractor and what we want IMO. We are at the mercy of the agency and clients and what they want. Yes we could be long enough in the tooth, business in our own rights you name it but if the client is stuck working with CV's and the agent just churns the request then CV's it is. It's not us that has to move with the times, it's the clients and agents. As it is, it's still the best tool to get what they need (they think). I've even seen clients requesting CV's of the people large outsourcing companies will put on site so even if contracts can be gotten the proper way it's still possible a CV will still be needed by individuals in the client.

It is what it is and we just have to tow the line.

Fair point. I do work with quite an antiquated skill set in a very niche area, the youngsters try to avoid it but the amount of legacy stuff is huge (aerospace) that they won't rewrite as no profit in it. Yes newer air vehicles are using more modern stuff, but there's still 20+ years on the old vehicles which will take me well in excess of my expected life time.

[vwdan]

I've even seen clients requesting CV's of the people large outsourcing companies will put on site so even if contracts can be gotten the proper way it's still possible a CV will still be needed by individuals in the client.

It is what it is and we just have to tow the line.

Yep - if you work more in the literal consultancy side of things (As in, working for consultancies and integrators themselves) then you're always being pestered for your CV for all kinds of bizarre reasons

[northernladuk]

Fair point. I do work with quite an antiquated skill set in a very niche area, the youngsters try to avoid it but the amount of legacy stuff is huge (aerospace) that they won't rewrite as no profit in it. Yes newer air vehicles are using more modern stuff, but there's still 20+ years on the old vehicles which will take me well in excess of my expected life time.

Yeah totally get that and makes sense. When you are one in a sea of candidates all with similar(ish) experience then the CV is still a pretty good doc for clients and agents to deal with. It would certainly be better for the clients (and me if I'm blowing my own trumpet) if they requested case studies and had a presentation for each candidate to pick the best one like they do for proper suppliers. It would stop people who interview well but are utter crap arriving on site. I'm sure we've all seen tons of them. But sadly they don't.

[Gibbon]

It would stop people who interview well but are utter crap arriving on site. I'm sure we've all seen tons of them. But sadly they don't.

It was the same old even in Plato's time. People are 'slaves to the pleasure of the ear' and more now with social media.

Although some people are a bit too honest, in one of the interviews I did aeons ago, they asked what I considered my weakness and how I addressed it. I came up with some bull about documentation. They accepted this (well I got the gig) and said the previous candidate had replied that "when things get hard I tend to give up" !