CVs - an optimal approach...

[cojak]

I know - but I was young and foolish back then...

[pmeswani]

I know - but I was young and foolish back then...

And you are still young now and have managed to drop the foolish bit.

[Bob Dalek]

I am considering the possibility of using a professional CV service in order to best equip me to apply for more demanding contract/permanent roles... though there (1) are a bewildering array to chose between... with prices from free, or £35 to £1500 - maybe more! (2) I do not consider myself illiterate,

(1) is
(2) I am

[pmeswani]

Like a lot of posters here, I suspect, I consider myself technically adept. I have been contracting since 1996 - principally for one client... where the work was extraordinarily varied, technically challenging and interesting. I am now looking to broaden my horizons and look for work that is not necessarily purely technical in nature... maybe looking to take a more active management role; maybe taking architectural or analytical responsibility... all with a long term view to eventually become CTO, or similar, of a medium-to-large organisation... or, at least, to have an interesting career heading in that direction - or, alternatively, finding me pursuing a senior role at an established consultancy.

I suspect that one of my stumbling blocks is that my CV mainly emphasises my technical abilities - and I am keen to broaden the scope of my appeal. I certainly don't see myself as only capable of performing within a narrow remit, but I get the impression that this is what people infer from a CV listing extensive technical experience. I feel that my hands-on background would be of significant benefit with roles from project management to enterprise-wide technological strategy.

I am considering the possibility of using a professional CV service in order to best equip me to apply for more demanding contract/permanent roles... though there are a bewildering array to chose between... with prices from free, or £35 to £1500 - maybe more! I do not consider myself illiterate, but suspect I could benefit from the wisdom of an HR expert in order to best target myself to interesting opportunities. Have people posting here used such a service - and, if so, would you be willing to say which; roughly how much you paid for what level of service and how happy you were with the outcome?

For myself, I suspect that a brief interview and rapid creation of a CV would be a disaster... even if I was talking to someone who understood the relevance of the technologies with which I've direct experience. I'd be a little more convinced if someone spent a couple of hours interviewing me... having read my existing CV... that way, by dialogue, I could be sure I'd communicated. Has anyone here pursued anything like this?

I hope that your CV is not as detailed as your question. There was a point when I was personally in danger of allowing my CV to spill over to 4 pages. I have managed to cut my CV to no more than 2.5 pages. I'm sure I can cut it down a bit more. I get more attention on my current CV than I did previously (maybe coincidental now that I am in contracting... I'll never know for certain).

I believe another poster has already given you a link to some usefuly CV advice. Take the painful step of going through it and revamping your CV yourself first. I did, and haven't looked back. Your CV has to be short, punchy and to the point. Don't need to go into too much detail on each company. Show your achievements in a summary, then when asked in an interview... you will get the opportunity to expand.

Now that we have given you free advice, feel free to donate £35 - £1500 to a worthwhile charity like NSPCC or one of us.

[ratewhore]

I have to say that if you can't change your CV yourself; you can't communicate your non-technical strengths to non-techies, then you may be in the right job for you now....

WSS. If you need someone to write your CV for you, you should stay where you are.

IMHO of course...

[cojak]

And you are still young now and have managed to drop the foolish bit.

[shic]

Thanks,

Thank you, all, for your comments - and, of course, for correcting my typos in my post. I do not consider my CV awful, but I am interested to make the most out of it.

It seems that consensus here is that CVs should be entirely individual - though I've received extremely varied opinions from different quarters. I've already read numerous articles detailing general advice - though I am not entirely happy at the tendency of such approaches to pigeon-hole people in unnecessarily limiting ways. I am also aware that I could write many honest CVs that convey entirely different emphasis... I would argue that key to effective communication is understanding the counter party expectations... and, in this regard, I doubt that "one-size fits all".

I remain interested in the idea of obtaining an independent professional opinion - but, so far, I am still at a loss as to whose opinion may be worthwhile and trustworthy.

[ratewhore]

...I am still at a loss as to whose opinion may be worthwhile and trustworthy.

You get what you pay for - especially on this board!!!

[shic]

You get what you pay for - especially on this board!!!

That's fine by me... while I didn't expect reliable advice, at least I found it useful that no authority in this sphere is emerging among contractor types... I doubted that there would be - but, I think, it doesn't hurt to ask.

[DodgyAgent]

Like a lot of posters here, I suspect, I consider myself technically adept. I have been contracting since 1996 - principally for one client... where the work was extraordinarily varied, technically challenging and interesting. I am now looking to broaden my horizons and look for work that is not necessarily purely technical in nature... maybe looking to take a more active management role; maybe taking architectural or analytical responsibility... all with a long term view to eventually become CTO, or similar, of a medium-to-large organisation... or, at least, to have an interesting career heading in that direction - or, alternatively, finding me pursuing a senior role at an established consultancy.

I suspect that one of my stumbling blocks is that my CV mainly emphasises my technical abilities - and I am keen to broaden the scope of my appeal. I certainly don't see myself as only capable of performing within a narrow remit, but I get the impression that this is what people infer from a CV listing extensive technical experience. I feel that my hands-on background would be of significant benefit with roles from project management to enterprise-wide technological strategy.

I am considering the possibility of using a professional CV service in order to best equip me to apply for more demanding contract/permanent roles... though there are a bewildering array to chose between... with prices from free, or £35 to £1500 - maybe more! I do not consider myself illiterate, but suspect I could benefit from the wisdom of an HR expert in order to best target myself to interesting opportunities. Have people posting here used such a service - and, if so, would you be willing to say which; roughly how much you paid for what level of service and how happy you were with the outcome?

For myself, I suspect that a brief interview and rapid creation of a CV would be a disaster... even if I was talking to someone who understood the relevance of the technologies with which I've direct experience. I'd be a little more convinced if someone spent a couple of hours interviewing me... having read my existing CV... that way, by dialogue, I could be sure I'd communicated. Has anyone here pursued anything like this?

Presumably part of your management brief in the past is to hire people yourself. It might be useful for you to write your Cv according to what you look for in a CV.