Reply to: updating cv with new skills

[tranceporter]

If you want to land an interview, you need to a CV that will at least make your pimp forward it to your client, or it's going to be chucked into the bin before it even reaches the client. So I would put in the buzzwords if it helps me land an interview. That being said, you should be realistic in what your skill set is and not go overboard.
Then again passing an interview is completely unrelated to actually being able to do the job in my experience. Wouldn't have had to let go so many contractors in current place otherwise...

[BlasterBates]

Yes you can put skills on your CV that you get from a book particularly if it is not the core skill. I've had interviews where my argument was "I read a book". Works quite well. You can be honest it about it. Let us say you are a C++ programmer and the requirement is C++ and some Java, then the argument that you've learnt Java at home will probably get you the interview, because they know that an experienced programmer will be able to fairly easily translate experience in one language successfully to another.

[Boo]

sorry not been clear first time what i mean is can we put on the skills on the CV that you have got just by learning on your own and not on job work?

If you are confident you can do the job and that you can justify yourself at interview then there is no reason not to put self-taught experience on your cv. Neither is there any reason to differentiate between skills learned working for a client from skill learned workign for YourCo.

Boo

[jmo21]

sorry not been clear first time what i mean is can we put on the skills on the CV that you have got just by learning on your own and not on job work?

No.

[SueEllen]

I think it means "Can/Should I update my cv with skills that I have learnt off my own bat without a link to specific roles?"

The correct answer for this is - depends.

There are some skills that you can only learn properly on the job.

There are other skills where you can learn them on your own project(s) and be competent enough to do them on the job.

You need to work out yourself if the skill falls into the first or second category.

[rashm2k]

I tend to put this under personal projects/interests. You have to detail exactly what you did though the comment above ^^^^ about a real live/proper setup environment vs one you setup at home is key really.

I find that rather than randomly playing around with something, I'm actually trying to create something in the technologies that client(s) would want (for me this is a mobile app).

[stek]

sorry not been clear first time what i mean is can we put on the skills on the CV that you have got just by learning on your own and not on job work?

You can do what you like but you'll find it hard to convince a client that playing around with a Solaris VM on Virtualbox for example is the is the same as configuring Solaris VMs on a SPARC T-5 with control and I/O domains, dynamic LDOM's and Oracle Cluste in a geo-split environment.

Get found out, get chucked out.....

[Dactylion]

Hi all

As been a contractor you need to keep adding new technology to your skill set list my question is how can you portray it in your Cv when you have new stuff just learned off the job or on your own ?

thanks and regards

sorry not been clear first time what i mean is can we put on the skills on the CV that you have got just by learning on your own and not on job work?

I think it means "Can/Should I update my cv with skills that I have learnt off my own bat without a link to specific roles?"

On that assumption my response would be:-
Represent all your marketable skills on your cv - it is your shopwindow.
Personally I wouldn't differentiate between 'how' I acquired the skills".

[cont123]

sorry not been clear first time what i mean is can we put on the skills on the CV that you have got just by learning on your own and not on job work?

[northernladuk]

Get someone else to do it for you... please....

[Scruff]

Que?

[SueEllen]

Try rephrasing your question in your first language?

[TheFaQQer]

I update the role details with the things that I have done.

[Scruff]

Try rephrasing your question in your first language?

[stek]

Eh?