Reply to: Adding stuff to your CV - hmmmm

[CoolCat]

Some people are just more flowery in their language than you are doesn't mean they are lying.

I remember when I started out a manager reworded some of the skills I had and they looked more impressive.

there is a difference between telling the truth or not, and making things positive and flowery or not. i know many openly not telling the truth.

[Barley]

I tend not to remove old skills from my CV.
Is it possible that some people did do something at some point, but just can't remember the specifics now?
Is it wrong to declare those skills still, or should they be prefixed with some sort of caveat?
Is there an amount of elapsed time when a skill should be marked as old?

I wasnt meaning obscure skills, more the generic stuff, analysts claiming theyve done xyz but seemingly dont have a grasp of the software delivery lifecyle or can comment about managing risk through the SDLC.

[SueEllen]

Most CV’s are full of lies. Certainly linkedin profiles of many people I know falsely represent their roles in various jobs where I have first hand experience of what they really did, and am able to compare with their linkedin version. Indeed in permie land many jump many layers of hierarchy with these tricks. I am probably far too honest and modest.

Some people are just more flowery in their language than you are doesn't mean they are lying.

I remember when I started out a manager reworded some of the skills I had and they looked more impressive.

[CoolCat]

Most CV’s are full of lies. Certainly linkedin profiles of many people I know falsely represent their roles in various jobs where I have first hand experience of what they really did, and am able to compare with their linkedin version. Indeed in permie land many jump many layers of hierarchy with these tricks. I am probably far too honest and modest.

[evilagent]

You can qualify skills on your CV.
The skills you want to push, and get roles in, should be obvious core skills, "commercial grade".

Other, peripheral skills, could be marked as "intermediate, non-commercial standard", or words to that effect. That is, skills you have awareness or knowledge of, but haven't used in a commercial environment, ie, through study, coursework, etc.

EDIT: to put it more succinctly, list your primary core skills, and anything else, as secondary, peripheral skills.

[cojak]

Not much chance of that unless you hail from the Indian subcontinent.

Alright then, I've also quietly dropped anything relating to training as well (even my company name...).

[alluvial]

No.

We only remove old skills if we don't want to work in them any more.

I used to program in CICS/COBOL but haven't had that on my CV for 10 years as I know that idiot agents would still be calling me for anything with these keywords in them.

Not much chance of that unless you hail from the Indian subcontinent.

[cojak]

I tend not to remove old skills from my CV.
Is it possible that some people did do something at some point, but just can't remember the specifics now?
Is it wrong to declare those skills still, or should they be prefixed with some sort of caveat?
Is there an amount of elapsed time when a skill should be marked as old?

No.

We only remove old skills if we don't want to work in them any more.

I used to program in CICS/COBOL but haven't had that on my CV for 10 years as I know that idiot agents would still be calling me for anything with these keywords in them.

[darrylmg]

I'm interviewing people for roles at the moment. Past experience tells me to ask a lot of open challenging questions, its quite shocking how much lack of knowledge or skill people have and are seriously over egging it on their CVs. Im even beginning to wonder if their are groups of people or agents writing CVs to fit the job rather than their individual skills/experience.

Either that or they cant articulate themselves in interviews.

I tend not to remove old skills from my CV.
Is it possible that some people did do something at some point, but just can't remember the specifics now?
Is it wrong to declare those skills still, or should they be prefixed with some sort of caveat?
Is there an amount of elapsed time when a skill should be marked as old?

[Barley]

I'm interviewing people for roles at the moment. Past experience tells me to ask a lot of open challenging questions, its quite shocking how much lack of knowledge or skill people have and are seriously over egging it on their CVs. Im even beginning to wonder if their are groups of people or agents writing CVs to fit the job rather than their individual skills/experience.

Either that or they cant articulate themselves in interviews.

[northernladuk]

But I do sometimes think that clients are too focused on the guy that can rattle them off and would hire them even if they were completely useless otherwise. Thats my point, there is too much emphasis on this.

That's true. Knowing it parrot fashion and being able to deliver it to meet needs are very different.

[psychocandy]

Both good points but when you are trying to assess someone's skills in a short space of time would you not pick the guy that can rattle the most correct answers off there and then rather than said he would have to go google it or ask a mate? Not easy for a client to spot a blagger in such a short amount of time. It certainly has it's flaws don't get me wrong but if you ask a guy 3 questions and he doesn't know and you ask the next guy and he rattles them off what are you going to think.

But I do sometimes think that clients are too focused on the guy that can rattle them off and would hire them even if they were completely useless otherwise. Thats my point, there is too much emphasis on this.

[Boney M]

Yeah, when I'm trying for roles outside my main skill set I'll blag some minor stuff to get past the agents/HR people.

It's a fine line but it's better to get your foot in the door and prove yourself than be excluded on the basis of some minor point.

I can pick up pretty much anything loosely related to my skill set quickly and that's usually what they actually need.

I am the same, also so many pimps lazily select peoples CV's based on a standard keyword search.

[DieScum]

Yeah, when I'm trying for roles outside my main skill set I'll blag some minor stuff to get past the agents/HR people.

It's a fine line but it's better to get your foot in the door and prove yourself than be excluded on the basis of some minor point.

I can pick up pretty much anything loosely related to my skill set quickly and that's usually what they actually need.

[northernladuk]

Not the same thing at all - a good software engineer can develop in any language, it's not necessary to be anal about every class's member function (for example) - you just need to know where to look to find out.

It's not the same kind of question, and electricians and plumbers do look things up and ask mates how to plan certain things.

Both good points but when you are trying to assess someone's skills in a short space of time would you not pick the guy that can rattle the most correct answers off there and then rather than said he would have to go google it or ask a mate? Not easy for a client to spot a blagger in such a short amount of time. It certainly has it's flaws don't get me wrong but if you ask a guy 3 questions and he doesn't know and you ask the next guy and he rattles them off what are you going to think.