Reply to: Finding new contracts on the open market

[Dominic Connor]

It's your CV

You've done the right thing getting peer review for your CV, but I still find myself writing that you should change it.

As an IT contractor, the thing that gets you interviews is your CV and for whatever reason it isn't and given this is the only variable you can change. The market is beyond your control, so largely it being "good" or "bad" doesn't change what you should do.

I would advise producing more different (but true) versions of your CV, one may stick.

I suspect one bug may be buzzwords, either you don't have enough or that yours have become less fashionable. It may be that you need to self study to get them or to at least use modern terms for terms that have become outmoded.

Conversely you may have too many buzzwords, often clients and recruiters want "a bloke wot does SQL Sever 2008" and everything that isn't MSSQL dilutes your impact. One set of CVs should be to present you as a pure-X where X is each of the things you are good at.

I'd also advise you throwing your CV away.
Start making a list of every damned thing you can do together with how good you are at it. Then look at job ads to see how you can make a case from this lst for doing each of these jobs.

One side effect should be that you spot gaps that you can fill in, ie "I'm everything they want except...".

Treating your CV as buggy code is the way forward, this block of code doesn't return the right results, why ?
You've got deep experience in this style of thinking, use it.

It may be that you're hitting ageism or "over qualification", so it may be time to compress away experience from before this century.
...or it may not, as I say multiple versions, some longer, some shorter will help.

[craig1]

That concurs with my experience too.

I often get calls when I upload to Jobsite but not from Jobserve. I have asked agent's and they confirm Jobserve's CV search is not as good as Jobsite's.

Since I've done my fiddling with my profile on Monster I get more calls from there than anywhere else for both agency and direct client work. There's something in the Monster search algorithm that seems to place a massive premium on the location of your last place of work, I have mine set for a random central London one these days and it helps. Everywhere else I say I want to work just doesn't seem to register on searches by agencies and clients through Monster.

[Damon]

That concurs with my experience too.

I often get calls when I upload to Jobsite but not from Jobserve. I have asked agent's and they confirm Jobserve's CV search is not as good as Jobsite's.

[DirtyDog]

Interesting tactic. You just talking about monster here or jobserve as well?

Everywhere. It's one of the recommendations from RichardCranium's dressing gown thread, when he had his CV reviewed.

[SueEllen]

Interesting tactic. You just talking about monster here or jobserve as well?

Very few look at JobServe.

They do look at the other sites like Jobsite.

[MPwannadecentincome]

I'm working in pharma - I had never worked in the industry before I got this contract, so don't always think that an industry is practically a closed shop (with the exception of FS.)

@ you and Damon,

Have you thought about broadening your industry experience to make you more marketable in the long term? Companies and recruiters often make a big deal about how their industry/company is unique or special but 80% of the crap you come across is the same in any industry! Again, with the notable exception of FS, it's not impossible to get into a lot of industries. Granted if you have 8 years in presumably high paying FS, it's difficult to look elsewhere.

As well as pharma, in recent years I have worked in the leisure/travel industry and my nearest main experience for these two roles has been local government and FMCG. I've also worked in automotive, fashion, manufacturing and retail to name just a few industries that I have experienced as an employee or consultant. I think that breadth of experience has helped me almost as much as the depth of my functional skills.

I have been trying to get experience outside my own industry (travel/leisure) since 2008 and since the credit crunch have found it impossible.

[Zzap]

@edison
I agree, my first contract was working in pharma, been back 3 times over 5-6 years in compliance as a dev before they outsourced their systems and not worked in pharma since, so it's good to know there's still positions out there.

I'm working in pharma - I had never worked in the industry before I got this contract, so don't always think that an industry is practically a closed shop (with the exception of FS.)

[edison]

I can identify with everything you have written and I feel the same way - its not worth putting in 7 hours a day on this when 2 hours a day is achieving the same result and then have time to go and enjoy other things.

I do feel the climate has got worse for senior roles most of the roles I see advertised are bog standard PM roles or "team manager" roles which they have labelled as Project Manager (why????!) and then down at £300 pd or lower.

Worrying though that even with financial services on your CV that you are finding the climate like this - most of the roles are banking, finance, insurance, government or pharma - I have none of those so I am even more limited to what I can apply for.

I'm working in pharma - I had never worked in the industry before I got this contract, so don't always think that an industry is practically a closed shop (with the exception of FS.)

@ you and Damon,

Have you thought about broadening your industry experience to make you more marketable in the long term? Companies and recruiters often make a big deal about how their industry/company is unique or special but 80% of the crap you come across is the same in any industry! Again, with the notable exception of FS, it's not impossible to get into a lot of industries. Granted if you have 8 years in presumably high paying FS, it's difficult to look elsewhere.

As well as pharma, in recent years I have worked in the leisure/travel industry and my nearest main experience for these two roles has been local government and FMCG. I've also worked in automotive, fashion, manufacturing and retail to name just a few industries that I have experienced as an employee or consultant. I think that breadth of experience has helped me almost as much as the depth of my functional skills.

[edison]

Hmm. If it works for you. In my experience, no agents are even willing to speak or get remotely interested until they see your CV. Only then when they can smell commision do they get excited.

It does work for me but that might be partly due to the fact my skillset seems to be in high demand at the moment. Granted, you might be right if I was in a more commoditised type of role.

Still it might be worh trying for some people, you might strike lucky.

[psychocandy]

It could be the month before xmas syndrome as well. We have put requirements for 2 BA's on hold until January for no other reason than someone said 'might as well do it in January now'. Can't have been much of a requirement if that works but there you go.

I wouldn't worry about it in Dec. If something comes up it comes up. If not start pushing hard in Jan.

Saying that though it looking purely at the number listed on jobserve it seems fairly static the last few months. Although saying that, before this time, 2 weeks was my longest on the bench - now I'm approaching two months. (dont count first month - I was on hol for 3 weeks so didnt really look).

Fully expect it to go quiet any day now though. Hopefully, things will pick up in Jan? Never been on bench in Jan - someone please tell me Jan is OK and I don't have to wait until new budgets in April LOL?

[psychocandy]

The advice to upload a minutely different CV every week was given to me by an ex-colleague who was an experienced BA contractor. But I actually never upload my CV to a job site - that is a pure numbers game and it might be complete pot luck that an agent finds my CV through keyword searching. Some of the best job hunting books I used in the past always recommended to carefully target job applications. But that is hard to do in the online world today if you upload your CV in this way.

My tactic is to get the number of the recruiter and phone them first before I even produce a CV to send. Sure, sometimes I get a very junior person who screens calls or an unhelpful agent who won't tell me anything before you send a CV. But when I do get the recruiter on the phone, invariably I have at least a few minutes to sell myself in person and I have a good proven 'elevator pitch' that nearly always gets my foot in the door. I can then choose one of 10-15 variants of my CV that I have to really tailor a CV to send in. Again, you don't have this advantage if you just upload your CV blindly.

The above might not suit everyone but it's worked very well for me.

Hmm. If it works for you. In my experience, no agents are even willing to speak or get remotely interested until they see your CV. Only then when they can smell commision do they get excited.

[psychocandy]

WCS

Just make sure you update your CV every week by changing one word on it and re-uploading it.

I've noticed that agents will view your details on Monster but you will have to send your CV to them.

Interesting tactic. You just talking about monster here or jobserve as well?

[psychocandy]

I have regular call backs but have yet to secure a role.

One lead got to last interview but then the whole setup was cancelled.

I have had some positive discussions with the few agents who have spent the time to get to know me and what I am looking for. They can't spot anything in the above approach that is not maximising my chances; but it is still not happening for me.

I guess if someone wants to look at CV or LinkedIn profile I am happy to share for constructive feedback.

I am at the point of probably quitting till the New Year as this 'time off' is not enjoyable whilst spending several hours a day doing the above.

Aye. Not a laugh spending hours each day applying for stuff/speaking to agents.

[edison]

WCS

Just make sure you update your CV every week by changing one word on it and re-uploading it.

I've noticed that agents will view your details on Monster but you will have to send your CV to them.

The advice to upload a minutely different CV every week was given to me by an ex-colleague who was an experienced BA contractor. But I actually never upload my CV to a job site - that is a pure numbers game and it might be complete pot luck that an agent finds my CV through keyword searching. Some of the best job hunting books I used in the past always recommended to carefully target job applications. But that is hard to do in the online world today if you upload your CV in this way.

My tactic is to get the number of the recruiter and phone them first before I even produce a CV to send. Sure, sometimes I get a very junior person who screens calls or an unhelpful agent who won't tell me anything before you send a CV. But when I do get the recruiter on the phone, invariably I have at least a few minutes to sell myself in person and I have a good proven 'elevator pitch' that nearly always gets my foot in the door. I can then choose one of 10-15 variants of my CV that I have to really tailor a CV to send in. Again, you don't have this advantage if you just upload your CV blindly.

The above might not suit everyone but it's worked very well for me.

[GazCol]

There is a similar thread running but by the time I finished putting this together I felt it would a thread hijack for the OP's so I am starting this one instead:

I have not had to look for roles on the open market for a number of years as my network and LinkedIn have provided source of last four roles.

I took the decision to have a few months off this summer to spend with family as I have been working Monday to Thursday in Madrid and London for the last 3 years.

Starting in October I began the process of looking for work and have found it a very different experience from the last time I did.

The approach:

Profile
22 years experience; 6 in software development, 16 in project and programme management
I have been working in Financial Services sector for the last 8 years; media publishing and IT prior to that
In the last few years I have had increasingly senior and ‘larger’ programmes to manage. These include a divestment of a credit card business; full asset transfer, the book, people and buildings and a large scale business transformation both pan-Europe initiatives

CV
CV has reviewed by peers and agents over the years and receives good feedback
CV optimised for keyword matching
Uploaded once a week to Jobserve and Jobsite
I have now created a second version which portrays as PM roles for all positions and reduced the ‘weightiness’ of some of the content

Jobserve and Jobsite
Hourly refreshing of Jobserve and Jobsite
Applying for suitable roles and tweak CV to emphasise particular experience if warranted
Update the application summary to let the agent know I am available immediately
Follow up with phone call 15-30 minutes later to try and bring my application to the attention of the recruiter

LinkedIn
Pay for a Premier profile
Set status to Jobseeker
Set current role to be seeking new roles in any location
Once a week pop an update out to let network know I am looking for roles
Monitor status updates to watch for agents and connect with them if relevant
Use my monthly InMail quota to contact agents I find in Change Management searching LinkedIn
Participate in relevant group discussions to increase exposure outside my network

I am flexible on role and any European location.

I don’t restrict myself to the senior roles as I don’t see myself as on a ladder; my definition of success is a happy client and a paid invoice. Don’t mind what my title is or the scale of the work I do.

Observations
Online application process feels a total numbers game. 100’s of CV’s a role submitted so agents revert to keyword searches and dump other CV’s when they have a set quota per client parameters.

Contacting agents to follow up is very difficult as they don’t publish contact details or have juniors screening calls.

I am finding seniority a disadvantage. I understand how people get concerned about getting a senior person in, but why not take the advantage of their experience over the risk of a less experienced candidate?

Are you using the same CV that you'd use when going for a senior role as you would for contracts below your normal rate?