Reply to: Non Chronological CV’s

[ladymuck]

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.

Nah you'll still get a load of cretins applying. They'll get someone to write the case study presentation in exactly the same way as they get their CVs written for them and they'll learn it plus some buzzwords and blag the interview.

I have tried, several times, to get the gigs on my CV into that STAR (situation, task, activity, result) format but feedback was a bit meh. I might give it another go next time I'm bored enough. It's the making it match LI that gets tedious. Spot a typo on one, update the other, reword one, update the other, rinse, repeat.

[northernladuk]

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" !

I remember I was sitting in helping an interview and one particularly nervous guy came in. He was struggling a bit with the interview process and the lady interviewing asked something along the lines of 'What are your weakness or what do you struggle with'. In his defense it could seem like a wooly question in a tough interview but he said 'Dealing with large complex organisations' and went on about not being able to get what he needs to deliver. Sadly one of the key rquirements of the role on the spec was the ability to negotiatie large complex organisations. Ooops In his defense I think he was trying to be smart to describe challenges and popped it in the weakness section.

[vwdan]

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" !

"What's your biggest weakness"
"I'm too honest"
"I don't think that's really a weakness"
"I don't give a **** what you think"

[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" !

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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'

[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.

[BlasterBates]

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

[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.

[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...

[quackhandle]

I've had this.

Some people recruitment agents are just stupid.

FTFY.

qh

[SueEllen]

I've even had trouble explaining multiple projects for a single consultancy before - some of these people are just woefully inept

I've had this.

Some people are just stupid.