Reply to: Creating a read only version of your CV

[SueEllen]

I think slyly passing CVs about without your permission is a worse sin that fishing, at least you have some control over that.

What the actual agents do is when they move agencies is take your CV with them.

[expat]

Ahhh, that's where i'm going wrong....

be sure to give it to them, don't just tell them that you have it.

Yeah, that applies generally

[BrianSnail]

Oh, yes. And be sure to give it to them, don't just tell them that you have it.

Ahhh, that's where i'm going wrong....

[minestrone]

I think i'm most p1ssed off now becasue I finished up a good few years working for investment banks at the start of the year and sent out my CV to about 4 agencies in reply to 'jobs'. This was the first time I had put my IB experience on my CV and sent it out.

I have had about 40 agencies contact regarding Investment Bank work so my CV has grown 10 times which I am not really happy about.

I think slyly passing CVs about without your permission is a worse sin that fishing, at least you have some control over that.

Anyway I was just thinking out loud but i'm still thinking about trying it.

[expat]

I tried the PDF version for a while…it always ended up with agents saying…“send it in word” / “I can’t open it” / “what is a PDF?”.

Now I just take a printed version (including contact details) along with me to client meetings…just for their reference you understand….

Oh, yes. And be sure to give it to them, don't just tell them that you have it.

[BrianSnail]

I tried the PDF version for a while…it always ended up with agents saying…“send it in word” / “I can’t open it” / “what is a PDF?”.

Now I just take a printed version (including contact details) along with me to client meetings…just for their reference you understand….

[Dow Jones]

Cv

You've got a point there. Like you, I never allow my CV to be viewed in a public domain eg iprofile, as, if it is any good, it will be copied and cloned to death. You can also put 'confidential' and number the pages, although no guarantee that the header or footer will not be deleted.

[minestrone]

You'll just get a call "can you send me a copy of your CV in Word?". If you don't, you won't get any further.

At that point I would say client name and job description.

[minestrone]

Nice try, but it will get you nowhere. I take it you haven't seen any CVs when they are presented to the client. I have been on both sides of the interview process, so whenever I got a CV, it was presented in the Reccon's logo without the applicant's private details eg address/phone no in case the client decides to 'bypass the agency'. They also claim this is done to comply with the Data Protection Act. I don't mind them doing that, it's when my nicely formatted CV ends up in a mess without tabs/paragraphs (to make it stand down) that annoys the hell out of me.

I have done interviews before and have seen the CVs that come though, I put only the personal details on the front page with a page break so that they can edit them and leave the rest alone.

It's so that the agents don't pass my CV onto anyone else becasue they can't edit out my personal details is the reason for making it read only.

I can be pretty much assured that the agency that got it won't be placing it on job sites without my permission or passing my CV onto third party agencies in relation to job adverts.

[expat]

You'll just get a call "can you send me a copy of your CV in Word?". If you don't, you won't get any further.

The cure is worse than the disease: you'll just get pestered by even more agents wanting a CV in the right format. Try hard enough and you won't get any calls at all, which I take it is not the plan. It's easier just to take the calls. OK, if you have "SQL" anywhere on your CV, you'll keep getting calls about SQL Server. IMHO that's not the agents' fault, it's the fault of whoever decided to call their DBMS "SQL Server" knowing full well that it would get confused with SQL.

You can stop the iprofile problem: don't ignore your iprofile, or delete it, go online and enter something for all sections. you will then be able to lock it, so that it won't be modifiable by others after that.

[DS23]

forget it they'll just scan it in and edit it anyway.

whs

[Dow Jones]

Doesn't work

Nice try, but it will get you nowhere. I take it you haven't seen any CVs when they are presented to the client. I have been on both sides of the interview process, so whenever I got a CV, it was presented in the Reccon's logo without the applicant's private details eg address/phone no in case the client decides to 'bypass the agency'. They also claim this is done to comply with the Data Protection Act. I don't mind them doing that, it's when my nicely formatted CV ends up in a mess without tabs/paragraphs (to make it stand down) that annoys the hell out of me.

[BlasterBates]

This is something I have been considering for a while and the reasons are to stop distribution and editing of my CV behind the scenes. I mentioned an example on another thread where Huxley placed my CV on iprofile.org without my permission and never informed me. Agents were calling all the time and basically wasting my time.

I would probably create a read only PDF with a small note below my personal details that a writable word doc would be available on request if a job I was interested in matching my skill set was available. I would possibly consider placing a water mark over another version and giving that out sometimes.

Now the down side is that..

a. Some agents won't like this new militant ( you are not playing my game ) b. Some agents won't know what a pdf is (seriously, I can see it happening)
c. Agent software will be built to only store word processor documents
d. The software wil not be able to handle read only documents.

But i would say..

a. Over the last 4 years I have only got work from agent I have a relationship with and would probably understand why i was doing it.
b. If they dont know that well I don't think I want them to front me for a IT role
c+d. They should only have my word CV if they have fronted me for a job in the past.

Any thoughts..

p.s. I though this was going in Business / Contracts, if it can be moved?

forget it they'll just scan it in and edit it anyway.

[AtW]

Send a PNG image (screenshot).

HTH

[moorfield]

It don't work. Agents only use Word. Anything else they'll just ignore and shovel the next CV on the pile into their clients. Get a YAC number redirected to voicemail / gmail on any "public" CV to handle all those fishing calls.