Reply to: Automatically generating bespoke CVs ?

[doodab]

Have you considered Python?

Just one quick search gave me this: Python and Microsoft Office – Using PyWin32

Python can access databases and there are libraries which support all sorts of other stuff.

If you really want to get your teeth into something, try the Python Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK)?

Probably a better skill to pick up than VBA for Office 2003 as well.

[Boo]

Have you considered Python?

Just one quick search gave me this: Python and Microsoft Office – Using PyWin32

Python can access databases and there are libraries which support all sorts of other stuff.

If you really want to get your teeth into something, try the Python Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK)?

Thanks, that's interesting, I will look into that.

Boo

[Sysman]

And if you can't fill 8 pages of a CV after 20 years then you are a slacker IMO.

The purpose of the 2 or 3 page CV is to get through the filtering process and get an interview. It isn't to describe your whole working life. The 8 page version is something you can take to the interview to show 'em face to face (but only if they show interest).

Hence my question regarding what technologies would be suitable to do this ?

Have you considered Python?

Just one quick search gave me this: Python and Microsoft Office – Using PyWin32

Python can access databases and there are libraries which support all sorts of other stuff.

If you really want to get your teeth into something, try the Python Natural Language Toolkit (NLTK)?

[doodab]

If you can't fill 8 pages of a CV after 20 years then you are a slacker IMO.

Just because you can doesn't mean you should. Why not do science on it? Apply for half of your next 20 jobs with a 3 page CV and half with an 8 page CV and see which garners the best response.

[speling bee]

shrug, whatever works for you. I think we can agree that 8 is ludicrous, though.

I agree that 8 is ludicrous. However, I have had agencies turn my CV into their formatted CV, padded out to 8 pages. Which was ludicrous.

[vwdan]

I don't care if they read page 3 or not, but I'm not filling page 1 and 2 up with stuff that will not get me the gig, but which is expected in a CV.

shrug, whatever works for you. I think we can agree that 8 is ludicrous, though.

[speling bee]

I suppose it's all opinion, but everything I've read or heard indicates that 2 pages is a safe bet. I expect it depends on your seniority and how niche your industry is - if you're one of 3 applicants I'm sure you can 'get away' with a lot more than if you're one of 50.

I don't care if they read page 3 or not, but I'm not filling page 1 and 2 up with stuff that will not get me the gig, but which is expected in a CV.

[vwdan]

Who says 2 pages at a maximum? I put the important stuff on Pages 1 and 2, but other stuff that is expected (older jobs and qualifications) on Page 3.

I suppose it's all opinion, but everything I've read or heard indicates that 2 pages is a safe bet. I expect it depends on your seniority and how niche your industry is - if you're one of 3 applicants I'm sure you can 'get away' with a lot more than if you're one of 50.

[speling bee]

I could fill 8 pages from 10 years of experience, but it doesn't make it right or a good idea. You need to get that CV down to 2 pages at the absolute maximum else nobody is going to read it. This just doesn't seem to be a technology problem at all.

Who says 2 pages at a maximum? I put the important stuff on Pages 1 and 2, but other stuff that is expected (older jobs and qualifications) on Page 3.

[speling bee]

And that technique seems to be working sooooo well....

The thing is that I don't have different CVs they are the same CV with items moved up and down within each contract / company as appropriate. You can't just emphasis a key word here and there you need to ensure the entire paragraph and company reflects the skills you wish to emphasis.

I have three different basic CVs (as I plough my trade in three different disciplines but within a single sector), which I alter according to the precise requirements.

[vwdan]

And if you can't fill 8 pages of a CV after 20 years then you are a slacker IMO.

I could fill 8 pages from 10 years of experience, but it doesn't make it right or a good idea. You need to get that CV down to 2 pages at the absolute maximum else nobody is going to read it. This just doesn't seem to be a technology problem at all.

[d000hg]

I still think it's a daft idea but it is reasonably interesting from an abstract point of view so I'll bite after all

Do you want to automate everything so it finds jobs and generates CVs? Or do you want to feed in the URLs and it spits out CVs? Or do you want to distil each job into a set of key-words you enter in?

Seems to me if you had a spreadsheet where each row was one role and you identified the keywords, ideally from a predefined list, you could do this using something akin to mail-merge using a bit of scripting. In modern versions of Office you can maybe do it without any coding for all I know but a more coding-based approach could use OpenXML.

Maybe you could make a saleable product.

[TheFaQQer]

Do you mind. When you combined that with the currency check out bug (currency changed, prices didn't update to reflect new currency) and the 75% staff discount it was a very good deal. It was really pity we only shipped to Denmark and not Italy

I don't think the £25 voucher did much harm, the website wasn't usable on a dial up anyway.

We were all offered a discount if we helped out by doing remote performance testing using non-ISDN connectivity. Shudder.

Afterwards, I managed to find a few discounted things which totalled marginally over £25 so effectively got them all free.

I miss e-commerce sites like that

[eek]

Ahhh - boo.com

I remember the weirdo bloke that founded the company saying "I am....an INSECT!" at the go-live party. They also didn't realise that giving everyone a £25 voucher with no minimum spend didn't really work very well...

Do you mind. When you combined that with the currency check out bug (currency changed, prices didn't update to reflect new currency) and the 75% staff discount it was a very good deal. It was really pity we only shipped to Denmark and not Italy

I don't think the £25 voucher did much harm, the website wasn't usable on a dial up anyway.

[Boo]

So you want us to spend our time telling you how to do something we think is a silly idea, without mentioning the elephant in the room that you're applying for 20+ jobs a day and consider 8 pages of CV to be "well pruned"?

Yes. The entire point is to direct my CV to specific roles. And if you can't fill 8 pages of a CV after 20 years then you are a slacker IMO.

I have stripped out everything that is not relevant along with all puff and repetition. The result is 8 pages but obviously it covers many different fields and technologies most of which are not relevant to any individual role andf also has the effect of underplaying my experience in any particular field or any particular technology.

This ends up being a rod for my own back as the non-relevant skills and experience are things I might be asked about at interview which I can't immediately bring to mind, not having prepped for, and also it dilutes the skills as perceived by the client.

Hence my question regarding what technologies would be suitable to do this ?

Just to clarify.

Just to be an * more likely.

Boo