I have achieved nothing in my current job
Discussion
When I applied for my current job, I was able to list and detail things I had acheived in my previous job, i.e. what I did and how it improved the company.
Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
Make it up; just say you have done similar stuff in this job as the last. Any prospective employer will never be able to verify whether what you've written is true, and if you carried out those tasks satisfactorily in your previous job you can do so again. A lie, but a white-ish one I think.
Write the truth, that you are desperate to make a valuable contribution to the company you work for, to increase profit, efficiency and/or levels of customer service, and that you are not in a position to do that in your current job hence the move. Two birds (i.e. interview questions) with one stone.
Lying in a job application is a criminal offence ( Percuniary advantage).
I know because over the summer at least a dozen people have been identified in one of the selection processes we run as lying in internal job applications and they have been disciplined, sacked or demoted. The HR team seriously considered referring some to the police. I also sat in on an interview where someone external who had just added one fact to his work experience was taken apart by the interviewers and his job, and all future jobs at this employer are now out of bounds to him.
Tell the truth. Don't believe the myth that everyone lies.
I know because over the summer at least a dozen people have been identified in one of the selection processes we run as lying in internal job applications and they have been disciplined, sacked or demoted. The HR team seriously considered referring some to the police. I also sat in on an interview where someone external who had just added one fact to his work experience was taken apart by the interviewers and his job, and all future jobs at this employer are now out of bounds to him.
Tell the truth. Don't believe the myth that everyone lies.
hidetheelephants said:
Make it up; just say you have done similar stuff in this job as the last. Any prospective employer will never be able to verify whether what you've written is true, and if you carried out those tasks satisfactorily in your previous job you can do so again. A lie, but a white-ish one I think.
Yep.Cogcog said:
Lying in a job application is a criminal offence (Percuniary advantage).
Blah blah...If people are lying in their CVs for internal (so easy to check up on...) jobs it says more about their lack of intelligence than anything else, which is probably more of a reason to be fired, demoted, etc.
NobleGuy said:
Blah blah...
If people are lying in their CVs for internal (so easy to check up on...) jobs it says more about their lack of intelligence than anything else, which is probably more of a reason to be fired, demoted, etc.
Definitely not in danger of being headhunted by NASA anyway. If people are lying in their CVs for internal (so easy to check up on...) jobs it says more about their lack of intelligence than anything else, which is probably more of a reason to be fired, demoted, etc.
TurricanII said:
Write the truth, that you are desperate to make a valuable contribution to the company you work for, to increase profit, efficiency and/or levels of customer service, and that you are not in a position to do that in your current job hence the move. Two birds (i.e. interview questions) with one stone.
Turn a weakness into a strength.
You're going to be pressed on why you're looking to move anyway if you've only been there 6 months, so get it out up front in the best possible light.
volvo20 said:
When I applied for my current job, I was able to list and detail things I had acheived in my previous job, i.e. what I did and how it improved the company.
Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
I have achieved absolutely nothing in 20 years of being at work!Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
Anthony Micallef said:
volvo20 said:
When I applied for my current job, I was able to list and detail things I had acheived in my previous job, i.e. what I did and how it improved the company.
Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
I have achieved absolutely nothing in 20 years of being at work!Now I've been in my existing job for almost 6 months and I want to leave, so its back to the CV drawing board. Unfortunately I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. I have tried to improve things I really have, but unfortunately I'm "not paid to think".
So on my CV, what do I put? Sure I can list my responsibilities, but everyone is responsible for something, and I dont want to live off past glory (so to speak).
volvo20 said:
...I have acheived absolutely nothing in my existing job, other than turn up at 9am and do what I'm told to. So on my CV, what do I put?
It would be highly unusual for you to have contributed zero to the organisation you are part of. What may seem like zero to you may in fact have been quite valuable to your employer, and most importantly, your next employer!This is a common feeling however and something that takes a little teasing out, but teased out it can be. It's where in fact I spend most of my time when assisting with the reconstruction of outcomes based CVs. HTH offline if required.
I was going to post this yesterday but my router went down:
Whilst I agree with Turrican, I have to question why you think that you have achieved nothing in your current job. I take it you have been actually doing the job rather than just marking time, right? Is the kudos of having completed the work/tasks set for you accurately and promptly not worthwhile? It's all very good having rain maker types, but companies also need competent, reliable and dilligent people to actually do some work too.
As someone whose work involves process improvement, if you want to make waves, you've got to a) show you are competent at the job (and 6 months in have you managed to do that yet?) and b) have the right attitude. It's all well and dandy having ideas for how things should be done differently, but if you don't put them well (and that includes reading the company/management accurately and working out the best approach) then you won't get them taken on board (or worse, you'll just rub people up the wrong way and shut any channels open to you).
Whilst I agree with Turrican, I have to question why you think that you have achieved nothing in your current job. I take it you have been actually doing the job rather than just marking time, right? Is the kudos of having completed the work/tasks set for you accurately and promptly not worthwhile? It's all very good having rain maker types, but companies also need competent, reliable and dilligent people to actually do some work too.
As someone whose work involves process improvement, if you want to make waves, you've got to a) show you are competent at the job (and 6 months in have you managed to do that yet?) and b) have the right attitude. It's all well and dandy having ideas for how things should be done differently, but if you don't put them well (and that includes reading the company/management accurately and working out the best approach) then you won't get them taken on board (or worse, you'll just rub people up the wrong way and shut any channels open to you).
Some very helpful posts here so thank you for that. I guess a lot of you are right, I have contributed, its just I don't feel I have done anything above the call of duty.
There is plenty of work to do at my current job, and I do it as best I can with minimal fuss, but I'm paid to do that.
Admittedly I have come up with one or two intuitive ideas but they are too detailed to list on a CV. I guess fixing the companys IP telephony network within a few weeks of being there is worth putting down, that saved them a lot of money because they never had to renew their support contract! Other than that I'm out of ideas!
There is plenty of work to do at my current job, and I do it as best I can with minimal fuss, but I'm paid to do that.
Admittedly I have come up with one or two intuitive ideas but they are too detailed to list on a CV. I guess fixing the companys IP telephony network within a few weeks of being there is worth putting down, that saved them a lot of money because they never had to renew their support contract! Other than that I'm out of ideas!
volvo20 said:
Some very helpful posts here so thank you for that. I guess a lot of you are right, I have contributed, its just I don't feel I have done anything above the call of duty.
There is plenty of work to do at my current job, and I do it as best I can with minimal fuss, but I'm paid to do that.
Admittedly I have come up with one or two intuitive ideas but they are too detailed to list on a CV. I guess fixing the companys IP telephony network within a few weeks of being there is worth putting down, that saved them a lot of money because they never had to renew their support contract! Other than that I'm out of ideas!
You get to play Call of Duty at work There is plenty of work to do at my current job, and I do it as best I can with minimal fuss, but I'm paid to do that.
Admittedly I have come up with one or two intuitive ideas but they are too detailed to list on a CV. I guess fixing the companys IP telephony network within a few weeks of being there is worth putting down, that saved them a lot of money because they never had to renew their support contract! Other than that I'm out of ideas!
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volvo20 said:
I guess fixing the companys IP telephony network within a few weeks of being there is worth putting down, that saved them a lot of money because they never had to renew their support contract! Other than that I'm out of ideas!
That's shareholder value worth several several thousand supplied by you; you've probably paid for most of your salary in that one act! How many manhours did it take?Gassing Station | Jobs & Employment Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff