Graduate Job Application
Discussion
Hi guys,
I'm currently in the process of applying for some important graduate jobs to large multinational companies; these are jobs that I dream about being successful with, so I want to give myself the best chance possible. Therefore I have had a meeting with a careers advisor at my university and renovated my CV - most parts of it changed from my previous one.
The roles will be Software Engineering based.
Now before submitting my applications with this new CV attached, would anyone from the industry / similar industry / recruitment care to take a look and provide any feedback?
I would greatly appreciate it and will return the favor somehow!
Cheers
Craig
I'm currently in the process of applying for some important graduate jobs to large multinational companies; these are jobs that I dream about being successful with, so I want to give myself the best chance possible. Therefore I have had a meeting with a careers advisor at my university and renovated my CV - most parts of it changed from my previous one.
The roles will be Software Engineering based.
Now before submitting my applications with this new CV attached, would anyone from the industry / similar industry / recruitment care to take a look and provide any feedback?
I would greatly appreciate it and will return the favor somehow!
Cheers
Craig
I'm not in your industry but that just looks like a wall of text.
There are a lot of unnecessary words in there - shorten bullet points to one or two sentences.
Only keep in key things - does experience working as a bar man show any advantage when compared with your other experience (which on the face of it looks good)
You have listed a lot of hobbies and interests which is good but think about what they add - maybe one or two words for each that shows the core skills you have developed from them - team work, communication, leadership etc
There are a lot of unnecessary words in there - shorten bullet points to one or two sentences.
Only keep in key things - does experience working as a bar man show any advantage when compared with your other experience (which on the face of it looks good)
You have listed a lot of hobbies and interests which is good but think about what they add - maybe one or two words for each that shows the core skills you have developed from them - team work, communication, leadership etc
Firstly, remove that link and replace it with a version that doesn't include your address whilst shared with a public forum.
With some formatting of your columns and your references you can bring that down to 2 sides of A4. No one is going to keep that third sheet attached.
At your GCSE results I would include your English GCSE specifically.
Your work experience needs to look less like a wall of text. It's great content but it is just a wall of text.
Also, hopefully the HR company won't filter your application because of the A level results.
With some formatting of your columns and your references you can bring that down to 2 sides of A4. No one is going to keep that third sheet attached.
At your GCSE results I would include your English GCSE specifically.
Your work experience needs to look less like a wall of text. It's great content but it is just a wall of text.
Also, hopefully the HR company won't filter your application because of the A level results.
+1 on removing yours and references personal details on this copy.
I have worked in technology for 20 years and have recruited both technical and management candidates.
1) You move between 1st and 3rd person in the text - make it 3rd person (which reads better imho) "Craig is a highly motivated and decidated....."
2) Build out on what your degree has covered in terms of modules / languages
3) Put those bullet points in a comma seperated sentences: C++, Java, etc, etc. recommend ranking them in order of knowledge - that will be vital for someone recruiting.
4) Subjects and grades for all exams
5) Not sure why you have a title that has "responsibilities" in - lose that and reduce that list to three interesting interests (not hardware!) - it's there to promote a talking point once you're in the door for an interview.
6) Be specific on when your jobs started / ended - if for no other reason than when you do many big companies screening procedures - they need to be to month/year and you'll need to explain or get references for any gaps.
7) Lose the uni branding - what is being sold? You or the uni? Your name should be at the top.
8) Try and lose the word spaghetti such as "attending to customers and fulfilling their purchase requests" - you were serving customers in a bar.
Good luck!
I have worked in technology for 20 years and have recruited both technical and management candidates.
1) You move between 1st and 3rd person in the text - make it 3rd person (which reads better imho) "Craig is a highly motivated and decidated....."
2) Build out on what your degree has covered in terms of modules / languages
3) Put those bullet points in a comma seperated sentences: C++, Java, etc, etc. recommend ranking them in order of knowledge - that will be vital for someone recruiting.
4) Subjects and grades for all exams
5) Not sure why you have a title that has "responsibilities" in - lose that and reduce that list to three interesting interests (not hardware!) - it's there to promote a talking point once you're in the door for an interview.
6) Be specific on when your jobs started / ended - if for no other reason than when you do many big companies screening procedures - they need to be to month/year and you'll need to explain or get references for any gaps.
7) Lose the uni branding - what is being sold? You or the uni? Your name should be at the top.
8) Try and lose the word spaghetti such as "attending to customers and fulfilling their purchase requests" - you were serving customers in a bar.
Good luck!
In addition to the suggestions made, all good BTW, I have to say if find the layout irritating to my eye. There is too much white space and a first CV should not run to three pages. So a couple more suggestions
1. With school, college and uni align the dates with the name of the institution (ie all on one line). Currently it looks unbalanced to me and inconsistent with page two.
2. You have a laundry list of technical skills and extra activities/interests. You can save a page by putting the former in two columns and the latter in a normal sentence, ie a string rather than a vertical list.
3. You could possibly list your references in two column format as well then you should be comfortably inside two pages.
Hope this helps.
1. With school, college and uni align the dates with the name of the institution (ie all on one line). Currently it looks unbalanced to me and inconsistent with page two.
2. You have a laundry list of technical skills and extra activities/interests. You can save a page by putting the former in two columns and the latter in a normal sentence, ie a string rather than a vertical list.
3. You could possibly list your references in two column format as well then you should be comfortably inside two pages.
Hope this helps.
Thank you all for the feedback so far, I've only had time to quickly read it, however I'll spend tomorrow going through each one and applying it to my cv!
Just a worrying thought, on my computer in Word it is two pages long with no major formatting issues like you have described (3 pages, messed up columns, bullet points etc) - have you viewed it through your browser or actually downloaded the .Docx file and opened it in Word?
I'm little ocd for formatting myself, so I'm hoping it's your viewing method that's screwed the formatting!
Thanks again and I'll reply tomorrow once I've had time to thoroughly read everyone's feedback!
Just a worrying thought, on my computer in Word it is two pages long with no major formatting issues like you have described (3 pages, messed up columns, bullet points etc) - have you viewed it through your browser or actually downloaded the .Docx file and opened it in Word?
I'm little ocd for formatting myself, so I'm hoping it's your viewing method that's screwed the formatting!
Thanks again and I'll reply tomorrow once I've had time to thoroughly read everyone's feedback!
craigsup said:
Thank you all for the feedback so far, I've only had time to quickly read it, however I'll spend tomorrow going through each one and applying it to my cv!
Just a worrying thought, on my computer in Word it is two pages long with no major formatting issues like you have described (3 pages, messed up columns, bullet points etc) - have you viewed it through your browser or actually downloaded the .Docx file and opened it in Word?
I'm little ocd for formatting myself, so I'm hoping it's your viewing method that's screwed the formatting!
Thanks again and I'll reply tomorrow once I've had time to thoroughly read everyone's feedback!
Always send a document as a PDF if you can, it gives you more control over the formatting. Just a worrying thought, on my computer in Word it is two pages long with no major formatting issues like you have described (3 pages, messed up columns, bullet points etc) - have you viewed it through your browser or actually downloaded the .Docx file and opened it in Word?
I'm little ocd for formatting myself, so I'm hoping it's your viewing method that's screwed the formatting!
Thanks again and I'll reply tomorrow once I've had time to thoroughly read everyone's feedback!
I can't see the CV right now, but by the sounds of it you've still got all of your GCSEs on there. There is no need for that - if you have an engineering degree that is fairly good evidence of proficiency in reading and writing. I didn't bother going further back than A-levels in any detail, and only then because they aren't all directly related to my degree.
I also started stripping bits out of my work history - if you worked at a supermarket while at Uni it's not vital to cover that in a lot of detail, unless it's your only previous job.
I've spent some time going over my CV and reading through your feedback - again, thank you all!
I think I've managed to apply most of the things pointed out - it seems the most thing people picked up on was the wall of text for the work experience; that is now reduced significantly.
Regarding number 4, again, would this be for all exams at university? As I've took around 10 since my first year with 3 more coming at the end of my final year.
As most of you pointed out, I will definitely be sending my CV as a PDF from now on!
Lastly, I've been told in the past that the CV should be 2 pages long; with the reduction of paragraphs and revised listings, it currently looks like it'll end up at 1 and a half pages long - does this matter? Quality over quantity is best I always feel.
I think I've managed to apply most of the things pointed out - it seems the most thing people picked up on was the wall of text for the work experience; that is now reduced significantly.
krisdelta said:
2) Build out on what your degree has covered in terms of modules / languages
4) Subjects and grades for all exams
Kris, with reference to number 2, are you referring to modules from the final year of my course? Or throughout? As we study 17 modules throughout the entire course - it would be a big list! Also, the languages are included in my technical skills section - would a simple sentence stating something along the lines of "Languages learned during my degree include C++, Java ... etc."4) Subjects and grades for all exams
Regarding number 4, again, would this be for all exams at university? As I've took around 10 since my first year with 3 more coming at the end of my final year.
As most of you pointed out, I will definitely be sending my CV as a PDF from now on!
Lastly, I've been told in the past that the CV should be 2 pages long; with the reduction of paragraphs and revised listings, it currently looks like it'll end up at 1 and a half pages long - does this matter? Quality over quantity is best I always feel.
Edited by craigsup on Monday 7th November 21:22
craigsup said:
I've spent some time going over my CV and reading through your feedback - again, thank you all!
I think I've managed to apply most of the things pointed out - it seems the most thing people picked up on was the wall of text for the work experience; that is now reduced significantly.
Regarding number 4, again, would this be for all exams at university? As I've took around 10 since my first year with 3 more coming at the end of my final year.
Hi Craig, I think I've managed to apply most of the things pointed out - it seems the most thing people picked up on was the wall of text for the work experience; that is now reduced significantly.
krisdelta said:
2) Build out on what your degree has covered in terms of modules / languages
4) Subjects and grades for all exams
Kris, with reference to number 2, are you referring to modules from the final year of my course? Or throughout? As we study 17 modules throughout the entire course - it would be a big list! Also, the languages are included in my technical skills section - would a simple sentence stating something along the lines of "Languages learned during my degree include C++, Java ... etc."4) Subjects and grades for all exams
Regarding number 4, again, would this be for all exams at university? As I've took around 10 since my first year with 3 more coming at the end of my final year.
So for 2) Consider listing the main, relevant themes / topics / modules that will be pertenant for the role you're applying for.
For 4) I meant overall exams - such as each of the top 5 GCSE's (English, Maths, Sciences and most relevant other two) and A-Levels, not intra-year exams / modules.
For the languages, be clear what you're fluent in and what you're simply familiar with.
Kris
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