Getting no where applying for roles

[TheAngryDog]

I am applying for new roles at the moment get getting no where fast. I am either getting radio silence, or the odd thanks but no thanks.

I aren't applying for roles that I cannot do, so I wondering if my lack of certifications, or just my CV is isn't good enough? Would anyone with the skills be happy to take a look at my CV please? (I am happy to pay for the service from a professional), and if anyone has any advice I would hugely appreciate it. I haven't been job hunting for long (around a month) so it has been several years since I last applied for a new job.

Thank you.

[anonymous-user]

If you get a reply from a job you applied for... Maybe ask what was stopping them taking your application further.

Chances are they will be busy but someone might oblige and give you some tips

[blueg33]

Sorry, but I am going to be blunt.

Not sure what roles you are applying for. But if your Grammar on your cv or covering letter is as bad as it is in your post on this thread then for me your cv would be passed over immediately.

Communication, written and verbal is critical in my business and is often client facing, however, if you are looking for roles that do not require that its probably less of an issue.

Do your CV and Linkedin profiles align?, have your sterilized your social media?

Edited by blueg33 on Thursday 27th May 13:31

[rog007]

Delighted to pass comment on your CV if you want to drop me a line.

Getting shortlisted is a real challenge, so a top drawer CV, absolutely personalised for the role you’re applying for is key!

[Scrump]

blueg33 said:

Not sure what roles you are applying for. But if your Grammar on your cv or covering letter is as bad as it is in your post on this thread then for me your cv would be passed over immediately.

Sorry for being blunt but I was thinking the same.

[TheAngryDog]

Oh, I am really sorry that a post I made on PH didn't meet with the grammar police code of practice, please accept my profound apologies.

The post was written in slight haste while I was on a call.

[TheAngryDog]

rog007 said:

Delighted to pass comment on your CV if you want to drop me a line.

Getting shortlisted is a real challenge, so a top drawer CV, absolutely personalised for the role you’re applying for is key!

Thank you, I will send you a message.

[Scrump]

You asked for advice on why you are not getting invited to interview, what else were we supposed to base our answers on other than your post?
Post your CV up and we can comment on that instead.
Username checks out!

[TheAngryDog]

Scrump said:

You asked for advice on why you are not getting invited to interview, what else were we supposed to base our answers on other than your post?
Post your CV up and we can comment on that instead.
Username checks out!

That is correct, I asked for advice, I didn't ask for my OP to be given grief because I missed the odd word out it and put a comma or two in the wrong place.
I am hardly going to post my CV on here for all to see.
My username does indeed check out, especially when poked with a stick. Sticks are for throwing.

[blueg33]

TheAngryDog said:

Oh, I am really sorry that a post I made on PH didn't meet with the grammar police code of practice, please accept my profound apologies.

The post was written in slight haste while I was on a call.

Well you asked a question and gave very little info, so people read your post and draw a conclusion. Seriously of you cant take criticism you wont get your cv right.

Its not about being PH grammar police, its about first impressions. The first impression you gave was poor. (even on a call, it was pretty horrible wording). I am typing this whilst on a call, I may have typos, but the grammar wont be as glaringly painful.

It will help us if you give us some idea o the sector and level of role. Applying for a job as a CEO of a multinational is very different from applying for a job as a trainee plumber.

[TheAngryDog]

blueg33 said:

TheAngryDog said:

Oh, I am really sorry that a post I made on PH didn't meet with the grammar police code of practice, please accept my profound apologies.

The post was written in slight haste while I was on a call.

Well you asked a question and gave very little info, so people read your post and draw a conclusion. Seriously of you cant take criticism you wont get your cv right.

Its not about being PH grammar police, its about first impressions. The first impression you gave was poor. (even on a call, it was pretty horrible wording). I am typing this whilst on a call, I may have typos, but the grammar wont be as glaringly painful.

It will help us if you give us some idea o the sector and level of role. Applying for a job as a CEO of a multinational is very different from applying for a job as a trainee plumber.

I am applying IT Helpdesk Manager roles in various sectors, but mostly software and hardware based.

[blueg33]

TheAngryDog said:

blueg33 said:

TheAngryDog said:

Oh, I am really sorry that a post I made on PH didn't meet with the grammar police code of practice, please accept my profound apologies.

The post was written in slight haste while I was on a call.

Well you asked a question and gave very little info, so people read your post and draw a conclusion. Seriously of you cant take criticism you wont get your cv right.

Its not about being PH grammar police, its about first impressions. The first impression you gave was poor. (even on a call, it was pretty horrible wording). I am typing this whilst on a call, I may have typos, but the grammar wont be as glaringly painful.

It will help us if you give us some idea o the sector and level of role. Applying for a job as a CEO of a multinational is very different from applying for a job as a trainee plumber.

I am applying IT Helpdesk Manager roles in various sectors, but mostly software and hardware based.

Hmm. Thats interesting, as far as I can tell from my brother (works in IT data migration) the whole IT sector cant get enough people.

I cant help with IT sector cv's, but I can comment on professionally written ones. In my experience and for my sector (house building) they don't help. I get better results with the cv I wrote myself than the professional one done for me a few months ago. (note - I triple check my cv for spelling and grammar errors as my typing is dire)

But I do have a tip - if the roles are advertised by recruitment companies, don't just send in a c.v. Give then a call, talk it through with the recruiter. If they think you are right for the role they may look out for your cv. A lot of cv filtering is done by robots or a 10 second glance by the recruiter. You can convey far more in a phone call than you ever can on paper.

[lizardbrain]

TheAngryDog said:

I am applying IT Helpdesk Manager roles in various sectors, but mostly software and hardware based.

I screen a few applications most days. Perhaps you could post up your cover letter?

Especially with homeworking becoming more common, the initial impression is important, and your cover letter is full of clues on what it would be like to work with you. Some obvious attention paid to grammar and phrasing is super important in any industry.

Even if your are application is form based, in most cases I'd still advise following up with a well written cover email.

[APontus]

blueg33 said:

Sorry, but I am going to be blunt.

Not sure what roles you are applying for. But if your Grammar on your cv or covering letter is as bad as it is in your post on this thread then for me your cv would be passed over immediately.

Communication, written and verbal is critical in my business

As is understanding that 'verbal' and 'written' are effectively the same thing and simply mean 'in words'.

What you actually meant was 'written and oral'.

If your CV or covering letter made that mistake...

[TheAngryDog]

blueg33 said:

TheAngryDog said:

I am applying IT Helpdesk Manager roles in various sectors, but mostly software and hardware based.

Hmm. Thats interesting, as far as I can tell from my brother (works in IT data migration) the whole IT sector cant get enough people.

I cant help with IT sector cv's, but I can comment on professionally written ones. In my experience and for my sector (house building) they don't help. I get better results with the cv I wrote myself than the professional one done for me a few months ago. (note - I triple check my cv for spelling and grammar errors as my typing is dire)

But I do have a tip - if the roles are advertised by recruitment companies, don't just send in a c.v. Give then a call, talk it through with the recruiter. If they think you are right for the role they may look out for your cv. A lot of cv filtering is done by robots or a 10 second glance by the recruiter. You can convey far more in a phone call than you ever can on paper.

There are plenty of roles available, it may be that something in my CV or application doesn't fit. My CV is spell checked, as are my covering letters, but that doesn't always guarantee zero mistakes, especially grammar based ones.

A phone call sounds like a good idea. I've always felt that I could be wasting someone's time by calling them, but maybe it's the way to go about it, thank you.

lizardbrain said:

I screen a few applications most days. Perhaps you could post up your cover letter?

Especially with homeworking becoming more common, the initial impression is important, and your cover letter is full of clues on what it would be like to work with you. Some obvious attention paid to grammar and phrasing is super important in any industry.

Even if your are application is form based, in most cases I'd still advise following up with a well written cover email.

Most of the applications I have made do not give the option to include a covering letter, they just CV harvest. Perhaps following up with a cover letter sounds like a good idea, thanks. What I have been sending (and tailoring to suit) is below.

cover letter said:

I am applying for the role of XXX, in response to the advert, please find my CV attached.

I am an experienced Wintel / Infrastructure engineer, having worked in the IT sector in various roles for over 23 years. I have experience with Windows desktop and server operating systems, both physical and virtual, as well as cloud experience. I currently manage an estate of 70+ servers across on prem and cloud systems, which includes;

Physical servers
Virtualised servers
SAN
Switches
Hardware firewall
Web Application Firewall
Virtual load balancers

I have deployed both physical and virtual servers across on prem and cloud environments, having built from scratch the cloud estate for the company I currently work for.

I am an excellent trouble-shooter who enjoys fixing problems. I am tenacious, ambitious and I am keen to expand my knowledge and experience through adoption and implementation of new and revised technological solutions. I have a can-do attitude. I take ownership of the issues I am working on, happy to seek the advice of my peers and assist others. I am friendly, outgoing, self-motivated, focused, and pro-active.

Thank you for reading my cover letter and CV, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

I then tailor it to suit the role. Most of the roles I have been applying for have been managing a helpdesk while remaining hands on.

[geeks]

AngryDog, feel free to PM this but where are you located? We have a number of roles at the moment.

[TheAngryDog]

geeks said:

AngryDog, feel free to PM this but where are you located? We have a number of roles at the moment.

I have sent you a PM, thanks!

[blueg33]

APontus said:

blueg33 said:

Sorry, but I am going to be blunt.

Not sure what roles you are applying for. But if your Grammar on your cv or covering letter is as bad as it is in your post on this thread then for me your cv would be passed over immediately.

Communication, written and verbal is critical in my business

As is understanding that 'verbal' and 'written' are effectively the same thing and simply mean 'in words'.

What you actually meant was 'written and oral'.

If your CV or covering letter made that mistake...

You are correct

I was on a call at the time.........................

[Bear-n]

I am not a recruitment person, nor in your industry, but my own thoughts as an average Joe if they're any use to you (I'm on a call, if anyone spots a mistake )

In response to your vacancy of XXX, I enclose my CV for your consideration.

I am currently a Wintel / Infrastructure engineer with 23 years’ experience in the wider IT sector, including <thing> and <thing>. I'm conversant in Windows desktop and server operating systems, both physical and virtual, as well as cloud experience. My role at the moment involves managing an estate of 70+ servers on prem and cloud systems, including:

Physical & Virtualised Servers
SAN
Switches
Hardware firewall
Web Application Firewall
Virtual load balancers

I built the cloud estate for my currently employer, from the ground up, optimising the use of virtual and prem servers; this system is currently <add in some amazeballs stat or something>

I consider myself a capable and motivated problem solver, work within my own autonomy yet understand when to escalate decisions, and am always keen to build my knowledge of emerging systems and solutions.

Thank you for your time (or something brief like that)

Gizza job

Edited by Bear-n on Thursday 27th May 15:32

[stuninho]

I'm applying for work currently along similar lines.

I found that having the CV reviewed and partially worked on by a professional to be the most help. Note, not rewritten - you should collaborate with them rather than expect them to do the work, that way "you" still shine through.

I must admit my CV was not up to scratch but I couldn't really see that - I was too emotionally attached.