Discussion
I know there have been a lot of threads on this in the past, and I think I've taken on board all of the general advice offered. However, I have a few specific questions about the latest draft which can be found here.
Firstly, the sort of jobs I'm applying for have nothing to do with my previous employment. I'm going to move off the farm to the big bad city (probably try and get on some bulls
t graduate training programme somewhere), so my career as a professional tractor driver and occasional attempts at herding swine is pretty much irrelevant. However, I have worked hard to pay for uni and have learned a lot about how the world works (though I'll be the first to admit not everything), and I'd like to show this on the CV somewhere.
Is there really any point putting my employment on there at all? I think it's worth it, but does it just make me look like a redneck hick?
Secondly, my biggest extra curricular activity at university was studying in Italy (studying should really be in inverted commas). Not like I was president of the union or anything, but I'm proud of the fact that I went from zero knowledge of Italian, to living there in 4 months. I also did a pretty well-received project (though I think they were just being nice). Mother thinks it should go in the "Education" section, but I'd say it was just an extra-curricular. Her argument, which I concede, is that Erasmus sets me apart, so should be on the first page somewhere. But I'd say it just doesn't fit because it is not education or employment.
Can I ditch convention and stick the employment section at the end?
Thirdly, does anyone know of any jobs going?
Any other advice gratefully received.
Charlie
Firstly, the sort of jobs I'm applying for have nothing to do with my previous employment. I'm going to move off the farm to the big bad city (probably try and get on some bulls
t graduate training programme somewhere), so my career as a professional tractor driver and occasional attempts at herding swine is pretty much irrelevant. However, I have worked hard to pay for uni and have learned a lot about how the world works (though I'll be the first to admit not everything), and I'd like to show this on the CV somewhere. Is there really any point putting my employment on there at all? I think it's worth it, but does it just make me look like a redneck hick?
Secondly, my biggest extra curricular activity at university was studying in Italy (studying should really be in inverted commas). Not like I was president of the union or anything, but I'm proud of the fact that I went from zero knowledge of Italian, to living there in 4 months. I also did a pretty well-received project (though I think they were just being nice). Mother thinks it should go in the "Education" section, but I'd say it was just an extra-curricular. Her argument, which I concede, is that Erasmus sets me apart, so should be on the first page somewhere. But I'd say it just doesn't fit because it is not education or employment.
Can I ditch convention and stick the employment section at the end?
Thirdly, does anyone know of any jobs going?
Any other advice gratefully received.
Charlie
This may be the product of the back end of a bull, but your CV should be all about getting an interview - it should start with what kind of person you are. Your CV isn't selling yourself nearly enough - you have put in a couple of achievements but you need to say more - a lot more IMHO - about what your skills & personality are like.
Even if you do not have recognised skills as in qualifications etc you need to big yourself up - quick learner, ambitious, dedicated, blah blah blah.
This paragraph should be right at the front as near to the top as you can - it's the first section a potential employer will see and it may take you a while to come up with 2 or 3 sentences you are happy with.
I am currently unemployed (made redundant a few months ago) and despite several re-writes i'm still not happy with my opening paragraph!
Good luck!
Even if you do not have recognised skills as in qualifications etc you need to big yourself up - quick learner, ambitious, dedicated, blah blah blah.
This paragraph should be right at the front as near to the top as you can - it's the first section a potential employer will see and it may take you a while to come up with 2 or 3 sentences you are happy with.
I am currently unemployed (made redundant a few months ago) and despite several re-writes i'm still not happy with my opening paragraph!
Good luck!
Begin with a personal profile.
Below your degree list the main final year classes you took (especially if they have skills relevent to the job you're going for).
Have a section on your final year project.
For your previous jobs, highlight the logistical and managerial side of things more if possible.
Have a section titled Skills and put in there your computer and language skills.
Other interests and experience should be renamed Other interests and hobbies - leave your car and travelling stuff in there.
That should get you started. Come back with an updated version and I'm sure others will continue to help.
Below your degree list the main final year classes you took (especially if they have skills relevent to the job you're going for).
Have a section on your final year project.
For your previous jobs, highlight the logistical and managerial side of things more if possible.
Have a section titled Skills and put in there your computer and language skills.
Other interests and experience should be renamed Other interests and hobbies - leave your car and travelling stuff in there.
That should get you started. Come back with an updated version and I'm sure others will continue to help.
Fair point one and all.
oobster, I've purposely gone away from the "Charlie is a quick learner who is ambitious blah blah blah" type thing because, well, I'd expect people to ignore that as the bullst it is likely to be and concentrate on what I've actually done. Show them I'm an effective communicator by not writing like a retard, show them I'm keen with a good telephone manner by phoning them up the next day to make sure the CV went to the right person etc etc. I was going to cite some previous PH wisdom to back this view up, but the search function is not being my friend.
But maybe you're right, the personal profile does seem to be more fashionable.
haworth, thanks for your input. Apart from slightly misreading the bit about bullst and the city (it's grad programmes that I feel are bullst, not city jobs. Not that I want a city job, just one in a city IYSWIM), you have really hit the nail on the head. I have absolutely no idea what I want. I used to love tractor driving and dreamed of spending the next year harvesting my way around the globe before coming home and eventually starting my own tractor dealership. In NZ this dream hit a brick wall. This thread has rung a few bells. Feeling a little lost at the moment. I guess this may be coming through in my posts.
As for getting up at 6am and doing a full day's work? One thing I am good at.
Otherwise, thanks for giving your answers to my specific questions. Most helpful.
quoteme, that is what I thought I'd get. I sound like a redneck. I'm not. Well I am. But I bet Cletus wouldn't be able to get a decent degree. Or speak French and Italian. And other such stuff.
Guess it needs more work than I thought.
oobster, I've purposely gone away from the "Charlie is a quick learner who is ambitious blah blah blah" type thing because, well, I'd expect people to ignore that as the bulls
t it is likely to be and concentrate on what I've actually done. Show them I'm an effective communicator by not writing like a retard, show them I'm keen with a good telephone manner by phoning them up the next day to make sure the CV went to the right person etc etc. I was going to cite some previous PH wisdom to back this view up, but the search function is not being my friend.But maybe you're right, the personal profile does seem to be more fashionable.
haworth, thanks for your input. Apart from slightly misreading the bit about bulls
t and the city (it's grad programmes that I feel are bullst, not city jobs. Not that I want a city job, just one in a city IYSWIM), you have really hit the nail on the head. I have absolutely no idea what I want. I used to love tractor driving and dreamed of spending the next year harvesting my way around the globe before coming home and eventually starting my own tractor dealership. In NZ this dream hit a brick wall. This thread has rung a few bells. Feeling a little lost at the moment. I guess this may be coming through in my posts.As for getting up at 6am and doing a full day's work? One thing I am good at.
Otherwise, thanks for giving your answers to my specific questions. Most helpful.
quoteme, that is what I thought I'd get. I sound like a redneck. I'm not. Well I am. But I bet Cletus wouldn't be able to get a decent degree. Or speak French and Italian. And other such stuff.
Guess it needs more work than I thought.
Stevenj214 said:
Begin with a personal profile.
Below your degree list the main final year classes you took (especially if they have skills relevent to the job you're going for).
Have a section on your final year project.
For your previous jobs, highlight the logistical and managerial side of things more if possible.
Have a section titled Skills and put in there your computer and language skills.
Other interests and experience should be renamed Other interests and hobbies - leave your car and travelling stuff in there.
That should get you started. Come back with an updated version and I'm sure others will continue to help.
Ta. On it.Below your degree list the main final year classes you took (especially if they have skills relevent to the job you're going for).
Have a section on your final year project.
For your previous jobs, highlight the logistical and managerial side of things more if possible.
Have a section titled Skills and put in there your computer and language skills.
Other interests and experience should be renamed Other interests and hobbies - leave your car and travelling stuff in there.
That should get you started. Come back with an updated version and I'm sure others will continue to help.
How do you know grad schemes are all bullst?
Granted, some may be, but many are well worth it.
More importantly though, I think you have an idea of the city without really knowing what its about, this is the impression I get. And I should imagine if its what you think, then it will almost certainly come across in an interview, as it has done in your CV.
As others have said, you've got to WANT the job and you've got to have the right attitude, especially as you're likely to be up against a lot of people who are more experienced/qualified/enthusiastic.
Apologies if this post sounds quite negative, but attitude is everything if you want a half decent job.
t?Granted, some may be, but many are well worth it.
More importantly though, I think you have an idea of the city without really knowing what its about, this is the impression I get. And I should imagine if its what you think, then it will almost certainly come across in an interview, as it has done in your CV.
As others have said, you've got to WANT the job and you've got to have the right attitude, especially as you're likely to be up against a lot of people who are more experienced/qualified/enthusiastic.
Apologies if this post sounds quite negative, but attitude is everything if you want a half decent job.
Don't let your mates sabotage your CV then not read it before sending
Extract - CV
I am also an avid cannabis smoker, having once spent over 24 hours stoned, continuously. This is a skill I have mastered over a long period of 10 years which shows my determination to excel myself when I am pursued by a task that I am passionate about. I have even been proven to be stronger, run faster, think quicker and also work more efficiently when I have THC extract within my body. Also, during the past, I have
also developed my entrepreneurial skills by buying cannabis at a low price during the late 2000 over supply within the British market, and then storing the product, before splitting it up and selling it at twice the previous market value, netting myself a healthy profit. My songs of choice during recreational consumption of Cannabis include classic rap artists, Cypress Hills, ‘roll it up, light it up, smoke it up’, or their song ‘hits from the bong’, or even the melodic, ‘I want to get high’. My munchie food of choice is always Haribo Starmix and my recommendation for quenching pasty mouth is the childhood favourite, Ribena.
(Its probably funnier if you know him and your childish like me
)
Extract - CV
I am also an avid cannabis smoker, having once spent over 24 hours stoned, continuously. This is a skill I have mastered over a long period of 10 years which shows my determination to excel myself when I am pursued by a task that I am passionate about. I have even been proven to be stronger, run faster, think quicker and also work more efficiently when I have THC extract within my body. Also, during the past, I have
also developed my entrepreneurial skills by buying cannabis at a low price during the late 2000 over supply within the British market, and then storing the product, before splitting it up and selling it at twice the previous market value, netting myself a healthy profit. My songs of choice during recreational consumption of Cannabis include classic rap artists, Cypress Hills, ‘roll it up, light it up, smoke it up’, or their song ‘hits from the bong’, or even the melodic, ‘I want to get high’. My munchie food of choice is always Haribo Starmix and my recommendation for quenching pasty mouth is the childhood favourite, Ribena.
(Its probably funnier if you know him and your childish like me
)Edited by ItsTony on Thursday 19th February 21:23
sploosh said:
Where do you live (region)
What do you want to do?
Currently stuck in a rut in Wiltshire. Aim is to leave.What do you want to do?
Applying for engineering jobs in London/Bristol, although I am flexible on location/sector - i.e. my primary aim is to leave, the rest is incidental.
Ideally, I'd like to find someone who'd like to take a punt in teaching me more about computer programming with a view to doing some financial or operations modeling. But back in the real world, the local NH dealer are desperate for mechanics.
Nice work back up there Tony.
Please tell me it made it to his future employers?Welding was mostly self taught as part of the farm work, but I learned the TIG as part of a module at uni. No tickets though.
bitwrx said:
Nice work back up there Tony. Please tell me it made it to his future employers?(
We offered to convert it to PDF format for him and just mailed it back to him as a PDF attachment. He claims he never sent it out, but he never said anything for a week and we know he had been submitting applications via e-mail. Please tell me it made it to his future employers?(Well, at least you can spell. A good few of the graduate intake I've come cross can't. 
As for your concerns about your employment history and skills; why not just be honest? Perhaps preface that section with a couple of lines about how you realise that your background is perhaps unusual but that even on the farm you demonstrated skills which are useful in a great many jobs.
I imagine herding pigs calls for quick thinking and forward planning. Driving heavy, dangerous machinery calls for a responsible attitude. I would have thought an agricultural job would require an ability to turn your hand to a wide range of tasks. Maybe you could make a positive out of the fact that despite the unlikely background, you've picked up skills as diverse as welding, writing code, etc, etc.
As for your concerns about your employment history and skills; why not just be honest? Perhaps preface that section with a couple of lines about how you realise that your background is perhaps unusual but that even on the farm you demonstrated skills which are useful in a great many jobs.
I imagine herding pigs calls for quick thinking and forward planning. Driving heavy, dangerous machinery calls for a responsible attitude. I would have thought an agricultural job would require an ability to turn your hand to a wide range of tasks. Maybe you could make a positive out of the fact that despite the unlikely background, you've picked up skills as diverse as welding, writing code, etc, etc.
Edited by Risotto on Thursday 19th February 22:03
bitwrx said:
Version 2 is up if anyone wants to have another go.
It's better but I'm not sure I can make any more of my employment without pure fabrication. I remembered a few skills I'd forgotten as well. Is it worth putting down that I can weld when applying for a job based in an office?
A lot better than version 1. It still looks concise and uncluttered so well done.It's better but I'm not sure I can make any more of my employment without pure fabrication. I remembered a few skills I'd forgotten as well. Is it worth putting down that I can weld when applying for a job based in an office?
At university did you do anything else (other than drinking!) such as being class rep, attending any conferences, joining any clubs?
Under your New Zealand employment you could mention the skills and abilities you learnt through working and living abroad.
For your project in Italy, did it help the manufacturer? In what way? Mention it.
The acronyms in the skills section - will your new prospective employers know what they are? If not, write in full, or generalise.
Other than that, a good personal profile (your current one is... novel
) and you're most of the way there.Stevenj214 said:
bitwrx said:
Version 2 is up if anyone wants to have another go.
It's better but I'm not sure I can make any more of my employment without pure fabrication. I remembered a few skills I'd forgotten as well. Is it worth putting down that I can weld when applying for a job based in an office?
A lot better than version 1. It still looks concise and uncluttered so well done.It's better but I'm not sure I can make any more of my employment without pure fabrication. I remembered a few skills I'd forgotten as well. Is it worth putting down that I can weld when applying for a job based in an office?
At university did you do anything else (other than drinking!) such as being class rep, attending any conferences, joining any clubs?
Under your New Zealand employment you could mention the skills and abilities you learnt through working and living abroad.
For your project in Italy, did it help the manufacturer? In what way? Mention it.
The acronyms in the skills section - will your new prospective employers know what they are? If not, write in full, or generalise.
Other than that, a good personal profile (your current one is... novel
) and you're most of the way there.On big question though is the acronyms/skills bit. They're all engineering applications I've used during the degree. If I'm applying to an engineering job, they should know what I'm on about. If I'm not applying for an engineering job, why do they need to know about them? Do I leave them in, even though they're likely to be irrelevant?
personally i'd leave the non relevant jobs. my CV on graduation had my internship then something to say i had various part time jobs and learned how to balance my studies with this neccessary paid employment.
i don't think your CV is nearly targeted enough for working outside of your area of training.
i don't think your CV is nearly targeted enough for working outside of your area of training.
shirt said:
personally i'd leave the non relevant jobs. my CV on graduation had my internship then something to say i had various part time jobs and learned how to balance my studies with this neccessary paid employment.
i don't think your CV is nearly targeted enough for working outside of your area of training.
No that's just the base CV at the mo. Will be hacked for specific roles. I suppose. If I can find any that I'm actually qualified for....i don't think your CV is nearly targeted enough for working outside of your area of training.
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