Considering career switch - need advice!

Cat_In_Pyjamas

Cat_In_Pyjamas

Cat_In_Pyjamas

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Considering career switch - need advice, please!

Hi guys,

the other day I went job searching with my partner who has been unemployed for quite a while and stumbled on an add for a debt advisor (salaried, basic + bonus OTE nearly double my current yearly wage). Now as you can see from my profile I'm currently working at a sandwich shop/cafe (whatever you want to call it), which is nowhere near the add, however they do say all training will be given to successful applicants.

With this in mind I have a few CV related questions:
a) most (as in 99%) of my work experience comes from working for the same company, but contains 2 different senior roles (one being responsible for hot food // temperatures // equipment the other for health and safety // kitchen productivity // training) alongside both of which I had additional supervisory tasks. Should I list both of them on the CV separately (with any achievements in each field) or meddle them together into one huge listing of duties and achievements

b) prior to that (with a year's gap in between the two jobs) I had 5 years of 'part time experience' (i.e. few hours during the weekends, cash in hand, no real contract or anything) at my mum's tax advisor bureau where my job was to sort out paperwork and some data entry - should I bother listing this on the CV?

c) the big bad of my life's choices - while working for my current company I got my priorities all wrong (job + WoW > uni ... yes I know, foolish) and didn't complete my university course (or well, according to them I have - just didn't receive any final grade for it, as it was in my final year that I dropped out) - how do you suggest putting this into the education section of the CV without being immediately dropped into the 'shall not bother with' bin

d) last but not least - should I even bother? I realise that OTE jobs require tons and tons of hard work to get even close to the advertised sum, however I am slowly approaching 30 (well 3 years to go but you get the drift) and would like to push my life in a direction where I wouldn't have to worry about getting food for myself and my partner because my hours got cut to a minimum. Lastly I really don't mind putting however many hours are required to succeed as long as it gets me somewhere, which I can't really say about my current employer.
 
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Let me get this straight.

You're a kitchen worker and you want to apply for a £30k role as a debt advisor?

Don't want to sound harsh but it's very unlikely you will get the job. However, go for it and prove me wrong.
 
neil3k said:
Let me get this straight.

You're a kitchen worker and you want to apply for a £30k role as a debt advisor?

Don't want to sound harsh but it's very unlikely you will get the job. However, go for it and prove me wrong.
Click to expand...

Kitchen supervisor to be exact. I know it's far fetched hence my questions.
 
Always worth a punt mate, don't ask don't get as they always say!

Go for it, and good luck. :)
 
J.T said:
Always worth a punt mate, don't ask don't get as they always say!

Go for it, and good luck. :)
Click to expand...

Well it's true, however I asked for some advice with regards to the CV - the first step in getting a job is having a good CV after all. So yeah, any suggestions with regards to points a, b and c in my OP?
 
You don't try, you don't get. Go for it.

a) Two separate duties/job titles. List them separately on the CV under the same employer heading.

b) Include it. Embellish it slightly if you can.

c) If you didn't finish the degree, don't put it on your CV.

d) See first line of this post.
 
Pestilence said:
You don't try, you don't get. Go for it.

a) Two separate duties/job titles. List them separately on the CV under the same employer heading.

cool thanks :)

b) Include it. Embellish it slightly if you can.

embellishing may be slightly difficult as I literally was just entering data onto the system and sorting some paperwork out, but I suppose I could add I picked up a few things observing how the bureau was run

c) If you didn't finish the degree, don't put it on your CV.

Somewhat makes sense, given that the degree had nothing to do with debt management to begin with. Would you suggest I just list my A level results? Nothing I'm ashamed of there: two B's, two A+ and an A
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Sounds a bit scammy really - I bet the real earnings are nothing like the OTE. Just think about the market here - commission paid for stitching up people in debt with yet more financial products, bet thats full of reputable firms, right?
 
dude dont exactly take my advice as im young and aint got experience like anyothers on this fourm :) but just follow what you want to do and dont let know one stop you even if the odds are agaisnt you as there is always hope :D with out hope i dont see the points of the simple things in life let alone the major things :D go for it what u got to lose? a petty no? pick ur self up and go for the next one :D whipe it off the shoulder :D good luck btw!
 
[TW]Fox;19058352 said:
Sounds a bit scammy really - I bet the real earnings are nothing like the OTE. Just think about the market here - commission paid for stitching up people in debt with yet more financial products, bet thats full of reputable firms, right?
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Reading their website on how they work - they look at all your debt, then their legal team try to find anything you shouldn't be bound to by law and use that as basis for reducing your debt. That said, the job add didn't specify whether they are looking for someone for the legal team, nor was any legal requirement listed (the only ones being reliability being smart and motivated).
 
I read CV's all the time one made me laugh how they stretched basicly a job in a greasy spoon in a back street they did for 6 month to two pages of duties.....lol then went on to say how he'd been a manger in football grounds kitchen I did wounder why he was looking for a Job in IT support, I called to football club and it turned out he was a waiter....lol He didnt get the job

Some have been really good though so if you dont over do it then it dont matter what job you come from....
 
Apply for it, go for the interview if you get one, what's the worse that's going to happen, they can say no? It's not like they gonna whack you.

Just do it
 
a) List the roles seperately as it shows progression
b) Include it - tax office might imply familiarity with finance or something that could be of relevance to the new job. Just make sure you are prepared to answer questions at interview about it.
c) Tough one, if you've got enough work experience to cover the time period (i.e. no massive gap of 2 years doing nothing) then maybe leave it off. Then the focus will be on your A-levels. I got AAB at A-level and sometimes wonder if my CV would be better served leaving off my (crappy) degree, but I haven't got anything to cover the 3 years I spent at uni.
d) Sounds like more research into the role may be needed. My gut feeling is yes, it is worth bothering for a job that interests you, even if you have a few lingering doubts (ask yourself the question: if I get the job and hate it, could I easily fall back into a similar job to what I'm doing now? If so, you've got a safety net).
 
"BSc Hons Biochemistry and Pharmacology" - isn't this a lie?

Given that you have less than a year without employment, which coincided with moving from Poland to the UK, that could easily be explained by travelling. So in answer to c) I'd be tempted to leave it off, as there probably isn't much to be gained from putting an incomplete degree in a field unrelated to the job you are going for on there. If they contact the uni to verify what you have put on the CV (don't know how stringent the checks for a "Debt Advisor" would be, you'd be dead in the water.
 
Cat_In_Pyjamas said:
Reading their website on how they work - they look at all your debt, then their legal team try to find anything you shouldn't be bound to by law and use that as basis for reducing your debt. That said, the job add didn't specify whether they are looking for someone for the legal team, nor was any legal requirement listed (the only ones being reliability being smart and motivated).
Click to expand...

From what you describe, it sounds like you might be cold-calling people all day trying to convince them that your company can manage their debt.

If that's the case, it'll eat your soul.

And you will NEVER meet OTE in that environment.
 
It technically isn't - i got a letter congratulating me on graduating the degree - just without a grade. Can see your side of it though and may leave it out.

Responding to HangTime here btw.

And Pest, I think I may just drop them an email asking what the position entails as the add was vague at best. Plus may be counted as extra brownie points for me doing some research into the job.
 
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