Man of Honour
Anyone fancy looking at a CV and giving feedback?
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ji1cd5rkvk3srp/Chris Burns CV 01.18 Redacted.pdf?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7ji1cd5rkvk3srp/Chris Burns CV 01.18 Redacted.pdf?dl=0
CV Critique
- Thread starter Burnsy2023
- Start date
Associate
I'm a recruiter who covers education so not qualified to discuss content but the layout is clear and it's far easier to read than the majority I look at.
I've got a mate who recruits into IT, could pass it to him to look at if you wanted?
Permabanned
- Joined
- 9 Aug 2008
- Posts
- 35,707
That's a nice C.V you got there Burnsy. Nice skill sets!
I'm not really looking for a job tbh, but one came up that I thought I should give a chance as it merges interests. Thanks for the feedback anyway.
It's licence, not license. Instant in-the-bin from me! 
I'd personally not put my photo on there. All sorts of people read CVs and said reader may have some weird, unspoken prejudice about your appearance.
Font is legible for us geeks but a bit on the small side, perhaps?
Style is so hard but sentences like this in isolation sound odd: "A wide breadth and depth of experience across multiple technologies complements excellent people management, coordination, and communication skills." - although here it's obvious what you mean. Later on you say "I am" etc so perhaps lead this sentence with "I have"?
Maybe have more pronounced paragraph spacing in the Support Technician and Pure Apps sections?
Responsibilities sounds better than 'duties', IMO.
Duties include building, automating, and managing infrastructure on Microsoft Azure, both IaaS based platforms and PaaS components such as AppServices. =
Duties include building, automating and managing infrastructure on Microsoft Azure (both IaaS based platforms and PaaS components such as AppServices).
Scrum Mastery?! Is that well known enough to just drop in there like that? Not my field, mind - I thought you were being jovial about rugby for a sec
Oxford commas >< Always look wrong even if permitted... I don't see what they add! On the same lines, "storage, verification" = storage(,) and verification. Whichever version you pick, be consistent." I prefer the following style - "This included support of financial models, multidimensional databases and installation of software on client sites." You do keep flip-flopping on this, even towards the end.
Iteratively? Is this field specific or is their a simpler word that can be used?
Should police be capitalised? Not sure.
requiring understanding of, and..... "understanding of" doesn't add anything as it's implicit.
in the Police = with the police?
My experience in the Police has 'given me a much wider world view'... I know what you mean but some people have certain views of the police so I'd avoid any inference of being pro-police, personally.
Worth adding references available upon request, maybe? Just something you usually see.
Irrespective of all of the above, which are mostly nit-picking, this is easily one of the best CVs I've seen on here. Good stuff!
I'd personally not put my photo on there. All sorts of people read CVs and said reader may have some weird, unspoken prejudice about your appearance.
Font is legible for us geeks but a bit on the small side, perhaps?
Style is so hard but sentences like this in isolation sound odd: "A wide breadth and depth of experience across multiple technologies complements excellent people management, coordination, and communication skills." - although here it's obvious what you mean. Later on you say "I am" etc so perhaps lead this sentence with "I have"?
Maybe have more pronounced paragraph spacing in the Support Technician and Pure Apps sections?
Responsibilities sounds better than 'duties', IMO.
Duties include building, automating, and managing infrastructure on Microsoft Azure, both IaaS based platforms and PaaS components such as AppServices. =
Duties include building, automating and managing infrastructure on Microsoft Azure (both IaaS based platforms and PaaS components such as AppServices).
Scrum Mastery?! Is that well known enough to just drop in there like that? Not my field, mind - I thought you were being jovial about rugby for a sec
Oxford commas >< Always look wrong even if permitted... I don't see what they add! On the same lines, "storage, verification" = storage(,) and verification. Whichever version you pick, be consistent." I prefer the following style - "This included support of financial models, multidimensional databases and installation of software on client sites." You do keep flip-flopping on this, even towards the end.
Iteratively? Is this field specific or is their a simpler word that can be used?
Should police be capitalised? Not sure.
requiring understanding of, and..... "understanding of" doesn't add anything as it's implicit.
in the Police = with the police?
My experience in the Police has 'given me a much wider world view'... I know what you mean but some people have certain views of the police so I'd avoid any inference of being pro-police, personally.
Worth adding references available upon request, maybe? Just something you usually see.
Irrespective of all of the above, which are mostly nit-picking, this is easily one of the best CVs I've seen on here. Good stuff!
Good layout, well presented. Aside from including the photo - common on the continent apparently but generally not advised for UK roles. HR tend to want to remove details that can potentially lead to discrimination on an initial screening so things that infer age, disability, race etc.. are sometimes removed, a photo is something they'd generally not welcome.
A potential red flag is 4 years for a BSc, you don't seem to have added a degree classification or put in "(Hons)" after "BSc" either.
Your time period at university seems to overlap with some of your work experience - if you had an industrial placement or perhaps you temporarily interrupted your course for family or medical reasons or whatever else life can throw at you then that's going to perfectly understandable. It just isn't very clear at the moment which bits of work experience were part time? Presumably the job at the school was a mix of both given it overlaps your degree
If you've had some academic issues and are trying not to highlight them then that isn't so good though hopefully your years of work experience since then can make up for it.
A potential red flag is 4 years for a BSc, you don't seem to have added a degree classification or put in "(Hons)" after "BSc" either.
Your time period at university seems to overlap with some of your work experience - if you had an industrial placement or perhaps you temporarily interrupted your course for family or medical reasons or whatever else life can throw at you then that's going to perfectly understandable. It just isn't very clear at the moment which bits of work experience were part time? Presumably the job at the school was a mix of both given it overlaps your degree
If you've had some academic issues and are trying not to highlight them then that isn't so good though hopefully your years of work experience since then can make up for it.
Remove the photo, adds no weight to a job app.
Your technical skills - how much experience do you have with each? DB administration, what technologies have you used? I wouldn't want to have to read through each job to have to work it out!
Your technical skills - how much experience do you have with each? DB administration, what technologies have you used? I wouldn't want to have to read through each job to have to work it out!
Caporegime
Excellent looking CV and aside from the errors that others have pointed out it's definitely up there in comparison to the ones I've seen recently.
Thanks for everyone's input, especially Nitefly's in depth post. I've made some changes, but the CV's done it's job and I'm waiting for interview dates.
Any chance your mate could have a look at mine? I'm looking to move into IT from brewing.
Nice format. I think it's a little over wordy, for example I would simplify your opening line to read like this, subtle but less words and slightly different emphasis. Sorry if too late, just dived in for 2 minutes nose and Nitefly has it covered well.
An infrastructure engineer working on the front line of cloud-native system deployment, driving DevOps cultural change in an Agile environment. Extensive experience across multiple technologies, complemented with excellent people management, coordination and communication skills. Active involvement in operational policing as a volunteer police officer experienced in performing within high pressure situations.
An infrastructure engineer working on the front line of cloud-native system deployment, driving DevOps cultural change in an Agile environment. Extensive experience across multiple technologies, complemented with excellent people management, coordination and communication skills. Active involvement in operational policing as a volunteer police officer experienced in performing within high pressure situations.
Bit late to the party but it focuses on what your job was, rather than what you did/do if that makes sense. I come from more of a project-oriented background so it's easier to break stuff down, but I think making it clearer that you achieved things in the role would be good.
Soldato
Hmm... I don't think you've gone in to enough technical depth on the CV.
I just read a load of buzz words.
I just read a load of buzz words.