Forgot how bad job searching was :(

[Judgeneo]

My current CV is like this, I've uploaded it to job sites such as Monster. Someone helped me out with it and recommended I remove address and list full details of the modules I did in University, it's took up quite a bit of space, my CV is just onto 3 pages.

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BwlL4QZcLAhBSl9Da0FqeE5SajQ

I'd hope my recent work experience in London would help me with getting jobs.

Is my CV bad?

Your content is good, but your layout isn't. 3 pages is a big no, as a general rule of thumb for someone with only a small amount of work experience and a degree, one page should do. Two page CVs can work, but you need to fill everything with relevant content, your current format has a LOT of unused space.

Try re-wording it into a more concise format. Talk about what skills you gained in your modules rather than a description of them, put more emphasis onto your dissertation, what was the outcome of your research?

In your work experience you are using the wrong tense, for example it should be volunteered, provided and monitored instead of volunteer, provide, and monitor.

You could also move your content around a bit more, take out some of what is said in your degree section and transfer it into the skills section.

Finally, your formatting is a bit inconsistent, you use a mixture of bullet points and paragraphs. The simplest format is using one or the other, if you want to use a mix, then you should be consistent in how you mix the two. e.g. title, paragraph, bullet point, title paragraph, bullet points. Rather than title, paragraph, title, paragraph, title, bullet points.


Hope this helps!

 

[kirbz]

So just an update.

Had a call today telling me I've been invited back for a 2nd interview which will involve me setting up a computer as a test. I was the only one invited back out of 3 people which were whittled down from 60+ its looking good and soon I could be working again which would round off a horrible year

 

[SkidMarkKing]

Any luck with work? Im still stuck in my part time retail job 16 months after finishing my BTEC National in IT

 

[Delvis]

yeah like im not already doing that and failing hard.

just hope i dont hit 12 months on this work program thing or il be asking whats the point of dragging myself down to be told to come back in 2-4 weeks.

Im aware you probably are, but the fact is, most people say theyre applying for everything when they clearly arent

Hope something comes along though

 

[tidusjar]

Any luck with work? Im still stuck in my part time retail job 16 months after finishing my BTEC National in IT

You can't be looking that much then. I've finished that course and I found a well paid job and basically the career that I want within 3 months. I was offered two different jobs, took the one with most pay/better advancement options.

 

[SkidMarkKing]

You can't be looking that much then. I've finished that course and I found a well paid job and basically the career that I want within 3 months. I was offered two different jobs, took the one with most pay/better advancement options.

Your taking the p*ss arn't you? I applied for an apprenticeship and was told I was over qualified because it was a level 2 qualification and I have done level 3 at college. A technicians job came up at a school but I didn't manage to get it and thats all thats come up. I am currently waiting to hear from a guy who needs someone to work on the bench repairing PCs but he can't offer full time till after Christmas.

May I ask where did you look for work? Im looking in local newspapers, job centre website, total jobs and a random google search for IT technician jobs in my area.

 

[Dave]

*snip*

I hate to be an arse, but you say "high level of literacy" and then put "GCSE's" and "A's" with apostrophes - A's what in English?

You may get away with having the 2:2 coupled with a Masters - is your MSc/MA relevant to the job itself and the undergrad degree?

 

[Judgeneo]

I hate to be an arse, but you say "high level of literacy" and then put "GCSE's" and "A's" with apostrophes - A's what in English?

You may get away with having the 2:2 coupled with a Masters - is your MSc/MA relevant to the job itself and the undergrad degree?

I didn't write the job description

Job "Cyber security consultant", MSc "Cyber security and Management". So I'd say pretty relevant, undergrad was Maths and Physics

 

[pingwing]

Talk to people, use linkedin, get in touch with HR within companies. If you have no idea what you want to do, I'd try desperately to get 5 single days of work experience within 5 different industries and then see where it leads. You'll like more than others, and will get a feel for what interests you (being interested on a day-by-day basis as well as whether you feel it would be a stimulating career). What was your degree in?

Undergrad was Politics and Masters in Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict (found it massively interesting but a little bemusing to see where to take it).

I like the idea of looking for work experience though, will investigate that further. Have to sign on tomorrow (sadly as its was no fun before) but will see if they have any sensible suggestions too.

Last thing I have to try out is do a bit of volunteering as the local volunteer centre is offering out plenty things to do which might give me a few ideas at a guess.

 

[Welshy]

**blurb**

A few points:

- Remove your dissertation grade, unless we're talking 90% then it won't add anything to the CV (and even then I'd only really consider adding it in if the job is something very high-brow, like banking or law).

- There is no need to describe every module you did, in each year. They simply won't read it. Bullet point a handful (maybe 5 or so) modules that are relevant to the role you're applying for, and write a paragraph about your dissertation.

- Put your work experience before your education.

- Probably me being picky, but instead of having the dates and then the company/school in your work experience/education sections, I'd put the company/school first, with the date right aligned. They're more interested in the University/company/job than the dates that you attended.

- Have a small 'About me' section at the end, 4-5 sentences maybe, giving them the jist of who you are as a person (mention a couple of hobbies etc).

- The points above should then cut it down to two pages, maximum. Unless you've been working a long time and have a lot of work experience to mention, there is really no excuse for going over two pages.

At the end of the day, you've got to bare in mind that whoever reads your CV may well have a pile of 20 to get through, so will initially give it a scan. You want the most relevant information first, and usually in small, concise and easily digestible chunks.

 

[Ev0]

Interview went well, and I've just been invited back for a second/final round.

They still don't know I have a 2.1 in my undergrad though, here is the job requirements

When should I tell them? I'm not sure what there policy is having a masters

Tricky situation, I know of someone who has done very well in his career who had a 3rd I think, but as he wasn't getting past the application stages when applying for grad roles he lied and said he had a first , obviously didn't do him any harm lol..

Employers like this (I know who that role is with ) will likely carry out pre employment checks which will involve you providing copies/proof of things like qualifications etc. So as long as you've not lied along the way you may well be fine, I guess it depends how much they want you or how well you do in interviews as to how much of a problem it may be

 

[TheLegendOfMart]

Looks like i'll be back on the job market soon.

Been in the job for 4 months, a few weeks ago at the end of my 'trial' I got a letter saying they were going to extend my contract for another month till 9th November.

Apparently all the new people on a trial got the same letter and its standard practice for the factory to take people on a month at a time so when the orders start drying up and the regular workers go on short time they can just get rid of the new people.

Orders are starting to dry up and there are rumours of going on short time, I just got used to being in work and paying off my debts and now I'm going to have to grovel to everyone again when I get finished

 

[Meridian]

As I've said before, the worst thing (and in some ways, the best thing) about the job market these days is that agencies handle nearly everything. The days of trawling newpapers are mostly gone. But agency websites have some annoying features.

1) No dates. The worst offenders seem to be smaller, specialist companies, but these are the ones most useful to me. You see what seems like a job you can go for, but have absolutely no idea how old the advert is. Given that many sites don't remove old adverts so that they appear busy, it can be a real problem.

2) Stupid advert orders. Some let you re-order, but Reed defaults to "Suggested Jobs" which is exactly as useless as any other attempt by an algorithm to guess what an actual human might want. One site I visit puts all their jobs in alphabetical order, so you scroll through pages trying to find jobs that are recent enough to still be open. Some of their ads are from last year.

3) Their sifting. The company doing the recruiting relies on the agency to sift for them, which is why your covering letter goes no further than the agency. This is not too bad where you have a name you can call to put yourself forward, but Reed and the bigger sites do not. You apply, and get an automatic e-mail back. If you are lucky you might get a reply a week later saying that you were rejected, but most disappear into the aether.

And sometime this week I should hit 150 applications without success.

 

[nicks3607]

I've just been offered a six-month contract, on pretty average wages.
I've interviewed for a FT post on nearly twice the money, but won't hear for a couple of weeks.
I'm inclined to take the six-monther, with an eye to walking away if the FT post is offered to me.

Could I land myself in hot water doing this? My rationale is - they're not particularly investing in me, just using my services for a short term.

 

[GAC]

Im aware you probably are, but the fact is, most people say theyre applying for everything when they clearly arent

Hope something comes along though

well after last night trawling a few sites i found info out about the supposed security job that the work program where supposed to be putting my name forward for, in 2 months they couldnt tell me anything other than who the employer was.

last night on a jobs blog i found out they wanted fully qualified and experienced guys and its 12 hour rotating shifts.

next friday will be interesting if they tell me again they still dont know anything as im getting the same feeling i had at the jobcenter that they really couldnt give a monkeys.

 

[drone]

Looks like I'll be back on the dole next week firm that I got a start with for the last 3 weeks been laid off no pay which I find a joke keep saying there's work next week this has gone on and on.So i'll be asking for my p45 can't go on like this and not expect to suppose they can get away with this nowadays though really is grim out there at the minute.

 

[Meridian]

I've just been offered a six-month contract, on pretty average wages.
I've interviewed for a FT post on nearly twice the money, but won't hear for a couple of weeks.
I'm inclined to take the six-monther, with an eye to walking away if the FT post is offered to me.

Could I land myself in hot water doing this? My rationale is - they're not particularly investing in me, just using my services for a short term.

Anyone employing contract workers must expect them to walk out at any point if they get a better offer. They give you no job security, so they should expect no loyalty. Your conscience should match theirs.

 

[nicks3607]

Anyone employing contract workers must expect them to walk out at any point if they get a better offer. They give you no job security, so they should expect no loyalty. Your conscience should match theirs.

That's what I figured. The recruiter for the higher-paid job said I'd be on a month's notice, max. It's a fixed-term contract, rather than day rates, so I reckon there will be some kind of notice period.

 

[glenimp617]

I've just recently seen an advert for a Third line windows administrator

MCSE, VCP and CCNA required
5+ Years experience

£17,000

LOL

 

[tidusjar]

Your taking the p*ss arn't you? I applied for an apprenticeship and was told I was over qualified because it was a level 2 qualification and I have done level 3 at college. A technicians job came up at a school but I didn't manage to get it and thats all thats come up. I am currently waiting to hear from a guy who needs someone to work on the bench repairing PCs but he can't offer full time till after Christmas.

May I ask where did you look for work? Im looking in local newspapers, job centre website, total jobs and a random google search for IT technician jobs in my area.

Nope 100% serious. I'm starting on Monday.

I looked in the local newspapers in the local area but I had the most success using Gumtree and totaljobs.com.