Is there something wrong with my CV?

Blackhawk47

Blackhawk47

Blackhawk47

Soldato
Joined
17 Sep 2007
Posts
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Location
West Yorkshire / Market Bosworth
okay so ive been looking for my first job in IT and have had no luck for months. ive had a few interviews but havent been successful yet and havent had any interviews recently. is there something wrong with my cv? :rolleyes:

ive mainly be applying for jobs online at the usual places, reed/jobserve/etc

though im only 17 and im just learning to drive so i can really only get to Leeds/Wakefield easily using public transport.

ive been applying for entry level roles like first line IT support and the like. though im struggling as i dont have any experience.

well heres my CV (sorry if its a bit small to read but it was a little awkward):
CV.jpg


EDIT: investigating on taking the exam so i will get MCDST as ive done 70-271 and got mcp. now need to take 70-272 to be Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician.
 
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It has a load of white space in places that doesn't make sense, and not in places where it should have (e.g. after sub-headings). The formatting is not consistent, basically.

If there is something wrong with the actual content, someone else can point that out for you. :)
 
Put a personal statement paragraph at the start.

No need to list every single grade for your GCSE's

List your responsibilities from your work experience in bullet points.
 
You should mabye try applying for different jobs where you will still get to use your computer skills.

Get rid of the personal qualities and what you had for breakfast bit as well, they dont care.

Instead say how you see this potential employer as an ideal place to start your career in the IT industry.
 
Your statement about Zenos at the start doesn't make any sense. The first bit should say:

"Zenos is an IT training academy which required me to keep a record of my attendance, and to comply to a dress code. My behaviour was also monitored."

Mind you, I'm not sure what you're trying to achieve with that statement because it makes you sound like you can't be trusted to work on your own.
 
I know you are only just out of school so naturally your interests help provide a fuller view of you to prospective employers given a lack of work experience, but IMO the space provided to interests is a bit too great and the content of this section too wishy washy.

Nice idea to illustrate that your interest in IT spills over into your personal life but the way you have worded that section sounds a bit childlike (particularly, "this is my favourite hobby")

EDIT: Hadn't read the first paragraph, that is very weak.
 
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It's all wrong. The formatting suggests you only had one year of education, worked for one month with Excel and Word and that you rather spent more time and most certainly more page space to excercise your hobbies.

Important bits on the top:
Name, adress, phone
Short description: Your virtues, you personal skills
Qualifications (in bulletpoints)
Work experience.
Bottom of the page
Education - all in one liners - High school: Name, town, 9 GCSE's in subjects: Blah, blah (no grades, unless you are straight A student)

No hobbies, no playing music - at most you can have one sentence about that (along the lines of "In my spare time I enjoy golf, snooker and ping pong") at the end of personal description.
 
That question about formatting, its because i had to print screen each page into paint. so there isnt actually any white space. but it seems like i have a lot of work to do then. keep the tips coming.
 
Lose the logos at the top and include them with your qualifications if they're not already there.

Move the Qualifications and Education so they are under the subheadings like Work Experience is.

Don't print words in full capitals.

Why isn't School under the Education heading?

Don't list "GCSE" next to each subject just put GCSEs then list the subjects and their grades. Split them up into two seperate columns to save space.

Take out the personal qualities section and include it in a short 'personal statement' at the start of the CV.

Along with the other advice.
 
I have co-interviewed people this week straight out of uni, so that's all experience I have of reviewing CVs (on top of having written mine over the years) but:

It does not look professional enough, it indeed reads like a 17-yr old's and could be improved to look more "mature".

Formatting could be better - as said, too much white space.

Language used is a bit casual, especially in the Interests section, which also happens to be a bit too chatty. I'd just list them.

Grammar is bad, particularly the first paragraph.

I wouldn't list all GCSE, just say xAs, yBs, etc, maybe mention Maths and English were B.

i would want examples of being hardworking, team player. Everyone can put this on their CV; it needs to be evident how so.

Punctuality should be a given, pointless mentioning it.
 
Hey

Im exactly the same as you, 17 going into IT support. Ive successfully got through to a 2nd interview and find out if i get the job tomorrow.

My CV lacks a lot of those specific IT quals to be honest, at our ages its all about presentation. Get you're CV looking good and id suggest ringing all the major banks.. they are always looking to recruit young people to train up.

If you have a connexions service local to you contact them and have a meeting. a lot of people assume they are for bums or yobs (me included at first) but they're invaluable. My contact was passing my CV onto people in london and giving me numbers i wouldnt of found if it wasnt for her.

Other than that, keep on going with it.

Good luck and let us know what happens :)
 
Don't list your GCSE results individually - just put x A-C, X D, X E etc. They are not that important (compared to the more recent qualifications.

Also lose the MS logos. And take out the words Name, Address, Email etc - just put the info on there (centered) - it is obvious what they are :)
 
okay ive been changing it quite a bit and its all on one page at the moment.

ill post and updated copy tomorrow or later, got a few more changes to do at the moment.
 
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