Tailoring CV's for websites so its open to different oppurtunits

Delvis

Delvis

Delvis

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Tailoring CV's for websites so its open to different oppurtunities

Hello All

Just a quick question really...Currently looking for different employment, and possibly a carreer change...Now the problem I have...is that my CV is practically crying out 'I work in IT and only IT!!!!'.

Would there be a way I can somehow change the opening statement so that people can see if I am suitable for other roles? Cause naturally at the end of the day I can't lie on my CV and say i've done jobs I haven't done :p

Any pointers or people who have done similar things please feel free to comment...
 
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Didn't you work in a factory building speakers for a while? If so, I'd be tempted to mention this role and also mention all the things involved and how awesome you were as said things. :)
 
MikeHunt79 said:
Didn't you work in a factory building speakers for a while? If so, I'd be tempted to mention this role and also mention all the things involved and how awesome you were as said things. :)
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Yeah, worked for a company in Luton building / testing them for a little while :)

This is mentioned on my CV, and I do have a good reference from it actually...That's another thing, how do you add references to CV's? I mean, you can't add the entire reference on to it at the back can you?

At the moment I just have a section called references, thena list of contacts and their details for contacting them...
 
As soon as you have a lot of qualifications, or experience, space becomes a premium. Ergo, I usually just say refs available on request, partly because this frees up said space. Also, it saves disclosing other peoples information if my CV is going to be binned anyway. Rarely are refs needed at the first stage.

Why not try a skills based CV, if you want to play down the IT?

^ this makes me want to shower... yuck.
 
meghatronic said:
As soon as you have a lot of qualifications, or experience, space becomes a premium. Ergo, I usually just say refs available on request, partly because this frees up said space. Also, it saves disclosing other peoples information if my CV is going to be binned anyway. Rarely are refs needed at the first stage.

Why not try a skills based CV, if you want to play down the IT?

^ this makes me want to shower... yuck.
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Why does it make you want to shower? Unless I can find a job in IT that doesn't involve me sitting on the phone talking to annoyed customers, then I don't know, thats all there seems to be around here...

I started off IT liking the build / test side of things...and it seems to have just thrown me straight into Support, which I just don't seem to enjoy long term...for whatever reason

How do you go about creating a skills based CV anyway? Wouldn't it be a bit...well, bland? Unless you have worked on lots of numerous worthy projects
 
My girlfriend done what you're asking, and basically wrote a personal statement stating that she not specifically looking for roles relevant to her current experience.

However, based on your posts in this topic, I'd say it's entirely possible to get IT roles.

Originally I used a phone support role, in a smaller company, to work towards a development role. This only took a few months to achieve, and despite the fact the pay was lousy, I think it was the right thing to do. This was my second attempt, after spending about 8 months in a dead end call center, which was oversold as an IT support role.

It's hard to comment though, as I don't really know your experience / type of jobs you're applying for, so I'll shut up now. :)
 
aln said:
My girlfriend done what you're asking, and basically wrote a personal statement stating that she not specifically looking for roles relevant to her current experience.

However, based on your posts in this topic, I'd say it's entirely possible to get IT roles.

Originally I used a phone support role, in a smaller company, to work towards a development role. This only took a few months to achieve, and despite the fact the pay was lousy, I think it was the right thing to do. This was my second attempt, after spending about 8 months in a dead end call center, which was oversold as an IT support role.

It's hard to comment though, as I don't really know your experience / type of jobs you're applying for, so I'll shut up now. :)
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Hm thats cool :) Nice read

I'm all for staying in IT for the time being...and I can study in the evenings or something 'x' amount of days...

I just hate helpdesk, its depressing, especially when you have people moaning at you when it quite clearly is not your fault in the first place! :p

It might have just been the company I moved to, I don't know...I could quite possibly move to a similar company and enjoy it 5 times more...Who knows...I may give it another bash, because I do enjoy solving the problems, I just hated being on the helpdesk constantly with a phone strapped to my head...

Things started off alright as I could go into the workshop and work on some PC's that needed shipping or re-doing or something, but then as I say things just got a bit much.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, I may have to try and re-write my personnal statement so it tailors towards a more broader field I guess.....

Thank you
 
I was advised to put a header and footer on my cv with keywords typed in white ink, that way when an employer searches the database for specific roles your cv should pop up regardless of experience. Don't know if that'll help though.
 
The trick to showing how you would be good in another career is to focus strongly on your skills. If you say you worked in IT and gained a ABCD qualification and are an expert at XYZ networks, it won't be comprehensible information to them. They won't really know what it means.

You need to talk about how about how you created, coordinated, developed, planned, managed, operated etc. Highlight promotions and special projects, but leave out the technical gubbins and focus on what you/it did for the organisation and how it was exceptional and way above the norm.

You want to be seen to have done your job and much, much more.
 
Delvis said:
Hm thats cool :) Nice read

I'm all for staying in IT for the time being...and I can study in the evenings or something 'x' amount of days...

I just hate helpdesk, its depressing, especially when you have people moaning at you when it quite clearly is not your fault in the first place! :p

It might have just been the company I moved to, I don't know...I could quite possibly move to a similar company and enjoy it 5 times more...Who knows...I may give it another bash, because I do enjoy solving the problems, I just hated being on the helpdesk constantly with a phone strapped to my head...

Things started off alright as I could go into the workshop and work on some PC's that needed shipping or re-doing or something, but then as I say things just got a bit much.

Anyway, thanks for the advice, I may have to try and re-write my personnal statement so it tailors towards a more broader field I guess.....

Thank you
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I'm pretty sure help desk sucks pretty much no matter which way you spin it. It was a means to an end in my case.

Wish you luck mate.
 
PMKeates said:
The trick to showing how you would be good in another career is to focus strongly on your skills. If you say you worked in IT and gained a ABCD qualification and are an expert at XYZ networks, it won't be comprehensible information to them. They won't really know what it means.

You need to talk about how about how you created, coordinated, developed, planned, managed, operated etc. Highlight promotions and special projects, but leave out the technical gubbins and focus on what you/it did for the organisation and how it was exceptional and way above the norm.

You want to be seen to have done your job and much, much more.
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I'll have to have a look at my CV and see what I can do with it really...It's hard to do when your not pointing it directly at anything specifically

Thank you though
 
jp_bl_68 said:
I was advised to put a header and footer on my cv with keywords typed in white ink, that way when an employer searches the database for specific roles your cv should pop up regardless of experience. Don't know if that'll help though.
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What? Does that actually work?
 
Delvis said:
At the moment I just have a section called references, thena list of contacts and their details for contacting them...
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WRONG! Title it "referees". This is the sole reason you cannot find work :p

As for tailoring, try something like this in your "professional profile" at the start of your CV:

An enthusiastic and professional young man, who enjoys being part of, as well as leading, a successful and productive team. Quick to grasp new ideas and concepts, and to develop innovative and creative solutions to problems. Takes pride in communication skills, with extensive customer facing experience. Even under significant pressure, possesses a strong ability to perform effectively and accurately.

and under another heading "Objective", this:

Looking to build on an extensive set of key skills within a suitably challenging role. Keen to achieve further professional development.

This, along with my employment history + education, with "available on request" under the title "Referees", has got me to plenty of interviews. :) Good luck :p
 
Delvis said:
Why does it make you want to shower? Unless I can find a job in IT that doesn't involve me sitting on the phone talking to annoyed customers, then I don't know, thats all there seems to be around here...

I started off IT liking the build / test side of things...and it seems to have just thrown me straight into Support, which I just don't seem to enjoy long term...for whatever reason

How do you go about creating a skills based CV anyway? Wouldn't it be a bit...well, bland? Unless you have worked on lots of numerous worthy projects
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I'm not a fan of skills based cvs, I find them difficult to construct well, and even more difficult to filter through the **** in someone elses. Hence the shower.

A lot of the top companies (seem to) prefer them though.
 
The_Sophisticate said:
WRONG! Title it "referees". This is the sole reason you cannot find work :p

As for tailoring, try something like this in your "professional profile" at the start of your CV:

An enthusiastic and professional young man, who enjoys being part of, as well as leading, a successful and productive team. Quick to grasp new ideas and concepts, and to develop innovative and creative solutions to problems. Takes pride in communication skills, with extensive customer facing experience. Even under significant pressure, possesses a strong ability to perform effectively and accurately.

and under another heading "Objective", this:

Looking to build on an extensive set of key skills within a suitably challenging role. Keen to achieve further professional development.

This, along with my employment history + education, with "available on request" under the title "Referees", has got me to plenty of interviews. :) Good luck :p
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Ahh nice one, I will adapt my current CV then and see how things go :)

Cause at the minute it basically says "I have worked in IT since I left school, blah blah blah, but I have worked up the ladder wherever I have worked etc"...So yeah, probably not helping :p

I'll take note on the referee's part then if your being serious :)

meghatronic said:
I'm not a fan of skills based cvs, I find them difficult to construct well, and even more difficult to filter through the **** in someone elses. Hence the shower.

A lot of the top companies (seem to) prefer them though.
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Fair do's :) Not really sure how a skills based CV works...Probably work in y favour really, as I'm not very god at putting a job across to people in real life let alone on paper! :(

Especially my previous role which was a helpdesk engineer...pretty much 1st/2nd/3rd line all in one :p...Whatever the problem was we had to deal with it...Be it someone who couldn't connect to the net to a server meltdown :p
 
Delvis said:
Fair do's :) Not really sure how a skills based CV works...Probably work in y favour really, as I'm not very god at putting a job across to people in real life let alone on paper! :(

Especially my previous role which was a helpdesk engineer...pretty much 1st/2nd/3rd line all in one :p...Whatever the problem was we had to deal with it...Be it someone who couldn't connect to the net to a server meltdown :p
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Have a glance at http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/students/applicationsinterviews/cv/cvtypes
 
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Just trying out a few things...What sort of things do you people put in the personal summary bit on websites? While uploading the CV....Not sure if I should change it or not or?...
 
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