CV Help

[Claw75]

Right - I really need to get myself out and about in the job market, or at least temping.  I've not needed a CV for nearly 15 years so have no idea what the current preferred format is in terms of layout/length etc.  Anyone in-the-know and able to point me in the right direction? 

[kinboshi]

Two pages maximum (imo) - there's no need for more information than that on a CV.

[outragous76]

PM me your e-mail and i wiill send you mine

Not sure what you do (im a surveyor) so it is a professional type CV - but the format is fairly user friendly!

and finally..................... DO NOT MENTION POKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - they just dont understand!

[Claw75]

thanks guys

Also, my first draft is bound to be way too long and full of superflous detail.  If anyone has a good eye for weeding crap out of documents and wouldn't mind proofing it for me once it's done I'll buy them a drink at the next blonde bash....

[david3103]

PM me your e-mail and i wiill send you mine

Not sure what you do (im a surveyor) so it is a professional type CV - but the format is fairly user friendly!

and finally..................... DO NOT MENTION POKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - they just dont understand!

Unless you're applying for jobs with Gala, DTD, or ALEA. It seems their Leeds venue may need someone in customer relations?

CVs should be short, precise, and above all, relevant.

[Claw75]

and above all, relevant.

this is the bit I'm struggling with tbh.  I've spent the last 14 years working at the Ombudsman's office investigating complaints until I resigned in January having had enough.  Before working my way up I did secretarial/admin and supervisory work.  The trouble at the moment is I've no idea what sort of jobs I will be applying for, but if I'm looking at temping I guess I should give more weight to the skills I used earlier rather than the skills I gained/used doing investigations? 

In my pipe-dream I resigned from my last role and got myself a nice poker-related job, but this industry has been as affected as every other it would seem, and despite the amount of contacts here on blonde and facebook there's not been the sniff of any opportunity arising. 

Perhaps it would be an idea to have two versions of my CV - one with a bit of poker-related stuff included to spam those companies with, and a blander one for the secretarial/admin agencies?

[Lucky]

and above all, relevant.

this is the bit I'm struggling with tbh.  I've spent the last 14 years working at the Ombudsman's office investigating complaints until I resigned in January having had enough.  Before working my way up I did secretarial/admin and supervisory work.  The trouble at the moment is I've no idea what sort of jobs I will be applying for, but if I'm looking at temping I guess I should give more weight to the skills I used earlier rather than the skills I gained/used doing investigations? 

In my pipe-dream I resigned from my last role and got myself a nice poker-related job, but this industry has been as affected as every other it would seem, and despite the amount of contacts here on blonde and facebook there's not been the sniff of any opportunity arising. 

Perhaps it would be an idea to have two versions of my CV - one with a bit of poker-related stuff included to spam those companies with, and a blander one for the secretarial/admin agencies?

Claire

I'm a recruiter (Of accountants and finance directors mainly) , so I'd be happy to assist with the CV.  There's no reason why you shouldn't have different CV's for different audiences/markets. As long as both are factually true, they can emphasise different things.

Generic CV advice;

 *  2  pages is the right length, 3 just about acceptable
 *  Reverse chronological order
 *  Latest role to have most detail, earlier roles having progressively less.
 *  If there are several roles. its fine to summarise the "early career" into one section
 *   List "achievements" rather than "responsibilities"
 *  Achievement words often end in "..ed."  E.g. Managed, improved, implemented,  transformed....
 * If you can quantify achievements, so much the better... e.g. "reduced wastage by 15%"

By all means PM me a draft and I'll comment / critique for you.

Alan.

[kinboshi]

and above all, relevant.

this is the bit I'm struggling with tbh.  I've spent the last 14 years working at the Ombudsman's office investigating complaints until I resigned in January having had enough.  Before working my way up I did secretarial/admin and supervisory work.  The trouble at the moment is I've no idea what sort of jobs I will be applying for, but if I'm looking at temping I guess I should give more weight to the skills I used earlier rather than the skills I gained/used doing investigations? 

In my pipe-dream I resigned from my last role and got myself a nice poker-related job, but this industry has been as affected as every other it would seem, and despite the amount of contacts here on blonde and facebook there's not been the sniff of any opportunity arising. 

Perhaps it would be an idea to have two versions of my CV - one with a bit of poker-related stuff included to spam those companies with, and a blander one for the secretarial/admin agencies?

Claire

I'm a recruiter (Of accountants and finance directors mainly) , so I'd be happy to assist with the CV.  There's no reason why you shouldn't have different CV's for different audiences/markets. As long as both are factually true, they can emphasise different things.

Generic CV advice;

 *  2  pages is the right length, 3 just about acceptable
 *  Reverse chronological order
 *  Latest role to have most detail, earlier roles having progressively less.
 *  If there are several roles. its fine to summarise the "early career" into one section
 *   List "achievements" rather than "responsibilities"
 *  Achievement words often end in "..ed."  E.g. Managed, improved, implemented,  transformed....
 * If you can quantify achievements, so much the better... e.g. "reduced wastage by 15%"

By all means PM me a draft and I'll comment / critique for you.

Alan.

I agree that you shouldn't have one CV to fit all roles (obviously if you're putting it on a job's board or giving it to a recruitment consultant you'll have to go for a generic one), but otherwise you're best tailoring the CV to suit the advertised role.  It shows a bit of effort and as you'll have tailored it to suit the opportunity, it will also show you in a better light.

[Claw75]

ty ty

[sovietsong]

and above all, relevant.

this is the bit I'm struggling with tbh.  I've spent the last 14 years working at the Ombudsman's office investigating complaints until I resigned in January having had enough.  Before working my way up I did secretarial/admin and supervisory work.  The trouble at the moment is I've no idea what sort of jobs I will be applying for, but if I'm looking at temping I guess I should give more weight to the skills I used earlier rather than the skills I gained/used doing investigations? 

In my pipe-dream I resigned from my last role and got myself a nice poker-related job, but this industry has been as affected as every other it would seem, and despite the amount of contacts here on blonde and facebook there's not been the sniff of any opportunity arising. 

Perhaps it would be an idea to have two versions of my CV - one with a bit of poker-related stuff included to spam those companies with, and a blander one for the secretarial/admin agencies?

Claire

I'm a recruiter (Of accountants and finance directors mainly) , so I'd be happy to assist with the CV.  There's no reason why you shouldn't have different CV's for different audiences/markets. As long as both are factually true, they can emphasise different things.

Generic CV advice;

 *  2  pages is the right length, 3 just about acceptable
 *  Reverse chronological order
 *  Latest role to have most detail, earlier roles having progressively less.
 *  If there are several roles. its fine to summarise the "early career" into one section
 *   List "achievements" rather than "responsibilities"
 *  Achievement words often end in "..ed."  E.g. Managed, improved, implemented,  transformed....
 * If you can quantify achievements, so much the better... e.g. "reduced wastage by 15%"

By all means PM me a draft and I'll comment / critique for you.

Alan.

+1

I have lots of different CV's, each designed for the job I was looking for at the time (customer service/sales/management etc).  I tend to find the job or a type of job I'm interested in and then write my CV with that in mind.  Most companies when advertising a job will tell you what the 'ideal' candidate will have, try to include what the want without being to obvious!

[sofa----king]

THE BEST EVER.,.,., i had a guy come to me a few years ago asking for a job,,,at the time we didnt need ayone then he cme out with this great line.,.,.,.,.,


I WILL WORK FOR YOU FOR FREE FOR 2 MONTHS.,,..,.,HE HAD ME SOLD.,.,., i took him on as a trial just because he said this.,.,.,i paid him for the first 2 months and kept him for the next 4 years until we moved away,,,he was fantastic.,.,.,

[Claw75]

THE BEST EVER.,.,., i had a guy come to me a few years ago asking for a job,,,at the time we didnt need ayone then he cme out with this great line.,.,.,.,.,


I WILL WORK FOR YOU FOR FREE FOR 2 MONTHS.,,..,.,HE HAD ME SOLD.,.,., i took him on as a trial just because he said this.,.,.,i paid him for the first 2 months and kept him for the next 4 years until we moved away,,,he was fantastic.,.,.,

yep - nothing to be lost from that - all through my career I've volunteered to do stuff 'above my grade'.  A lot of people thought I was crazy doing work I was being paid less than others to do, but I got three promotions in my old place as a result - you've got to speculate to accumulate (if that's the right analogy!).

I have said  on here in the past that I'm available to do unpaid work to gain experience in the poker industry, but the offers didn't exactly come rolling in!  That offer is still open by the way if anyone has anything!

[sovietsong]

.

[biscuit898]

good luck with that Claw, im a bit curious as to whether you have applied to be a presenter at SKY poker, im my opinion they could definately do with some females who know there stuff?

(I agree what everyone else has said about different CV's for diffrent types of job)

[Claw75]

good luck with that Claw, im a bit curious as to whether you have applied to be a presenter at Sky Poker, im my opinion they could definately do with some females who know there stuff?

(I agree what everyone else has said about different CV's for diffrent types of job)

I've made some casual enquiries of Sky, but don't think they're hiring just now.