View Full Version : Boosting my CV, any advice?
Hi all
I want to start applying for some new jobs just to test the market but I need to edit my CV ASAP! It is horrendous. I quick visit to a couple of career advice sites and I’ve noticed everything on my CV is wrong, Wrong, WRONG!!! It is way too long and doesn’t say much.
Have any of you found some great CV tips somewhere you’ve found that works?
Alternatively, how do you feel about professional doing your CV for you, like http://www.createyourcv.co.uk?
If you can recommend a specific company that is a) not too expensive and b)offer assistance that you know works, please, please help me…xxx
I reckon people working at these CV Writing (http://www.cvwritingcentre.co.uk/) places have special insights into every sector…I hope! It would suck paying for something done professionally that doesn’t work!!!:eek:
Hey Lilly - I see what your saying!
It is hard to know just whether you have managed to get it right at the moment isn't it? I mean really with so many other people out there looking for work - how do you stand out from the millions?
The latest thing does seem to be to consult a professional service, but I am still a little wary of them! They charge quite a bit!
I spoke with a few friends recently and two out the three that have used these services said it has helped them and also improved their CV's vastly! With the company they used you get to approve the final draft so you don't get anything you don't like etc etc..... I suppose its about calling around for some quotes an making enquiries about the services they all offer and how they differ from one another?
If you want I can ask which ones they have used?
I've found a couple of templates which I'll try first but thanks for your advice. If you could possibly as your friends to suggest a couple of sites so I can compare prices that would be great.
I think I'll first use the template and jazz my CV up, if it doesn't get me many interviews I will have to resort to paying for some propper assistance. Some things are just better to get professional help in I guess...but just because I'm trying to save some money I'll try my own luck first...thanks josie
Hi Lilly
One of my mates used this site - www.cvwritingcentre.co.uk/
On this site she just downloaded some templates for free and an e-book which she said was really good for just £10????
The other friend went to fuller cv www.thefullercv.com/ - he got the whole shabang for quite a bit of money is all he will actually say tho??? Im guessing it cost quite a bit based on that????
That sounds great, I can spare 10 pounds, but any more than that is too much for me at the moment. Thanks for the info Josie!!!
Thats what I thought - The "do it yourself" guide is much cheaper and I am sure most of us could easily work with it ;)
Hi Lilly,
Kep things simple I guess is the way to go - can one put a very brief blank copy on here??? Its seems to have worked for me no problems in the past.
Sorry... Keep (its Monday after all)
Hi Blaze, I got one of those guides and your advice goes hand-in-hand with it...keeping it simple but also not forgetting to brag about your achievements in a non-braggy way...
I don't think it is possible to upload docs to the forum, would have been cool though. Thanks for your help!
Hehe Lilly let us know whether your new Cv gets you any interviews/jobs :)
hey guys
I know i am jumping in late here...but how did things go with the job hunt and getting that CV sorted?
We all know it is tough out there in the market. With the election just aorund the corner, who knows what's looming for the rest of the year, especially if we get a hung parliament.
The recruitment industry are saying that they have noticed a definite pick up in the market for Q1, though not sure if it is going to sustain. I do worry about it though as the UK under Gordon's tenure has put our economy at risk, what with us psorting a Budget Deficit on par with the Mediteranean Countires (spain, Greece etc), god, I hope Brown does not get in again.
anyway back to the jobs market - I live in Surrey and things dont seem not too bad, though the first casualities in this market are always the students and Graduates.
anyone from other counties got any views?
Ciao
rudy
Hi guys, thanks for the interest in my career...I'm so ashamed to say that I haven't done a very good job of sprucing up my CV. I used the guide and made (according to myself) a huge improvement on what I had. But after having it out there for about 2 weeks and not hearing much I'm thinking I should spend some more time on changing it...
Is it only me who find it difficult to brag about myself in a CV? I don't want to sound too braggy...anyway I'll give it another go.
Anyhoo, hi Rudy, thanks for joining the discussion, it seems you have a good grip on employment and the economy at the moment. Tell me, do you think employment will look more stable after the elections? I've found that this year has been an up and down ride between good and bad news. There is so much uncertainty in the air. The budget was proof to this, don't you think?
Hey lilly 0 I aint no expert, just someone who likes to keep reasonably informed. Did you watch the Live Debate last night between Clegg, Brown and Cameron? Honestly, that was a buit of a joke... I reckon it was mostly staged. There was no heckling in the crowd, people asked questions from the paper they had with them and the Political leaders knew the answers before the person had even finished asking their question!!!
anyway, rant aside what was interesting was that cleggrecevied the highest rating by far. It looks like we could be heading toward a hung parliament.
Lilly, I appreciate we dont know each other so I would not ask you to send me your CV, however i could help you if you gave me a bit of backround wbout your CV, for example
how long it is
format and style used
order/ sequence of the CV
etc
and i might just be able to send you some ideas and thoughts back....:)
Weblinkplus
17-04-10, 06:22 AM
Might also be worthwhile stating on here what you are looking for jobwise... :)
themainman
17-04-10, 10:30 PM
Lilly,
Paying someone to do your CV for you can prove to be quite expensive.Your best bet would be to create your CV by using resources available on the web.
There are many useful articles out there on the net and also some CV creation websites you can use. here is a free onlicve CV builder, CVSafe.com which also has useful articles, its worth checking out
Fantastic! :) Thanks everyone for jumping in to assist me. The Main MAn, thanks for the online CV builder items!!!
I utilised plenty of practical advice from a CV help book I bought from the internet. And it was truly helpful, gave some nice pointers that changed how I looked at my CV completely!!!
For example my résumé was 6 pages and I started off with an entire page on information about me and it didn’t even say what I am capable of doing until page 3…which I realised is a mess.
I thought using nice fonts and printing it out on nice paper would give it a professional look – but that isn’t the case anymore and seeing that CVs are emailed or faxed…
I’m a copy editor and writer but when it comes to my own work I’m not critical enough.
Should I include achievements from school if they are related to my career, or just leave it out completely?:confused:
Rudy, thanks for offering to help, but the items you will be able to assist me with is covered in the guide and I think I’ve got that sorted. I need guidance with leaving stuff in or taking them out… I need someone to guide me with where to "brag" more and where to "brag" less etc
Luckily I’ve noticed a couple of sites on the internet e.g. Webrecruit (http://www.webrecruit.co.uk/for_job_seekers/free_cv_critique/) and Ladder (http://marketing-jobs.theladders.co.uk/free-cv-critique), who offer free CV review (http://www.cvwritingcentre.co.uk/free-cv-review) assistance, which is a bonus if you are as broke as I am at the moment. I reckon that there is a big reason I’m not getting any interviews at the moment and it has nothing to do with layout or the amount of pages…I’m doing something wrong and I’m sure an expert will be able to tell me.
Also Rudy, to comment back on the election program, I didn’t see it, and maybe it is best I didn’t…what is the point in having a script for these kind of things in anyways!:mad:
Wow guys it seems we have a few experts in here! Good on you all! I have never ever done my own CV but have done them for all my family! Go figure! I think someone else can write about you more successfully than you can write about yourself! Its just one of those things I think?
My friend had her CV Professionally done by a CV Writing Service 2 months ago and said it has definitely improved significantly! She is being made redundant at the end of this month and has been looking for work for some time with no luck! Since having her CV written she has landed 3 interviews! Thats got to be a good thing right?
She said they also helped her with a covering letter tailored to the specific type of work she is looking for. She was advised to edit this slightly with each job application, so that it is specifically tailored to each job she applies for! So maybe that is also one thing to look at Lilly?
Rudy - hello, I don't think I have seen you in here before? With regards to the elections..... I have been speaking with family and friends for quite a few weeks now and can honestly say that not one person I know can decide who it is that they will actually vote for! Bad isn't it?
That is great news about your friends and the interviews. I was really lucky four years back because without any experience I landed a job with a friend of the family. I had that one CV and the company interviewed me twice but it was really layed back. Since then I've been doing my own thing and just got lucky with the freelance jobs I landed. The fear of actually going for an interview now after so many years and after not actually ever experiencing a proper one...is driving me insane.
And to top it all off, nobody is even ringing for an interview.
Can you think how hectic the market is now? 200 for every one application?
My heart goes out to all the poor people who have been made redundant after 10 or more years at a company. They must really feel lost. Geepers.
If my newest CV doesn't bring me at least 3 interviews, I'm going to have to invest in getting one done properly, obviously I suck at doing my own no matter how much guidance I get lol.
ANyway as for the elections...wake me up when its over. Sometimes I wish I could hibernate like a hamster when the world is too much!!! I'm such a baby!
Hi everyone
I am new to the forum and this thread caught my eye.
Seeing as I am looking to move back home in a few months (have been living in South Africa for a couple of years now), I thought I might be able to pick up some tips on how to create a CV for the current job market over there, I am dreading finding employment once I'm back.
Lilly, I really empathise with what you are going through at the moment. The idea of competing for interviews is a daunting process! Especially if, as you say, you have to go up against 200 candidates for each position. I hope your new CV makes an impression!
Do recruiters even have time to read CVs properly if they have to sift through so many applications?
Hi Laila, welcome to the forum and this thread! How is the market in SA? Is there any particular reason you are coming back? It is good you are checking the market before you return and getting involved in forum chats like this one. Some of the people in the thread has given me fantastic advise which I hope will help you too when looking to update your CV for the UK.
I really don't think recruiters have a lot of time to sift through CVs, maybe they aren't even doing the initial sifting themselves, so you need to make sure your CV answers the requirements of the job ad within the first 3 lines, so you at least move towards the group that will get interviewed.
Since Friday I've had two companies interested to hear more about me so I think I'm starting to get it right. Thank goodness! Can't believe I struggled for so long!
What industry are you working in?
Hi Lilly,
The market in SA experienced a bit of a slump but not as many people lost their jobs as in the UK. As sad as I am to leave the sunshine, I miss my family and friends back home and only planned to spend a year tops in the UK (to gain some work experience) - I work in the film industry.
It is a scary prospect trying to find a film job in the UK at the moment, but I am hoping that someone, somewhere will recognise my potential, which is why I really need to get my CV in tip top condition so I can start applying for jobs before I head back.
That's great advice about answering the job ad in the first few lines, thanks! I guess hiring managers (or their assistants) are so busy these days that they're going to scan each CV looking for key words before reading it thoroughly - don't you think?
You obviously got that right to have been contacted by two companies, congrats!
Well, I haven't heard anything from them again...but at least I'm getting some feedback, something my previous CV didn't let me get. So I have high hopes. Geepers, the film industry must be an extremely tough industry to get into.
The best of luck with that. The great thing is that you can always study some more while you are here and do part-time filming jobs. This way you won't waste any time building your skillsets. Through a college you will also gain access to odd filming jobs as I sure they make use of film students for these type of things.
And it is also great you are planning to go back to South Africa afterwards, I really enjoyed District 9 and it shows that it is a country that has a lot of offer and still much to do etc.
I do a lot of research during the week and job (http://www.careersandjobsuk.com) hunts, will keep you posted if I find any relevant stuff in your industry...
Wow guys - I just read this and the film industry! That is massive! What type of work are you looking to get into?
Laila, I saw this and thought you might find it useful.
http://www.skillset.org/
Skillset is the industry body which supports skills and training for people and businesses to ensure the UK creative industries maintain their world class position.
They have heaps of career advice (http://www.cvwritingcentre.co.uk/career-tips-advice/) for creative industries, types of jobs etc…
You could also contact the Guildford School of Acting (http://www.conservatoire.org/home/index.php) in Surrey, I’m sure they will be able to give you advice while you are still planning to come back.
My advice for you is plan ahead and make sure you have at least money to support yourself as a backup.
:D
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