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Cee Vee Advice

  
 
petunia
17:21 / 18.05.06
Like the summary says. I need a Job, so i need a CV, but i have no idea what i need to put in it.
I've just failed uni and don't have that much in the way of work experience, so i'm really going to need some filler.
What advice can people give for good CV material?

Sorry This isn't much of a starter, but i really have no idea about CVs...
 
 
Triplets
17:40 / 18.05.06
Condolences, .trampetunia. I've found a decent resume template here
 
 
petunia
18:11 / 18.05.06
"AWARDS
PUBLICATIONS
BOOKS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
INTERESTS"

Hmmm...

Might leave those sections out.
I suppose it's more to do with youth that i have few acheivements to put down, but there's still a slight feeling of uneasy shame when I read template/example CVs..

Do you reckon i should put that i spent the past 4 years at uni without a degree? Should i put a reason? Should i pretend that 'I strongly disagreed with the increasing trend towards the commercialisation of our educational structure' or shall i just come clean and say I failed because i'm lazy?

It's quite a worry really.

It's times like this that I can really see why people go for communism...

Do 'interests' or skills without qualification go particularly far? For Instance, I'm pretty good with a computer, but have no qualifications in computing and I can speak French pretty well but would hesitate at calling myself fluent. Too many half-measures. Should I put them in or stick to the hard facts?

Any bosses/CV readers out there with tips?
 
 
Tryphena Absent
18:21 / 18.05.06
I used to write people's CVs for them and Jub is a good person to ask about this as well.

Let's crack on. Did you do anything else while you were at university? Did you work at all during this time. What precisely do you mean by fail and what was the course? What work experience do you have? What kind of job do you want?

Half measures aren't actually half measures. If you can use Microsoft standard software at a reasonable level then you should include that in your CV in the skills section regardless of the job you're applying for. I used to help my bosses with Word and Excel when I worked in a pub.

The interests section is standard so don't exclude it. They'll wonder why you've taken it out.
 
 
Shrug
18:24 / 18.05.06
I'd write that you attended college for three years only on your c.v. As people will often mistakenly believe that you've finished a course by this, it'll usually get you into an interview situation from which you can flim-flam them with natural charm and suchlike. Provided that the job is reasonably different to what you studied at university you can also say that you hadn't been interested in the field at all and decided to leave after third year to start your career in _______ (make it as relevant to the job you're applying for as possible). Ask about in job training, read up about it and beam enthusiastically etc.

Also a good enthusiastic well rounded cover letter usually does wonders.

Good Luck.
 
 
Shrug
18:28 / 18.05.06
And yep, like Nina's said, throw down Computer Proficiency, Word, Excel, Access, Basic Html, good working knowledge of Dreamweaver, all that crap. It's expected that you have these really, even if you're a bit shakey just lie and if you get the job they're reasonably intuitive and easy to get a handle on.
 
 
All Acting Regiment
18:30 / 18.05.06
If you try to join an agency, you'll find they're a lot more welcoming, regardless of how nice your CV is, and then you can put them on your CV afterwards-

Unless you're looking for, like, a proper job, sorta thing.
 
 
doozy floop
18:32 / 18.05.06
I too am browsing for new employment & would appreciate CV tips - I think all the jobs I've had so far demanded a lengthy application form, but now I find myself interested in a job just asking for a CV and cover letter, and I'm at a loss to condense all that bumpf I used to write onto a straightforward CV. Where's the box for expressing my admirable communications skills? My ability to use my initiative? My decision-making prowess?? What goes on the CV and what goes in the letter?

(Don't tell me.... is that how I demonstrate my decision-making? Devilish.....)
 
 
MattShepherd: I WEDDED KALI!
18:58 / 18.05.06
I've been in a hiring position a few times, and once basic criteria are met (things like level of education and 'I can drive a forklift,' so elementary they don't warrant discussion) I look for things that indicate dynamism and breadth.

I worry, frankly, about people that have all their mental and experience eggs in one basket. Even if I'm hiring an accountant, I'd rather have an accountant with the accounting requirements I need, but that also plays Go, has a certificate in Thai cooking, won a triathalon and started a wild bird rescue clinic, than an accountant that has higher-than-necessary credentials but only accounts.

I think (hope) that this is part of a broader trend, where people are recognizing that mental flexibility and a high level of adaptability are better predictors of usefulness than obsessive overtraining in a single area.

You are, as distasteful as this sounds, marketing yourself. You're going to be part of a vast pool of candidates. If you're not 100% sure that you're walking away with the best qualifications and experience for the job you want, what's going to inspire your potential employer to remember you when s/he's going back through that biiiiig pile of CVs? Are you just another college guy with a degree in Renaissance English, or are you the kick-boxing apprentice sushi chef?

That's my own, intensely personal, bias when making these decisions, anyway. Show me you're capable of handling different things, thinking in different ways, and taking care of your own shit without asking somebody what to do all the time.
 
 
petunia
19:08 / 18.05.06
Let's crack on indeed :-)

At university I did barwork for a few months, I also worked for one summer for a charity organisation which provides leisure opportunities for children and young people with disabilities. Other things which are important for me, but i'm not sure if they hold much interest for an employer include reading a lot, taking sanyas under a Zen master and um.. travelling a bit. Suppose that stuff could go in interests...

I basically found out a week before handing in my dissertation that things had been changed around a bit rules-wise for this year and this meant i couldn't pass the year. I'm in the process of withdrawing, potentially to retake the year, potentially to use my credits at another university (if possible). So I can say that I withdrew 'for personal reasons' or somesuch stuff. But I don't know how much water that would carry.

My work experience other than those jobs mentioned includes a 2 year stint for (deep sigh) McDonalds, plus some work for my dad's media company - mostly logging videos etc, but a little creative work as well. I also went to mexico doing a little voluntary media work for a small educational organisation.

Oooh. This is getting a little less depressing :-)

So yeah, I have a good working knowledge of Windows machines, including MS Word. I've never touched excel, but i reckon i could figure it out in a couple of days. I'm also pretty used to OSX and its various ways, and i can use linux. I reckon i'd be able to figure out most small-to-medium computer problems pretty quick. I'm also pretty adept at internet research (ie i spend most of my free time online).

As for what i'd like to do - i've recently realised that I want to help the environment out a bit. This is still pretty vague, but i'd ideally be trying to raise public awareness about environmental issues and trying to encourage movement 'in the right direction'. Communication seems to be one of the main skills people bring up when i'm all despondent and saying 'but what could i doooo?!', so advertising or journalism might be a way to go, but at the moment i really don't know. I figure i'll have to start out somewhere near the bottom, so basically any work that's to do with the envirnment would be funky. But in the short-term i just need something to pay the rent. I fear telesales, but it might end up being the only option :-(

Thanks for the help. As you might be able to tell, this is all pretty new, daunting and stressful for me, so advice is greatly appreciated.
 
 
Jub
07:18 / 19.05.06
Hi, for an entry level role in telesales or similar your CV will simply have to reflect that you have the necessary skills and desire to do it.

For the long term environmental work, it will take a little more time and effort. I would recommend really researching this area to find out exactly what you want to do (or a couple of options), then find out what you need to do/have to acheive this. My friend has recently starting temping for free part time so he can break into charity work.

Generally, CVs don't have to be everything to everyone, just fit the bill for the role you're applying for. It's better to tailor your CV to a job you want rather than try the blanket approach. If you go to a recruitment agency, make sure that they do your area and are able to help. If any of your mates who have been in similar situations can recommend anyone then get in touch with them.

Lastly, I would suggest that you stop thinking of it as tricking people into giving you a job and believing that you are more than able. No-one wants to employ (or even interview) someone who doesn't think they can do a job / doesn't want to do the job / thinks they are too good for the job etc. Everyone has flaws, everyone has off days, the "trick" is maximising the positive and minimising the negative (at least until your first day!!)
 
 
Quantum
09:15 / 19.05.06
Some thoughts-
Your CV has one purpose only- to get you an interview.
IIRC the average time employers spend looking at each CV is about 2.8 seconds.
It's really hard to write your own CV and easy to write someone elses, get a friend to do it and then you can tweak it if you want.
Keep it to a single side of a page with a readable font (12 pt Arial).
Don't include filler or bother with your high school grades.
In your case, try having the sections 'Profile' (I am great and looking for work in the Zen sector) 'Skills' (computers, cash handling, customer service, inner stillness) 'Education' then 'Work Experience' at the bottom.
As you've just left Uni you're not expected to have that many positions under your belt, your advantage is that a company can mould your brain into the type of employee they want.
60% of jobs are never advertised, so your long term best bet is to google all the companies in travel distance that do what you want to do, and send them your CV on the off chance. You can bet next time they're recruiting you'll be on the list to interview because you've shown you're keen.
By the same token temp-to-perm is a good way into a company, and any agency will help you with your CV and get you a rent-paying job pretty quick, even if it's call centre work.
Hope some of that helps, good luck. If the CV doesn't work come to the Temple and we'll sort you out with a magic amulet.
 
 
Quantum
09:29 / 19.05.06
Oh, and get a reference from a friendly tutor and your last boss and include their details at the bottom. References are good for your situation and make the page look less empty too.
 
 
david101
19:28 / 19.05.06
I agree with Quantum. More often than not, as long as your CV doesn't look like it came out of the trash, you'll be given an interview, which is way more important than what your CV has to say.

The CV is also the material which will be used by the employer to decide what questions to ask. It is, then, at the interview where you can explain why you dropped out of college/uni and flammox them with your charm and grace.

Good luck man.
 
 
Spaniel
21:18 / 21.05.06
More often than not, as long as your CV doesn't look like it came out of the trash, you'll be given an interview

That simply isn't true.
 
 
Jack Fear
21:32 / 21.05.06
We did a thread on this a while back. There's some good stuff in there, actually.
 
 
astrojax69
21:55 / 21.05.06
just say you post here and we'll all vouch for you.

i once took advice to list all the duties entailed in any position - this can be a boring painstaking task but i found the more you put into it the more you'll understand what skills you actually have and gain insights into what they want to hear; then distil that into a few short points and list the next job.

good luck!
 
  
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