MOST ADVERTISEMENTS ASK FOR A CV AND AS WE KNOW THE FIRST 10 SECONDS SEAL YOUR FATE. SO IF YOU ARE FAST APPROACHING 60 BUT STILL IN THERE FIGHTING DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS OR TIPS FOR A "DIFFERENT" CV APPROACH THAT STILL GETS THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS ACROSS BUT MAKES THE READER WANT TO SEE THIS OLD GUY WHO COULD STILL MAKE A POWERFUL CONTRIBUTION TO A NEW EMPLOYER BUT WILL NOT BE A THREAT TO YOUNGER COLLEAGUES AND WILL DEFINITELY NOT GO ON ABOUT "THE GOOD OLD DAYS"
ANY IDEAS GRATEFULLY RECEIVED IN THIS SEEMINGLY
"MISSION iMPOSSIBLE"
thanks for your time alex
ALEX FERGUSON
5 Responses
Shhhhhh!
Not writing everything in capitals would be a good start. It is the typographical equivalent of aggressive shouting.
As someone who receives a lot of unsolicited CVs I would say don’t send unsolicited CVs.
Generally, write a really good one-page covering letter explaining why you are the best choice. If you don’t believe it tear it up and start again. Keep the CV down to two A4 pages. Anything more than that is irritating to a recruiter, no matter how much you feel you have to say, so be ruthless.
I file gimmicky CVs in the waste paper bin, especially if sent by e-mail with enormous unsolicited attachments.
There are lots of CV agencies who may be able to help you: perhaps someone else will recommend one.
You’re not the Alex Ferguson I’ve spoken to on Accounting Web are you?
The 2-page problem
Good question, Alex.
Concerning Bob’s response, I’d always understood that a CV should account for the whole of a person’s career – that gaps are treated with suspicion. But simply listing positions held over a period of 25-40 years probably takes 1.5-2 pages. So how is it possible to do this, highlight the experience and skills an employer might be interested in. and still comply with Bob’s 2-page rule?
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2 pages
A good recruiter would spot a candidate that had really good and relevant knowledge and experience … if the candidate takes the trouble to make it obvious.
I don’t give a toss if candidate X spent 25 years of life as a coal miner, 2 years unemployed, 3 years as a taxi driver … if they are now a really good copy writer, and I am trying to recruit a copy writer.
The example is bit extreme, but never mind the gaps, tell me what can you do, for me, now. Why should I believe it? I think that was the spirit of the question!
iMPOSSIBLE
Not fair Bob, iMPOSSIBLE has a lower case ‘I’.
Concentrate on achievements and skills, not duties and tasks
The best CVs for those changing career or have gaps, focus on the skills you have and your achievements, rather than a listing of all your previous jobs and the duties/tasks involved in them. List your achievmements briefly (a couple of sentences), concentrating on positive language and what it was you actually achieved (words like successfully… with great success…increased sales by £1m…etc etc). You don’t need to say where it was you achieved these things. After your acheivements, you can then just list your previous employment. Give dates, name of Company and position. If you have space give a brief job description (only a couple of sentences though). I definitely agree with the 2-page thing (but following the above you should manage to keep to that) and the no-gimmicky thing. You could leave off your date of birth if you wanted to – there’s no requirement for it to be there. (Although looking at the dates of employment will give away a rough idea of your age).
Hope this helps