Format of CV's

[PaulStat]

I remember being told in School/Uni that CV's should stick to 2 pages only.

After being in the real world for 18 months this now seems a bit ridiculous, surely if you have more experience it's best to flaunt it in your CV?

 

[Matt]

Mine is one page... and that contains the basics: contact, skills, education (gcses/alevels/uni), 3 jobs, etc...

There's no point in putting info on there that's not relevant to the positon you're applying to.

 

[Shaz]sigh[]

Way I do it is...

2 pages, objectives, skills (summary), project experience, limited to say 3 or 5 big CV blue light stuff, education then out of work "stuff".

Anything specific to the job/extra to the skills set goes on the covering letter.

 

[PaulStat]

Mine is one page... and that contains the basics: contact, skills, education (gcses/alevels/uni), 3 jobs, etc...

There's no point in putting info on there that's not relevant to the positon you're applying to.

I have Contact details. Profile, Qualifications, Skills, Interests, Employment History and Referees.

At the moment it takes up just over 2 pages.

 

[Matt]

Put it up (take out the contact details if you want), and people can have a look and give opinions on it That's probably the best way. But getting it down the 2 pages would be wise i think.

 

[PardonTheWait]

The people interviewing have a giant pile of CVs to read, they don't want a novelette. Keep it on two pages

 

[tb2000]

CV? Ah the joys of being self employed . But seriously, I think originally my CV was around two pages iirc.

 

[Sequoia]

The people interviewing have a giant pile of CVs to read, they don't want a novelette. Keep it on two pages

Precisely.

PaulStat, your CV is a taster, a tempter. It has one and only one objective .... to get you onto to the interview shortlist. With that in mind, you want to give the essential basic facts (name, address, age, etc), basic experience (to qualify you for the shortlist), and the tempter info, to ensure you and not the next CV make the cut.

Part of that is the art of giving the person making the cut as easy a time as possible, and that means presenting all the necessary and relevant info in as concise and comfortable format as possible, without boring his or her brains out.

Send enough info to get them to want to know more, not your life story.

That's my view anyway .... and the basis on which I've used CVs to select, or reject, candidates for interview.

 

[PaulStat]

Ok two pages it shall be then. As for the contents of it, i've heard people on here say things like, cut out the Profile, Interests and Referees.

Interests and referees I can understand, but the Profile? Isn't it a good thing to provide a brief description of what you currently do?

My current job I got with the format I mentioned above.

Edit:

For example my fairly short profile:

I have 18 months experience in a software development company, which develops document management software for dealing with large volumes of customer data from the composition right through to the printing/mailing of the documents. I deal with the requirements of large companies such as Astron, BT, Three mobile, Pitney Bowes (Finland) and Nationwide on a daily basis. This has given me vast experience in understanding the needs of the customer and being able to deliver.

As part of my responsibilities, I am expected to be on 24 hour support from time to time. If problems occur at a client site they may call the support line, upon receiving the call it is then my task to solve the issue in order for them to meet their strict print schedules.

 

[Matt]

Should that be in your employment section? as that's not a profile about you, it's what you did on that job.

 

[PaulStat]

Should that be in your employment section? as that's not a profile about you, it's what you did on that job.

I view it as an attention grabber at the start of my CV to say what I am currently doing.

I see little point in a profile along the lines of "My name is Paul I am 25, very nice, and I have good communication skills, easy to work with....." etc.

 

[Shaz]sigh[]

I tend to say what I want to achieve, my ambitions, what I bring to a job/team, what I look to do etc.

My age isn't even on my CV. Risque!

 

[Morba]

snip

Being a person that I admire on these forums, your opinion on my CV would be welcomed. Would you mind having a glance over and see how you feel about the layout etc?