Just like this post it's (still) too long!
You must sell yourself in seconds, not minutes!
You can have two versions, short for initial contact and a long one should they request more info. There can be several stages to CV selection. HR are told they need a guy with 5 years C++. Make this info easily viewable within seconds on your CV.
(CV) Title:
Senior Software Engineer
Contact Details: Centered and use page page width. Don't be afraid to use larger fonts for this. Also add your BSc in Comp after your name. Don't bother with your address, they will be emailing or phoning you. Space saved.
Short intro about yourself (Personal Profile): Be positive and sell yourself. I think the current one is still too long, be general and leave info specific to previous roles for later when you detail your previous roles. Forget about having that extra personality section, fit it all into one section; keep in mind employers are busy and can often give just seconds to a CV. Don't discourage them by giving them 10 minutes of reading.
Technical Skills: List your skills in bullet points and your proficiency. Just list them with bullet points, don't bother with details on which previous role you used them in. Give the employer an easy to read list of your skills in one easy to read section. Again save the role specific details for your career history section. Don't bother to split them up into server side or embedded, group them in related groups maybe, two or three columns. Use a table even.
| |
| Languages--------------------Frameworks--------------Tools |
| C++ (level or year exper.)-----JBoss--------------------Maven |
| PHP--------------------------Zend--------------------Eclipse |
^^This is where you will get the employer interested in your CV and it will make them read the next section if they see you have the skills they want.^^
Career History: Give dates, company name, addresss, role. Describe your role in the company in a short a paragraph.
For each role:
Make a section entitled "
Responsibilities" and use one line bullet points on what you did there. Short but detailed sentences. Try to start each one of with an a positive action word.
Make a "
Key Achievements" section, again short but detailed sentences using bullet points. Mention anything which you have changed for the better while you were there. Is there anything which is being done in a better way now thanks to you? Mention projects you worked on and how your role in them improved the end result. This may be the most important part of your CV.
Bullet points, short and detailed sentences, positive actions words!
^^This is the section where the employer will decide if they want to give you an interview or not, i.e. from you selling yourself and describing your importance and achievements in your previous roles, they decide if they would like you working for them, pending an interview of course! ^^
Education:
Other Skills: (langauges etc.)
Interests: (Here you can put your hobbies and maybe adds some stuff that you had in the Personality section, but really it's not important to say much.
You must put your self in the employers shoes, make it easy to read, i.e. bullet points, get their attention quick, i.e. make that (technical) skills matrix as that it what they want to know! If they need C++ let them know ASAP that you have it, they won't read the whole thing to find out; but if they find out quickly they are more likely to read the whole thing!
Again, about the wages, DO NOT mention it in your CV. You can put it in your cover letter if you want, especially if an advert asks for it.
e28 is graduate wages. IT is one of the few industries in Ireland where there are jobs and even if there were not, I doubt it would help your chances much to say you'd work for 28k. It does not make sense with regard to your skills and experience. I think it shows lack of confidence in your abilities which is not what you want to come across as. You are a highly skilled and experienced Senior Software Engineer and 99.999% of employers would not expect that you would take any less than, estimate e40k Galway, e50k Dublin.
If you did find an employer that would take you on because you'd work for e28k, I expect they will be awful to work because they are either getting little re-sale value for the work you do or laughing at how much money they are making from your work; either way, it doesn't sound like a good place to work.
To be honest, I am doubting your aptitude and skill levels if you really would work for that. If they are hiring you can try and get an operator job with Medtronic, which does not require college education, and you can earn more than e28k there.
Don't forget the cover letter. This is where you tell them why you want to work for them and why you are suitable for the role, or some position if you are not replying to an add. Here also you can detail your availability, that you wanting to relocate, work visa status etc. If not applying for a role which requests salary expectation, it's up to you whether to say it or not, but it my humble opinion whatever to do, don't say e28k!
Good luck and shorten that CV!
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