Entry level IT CV, any advice?

Kai123

Hello,

The CV should be attached. I have no IT workplace experience but computers and IT has been an interest all my life.

I unfortunately decided that I wanted to work in IT after getting a full time job and gaining some commitments, so college was not really an option. I am going the cert route and a few days ago I passed my Network+, so I think im ready to job hunt.

My last CV was a joke (I might post it if I ever get a IT job ). A friend lent me a book on CVs and interviews. The attached CV is the result from that.

This one has a spelling mistake which is corrected. Also, calling myself a "IT professional" is justified in the sense that I hold professional IT certifications. Any thoughts on that?

Any input would be amazing. I have been working in a terrible job now for 5 years of my life and its time to get a grip!

Kai.

Tom Dunne

I would detail your experience in IT more. It's a bit vague upon first reading. For example, where did you get the experience (even if it was only in a voluntary capacity). Who were your clients?

I would also leave out the expected salary, I think it is enough that you mention you are looking for an entry-level position.

I'd also take out the "basic" in Microsoft Office knowledge.

Would you consider "enthusiast" instead of professional, perhaps?

Kai123

The IT experience was suppose to be vague, but your right. I have desktop experience and face-to-face experience but it was cash in hand. Its hard to explain that without saying I was self-employed (I had a client maybe once a week, it was not something I was pushing).

I'll take out the salary, and thanks for the "enthusiast" suggestion. I will write it out, say it out loud a few times and see if it suits.

Thanks Tom

Kai.

krissovo

I dont like your CV I am afraid, too many negatives and as a hiring manager in IT I would file yours in the bin if it came to my desk in its current format and content. I also dont like the center alignment and general layout but thats me.

For example on content: recently qualified, basic maintenance, entry level, basic this and that etc

You have tried to do a skills based CV (functional) by the look of it but you lack the skills and experience to pull it off. I would revert back to a normal chronological CV.

Now the positive :-)

You have customer service experience which is key for a service desk or a deskside role and you have A+ and N+. This alone would get you into a service desk so big these non IT skills up when you write about your spar experience.

For deskside roles you need to show more experience, even if it was just cash in hand and not full time. You need to label it as a job in the CV even if its concurrent with the Spar, you can explain fully at any interview.

The type of skills you need to show for deskside is again customer service plus some or all of the following, re-building (backup, formatting and reloading, image creation) , virus removal, mapping drives, configuring (email, windows settings, apps), installing hardware (local printers, network printers, USB drives, etc, etc) and also if you can replace components like graphics cards, hard drives

Last point, I got into IT via a similar route. I had no IT experience but I became a Deskside tech after a few certs and did really well.

Kai123

krissovo wrote: »

I dont like your CV I am afraid, too many negatives and as a hiring manager in IT I would file yours in the bin if it came to my desk in its current format and content. I also dont like the center alignment and general layout but thats me.

For example on content: recently qualified, basic maintenance, entry level, basic this and that etc

You have tried to do a skills based CV (functional) by the look of it but you lack the skills and experience to pull it off. I would revert back to a normal chronological CV.

Now the positive :-)

You have customer service experience which is key for a service desk or a deskside role and you have A+ and N+. This alone would get you into a service desk so big these non IT skills up when you write about your spar experience.

For deskside roles you need to show more experience, even if it was just cash in hand and not full time. You need to label it as a job in the CV even if its concurrent with the Spar, you can explain fully at any interview.

The type of skills you need to show for deskside is again customer service plus some or all of the following, re-building (backup, formatting and reloading, image creation) , virus removal, mapping drives, configuring (email, windows settings, apps), installing hardware (local printers, network printers, USB drives, etc, etc) and also if you can replace components like graphics cards, hard drives

Last point, I got into IT via a similar route. I had no IT experience but I became a Deskside tech after a few certs and did really well.

Changing the CV like you are suggesting, I would want a thumbs up before I update the final draft again. Im not sure how to put the IT job title in since I was doing this along side my full-time employment. That is why the experience summary is how it is, its easier to try and show the skills I have without bulletpoints and a employment date.

I can definately sell it better, and I would of never thought of pointing out some of the finer details of the local IT jobs that I did. Putting things in like "virus removal", would that not be covered by the A+? Or am I telling the HR that with no workplace IT experience and the cert, I do have virus removal experience?

Thank you for the advice Krissovo, very helpful and encouraging

Kai.

FruitLover

Kai123 wrote: »

I have desktop experience and face-to-face experience but it was cash in hand

Certs don't make you a 'professional', but if you got paid for IT-related work, that's probably close enough to put on a CV. Definitely take out anything to do with 'basic', 'recently certified', 'valid from', etc. Your CV should be like a wingman on a night out - technically honest, but 'bigging-up' your skills and experience at every possible opportunity.

I'd recommend fleshing out the CV a little more as well. Normally I'd include only previous experience related to the job I was applying for (trying to keep the CV below two pages), but in your case, there's not enough. Whatever your previous job was/is, if you picked up any sort of useful professional experience (working as a team, keeping to deadlines, interfacing with clients, etc) then put that in. If you got a degree, include that - even if it's unrelated, it shows an ability to study and commitment to finishing something started.

Kai123 wrote: »

Putting things in like "virus removal", would that not be covered by the A+?

Don't assume this - a HR bod or recruiter might not actually know the details of a cert. If you have hands-on experience in something, put it in the CV. Check out the Adverts Jobs sister-site and the like for an idea on the kind of skills you might need for an entry-level position.

Kai123

Updated the CV.

Pretty much everything I have done is in the Experience summary. I cant work out a way to bulletpoint it without giving it a job title.

If I skim it down the summary of certifications, I see "desktop support", skim again and you get all the keywords for what I hope an employer wants.

Im sure its not perfect, but its much better then the first one uploaded, which I thought was as good as it was gonna get.

Any more advice, keep it coming! Otherwise I think im happy with it. I can always change the format if I am having no luck.

Kai.

but43r

Kai123 wrote: »

Updated the CV.

Pretty much everything I have done is in the Experience summary. I cant work out a way to bulletpoint it without giving it a job title.

If I skim it down the summary of certifications, I see "desktop support", skim again and you get all the keywords for what I hope an employer wants.

Im sure its not perfect, but its much better then the first one uploaded, which I thought was as good as it was gonna get.

Any more advice, keep it coming! Otherwise I think im happy with it. I can always change the format if I am having no luck.

Kai.

I wouldn't list the tools used to troubleshoot and fix PC's. That's basic stuff that I used when I was 15 and isn't anything that is worth mentioning.

I see that you have no experience with any Windows Server tools (AD, MS Exchange, IIS, Security Policies etc). Any organisation with IT department are going to utalise those tools and having experience with them is essential.

The type of experience that you have would suit for place like PC World where all they do is fix PC's.

I would advise getting some experience with Windows Server OS and the main tools that come with it.

Is all your experience with Windows or have you worked with other OS's?

Kai123

The tools are listed on Fruitlovers advice, that some HR and recruiters would be unfamiliar with A+ and N+.

I have a tiny bit of experience with Linux, but not enough to mention.

I passed the N+ last Thursday and wrote the CV on Saturday, and have been spending the time fixing it up. Having not touched Windows Server is my weakness at the moment and I am looking into it. I have not looked up resources that I could use or need to study Windows Server but its top priority.

What way is Windows Server and the various tools it has used in a helpdesk/ 1st line support role?

Kai.

FruitLover

I'd go for an OS exam (e.g. Windows 7) before a Server exam. If you're going for a first-level support job, you probably wouldn't be dealing with much server-related stuff (still worth learning in the long run though).