CV help

getsome

Hi,

I am looking to get some help with my CV, not hearing anything back for part time jobs that I applied for. Just wondering if its my CV that doesn't look good.

Thanks for any advice and help.

starlit

Its fairly clear cut, straight forward and too the point, no waffle and you mention most things spot on. You have reasonable amount of work experience and qualifications are very good. Might just be the layout or how its presented though don't think that is the case to be honest. You may need to re-skill or touch up on a few areas as a means of keeping skills up to date and fill in the gaps where you can, what did you do to fill in the gaps in your work history and so on.

Maybe set up an online business or something? Detail a major project you have done whether within the confines of college/college project, extra curricular activities/hobbies, showing something that you have proof of your business/entrepreneurship/innovative/marketing/organising skills? or maybe take up a new hobby? Have you looked into foreign languages or social media/digital marketing maybe? Have you any specific goal/career direction or area you want to follow?

Not having a set career direction can be a factor if you not clear on that. No goal employers don't know what you want to do say in a few years time or do you just want to hop from one job to the next sometimes not staying a specific area can be a factor when they decide on who goes forward for interviews so many things they can just narrow their selection of people for interviews/for the job.

Quick way into business roles be office admin or sales jobs? Depends what career path you want to follow and stick with that? Have you looked into any kind of further study whether it be distance learning or postgrad or a springboard/fas course? Any jobbridges you could do if you delible to do one? Emigrating or doing a working abroad type thing might be worth looking into. Lots of business jobs outside of Ireland and loads of opportunities with languages and to travel.

The Financial sector, Sales/PR/Marketing, Pharmaceutical/Medical devices, chemical engineering and energy areas be good sectors to go into with a fair number of jobs there in those areas at the moment. Office admin seems to be picking up, business information systems and statistics, project management and strategy, risk management type roles and business analyst type roles are getting popular at the moment. HR not as easy to get into but management/business/marketing areas seem to be picking up and entrepreneurship/intrapreneurship and innovation be always reinventing. Self employment might be an option if you can afford it?

It might be the case or that you not tailoring the cv for specific jobs. I find now myself that I need to narrow my search down despite applying for anything and everything possible.

You might need to add a bit more detail to the work history part. Mention college projects you did. Mention one major one in detail and list the rest maybe if relevant. I say add in specific list of skills/transferable skills and add detail to them if you can highlight maybe three to five of them.

Your profile is fine but a bit detailed, just have an introduction but maybe add part of your profile as part of your skills/transferable skills/competency skills, not just mention business/entrepreneurship areas maybe add in any IT or soft/people skills you have? If you were a team leader or a manager or lead a team either in college or part of your extra curricular activities mention that. Also if you done any volunteer work add it in, and maybe do something in that area and add it in for future CV's. An all rounded CV is what get you interviews.

Maybe go to a professional job coach or recruiter if you really stuck. irishjobs.ie can offer advice on CV's for a fee. Worth doing if it be of any help to you.

Best of luck with the job hunt!

The Big Red Button

• Move your phone number up a line
• Leave out the date of birth (it's irrelevant, and it's not professional to include it)
• Bright aspect? What does this mean? Sounds waffley
• Well presented? What does this mean? Prove it at interview; don't mention it in CV
• Your personality is your best asset? Doesn't say a lot for your skills. Honestly, this whole paragraph doesn't serve to sell yourself all that well. A company wants your skills first and foremost - THEN they'll try to see if your personality works with the company culture.
• Organizational - change to organisational; we're in Ireland.
• Font is too big.
• Leave out subjects in "profile"; put them in "education" if anywhere.
• Work experience - my first question is "What is G4S?" Even if you're applying for an industry job, explain the company a little (unless it's clearly self-explanatory)
• "with each site there was different duties and responsibilities" doesn't tell me much
• "watching stock" - watching stock do what?!
• Random Capitals Annoy Many People
• I skimmed after this, but one massive point is that your education is usually listed above experience (at least for the type of role you're looking for)
• Always list experience/qualifications in most recent chronological order (you have done so the other way round, I think)

Other than those few points ... I wouldn't see any harm in getting a professional in the area (e.g. in FÁS, in a recruitment agency, etc) having a look over your CV, maybe tidy it up quite a bit.

mickgotsick

From looking at your CV, I would say you are applying for a security position? The business part of your CV only gets mentioned half way through page two of your CV. It's also unclear when you will finish your course in Carlow IT.

Edit: Looking at your CV again, I'd have no idea what kind of position you're applying for.

Deliverance XXV

Hi,

Definitely take the above points into consideration. The CV was a bit all over the place to be honest. It was not easy on the eyes to read, the important sections were hidden, there were grammar and spelling mistakes, no relevant keywords etc. So the nice guy that I am, I revised your CV as to my opinion (not in HR sector, mind) of how it should look. The CV needs a bit of beefing up. I only flicked through it so there may be more grammar errors.

It's still worth asking a professional in the area about the CV. If you get a reply from a recruitment agency that you didn't get a job, ask them 'should I do up your CV a bit' and they would probably (from professional courtesy/ego) tell you yes and give you some important pointers regarding what needs to be changed etc.

Hope this helps

getsome

Thanks everyone, looks like I could do with starting from scratch with a clear direction in what I am looking for

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

starlit

Oh another thing, have a 'STAR' approach (example of a project - situation, task, action, result) when mentioning projects briefly in the CV and in more detail in an interview.

Clear, simple, straight to the point, specific no waffle. Show proof of what what you learnt, did and gained from the project that you have done that project. Giving examples and proving that you have skills/qualities/transferable/competency type skills developed from your projects are what employers be looking for not just the example of a project itself.

starlit

A lot is down to presentation and how you articulate what you want to say, and by all means stick with what is relevant for the roles you are applying for as other posters have mentioned. Good luck with it.

looksee

I agree with most of the corrections made by Deliverance, but I would not repeat education/qualifications three times, it is confusing.

Mucco

I always stick my address and contact details at the end. The top of the front page is the first bit the employer sees, and probably gets most attention, why bore them with address details?

starlit

Date of birth shouldn't really be there and I would say limit the amount of results you put up from college and anything else. Only add in Leaving cert results unless requested as part of your CV application. Stating year you did it and school is enough really, points and results only required when necessary.

irelandspurs

If your receiving jobseekers then i recommend attending your local jobs club,will be advertised on fas website,will be 3 or 4 weeks long couple of hours a day and they do a cv for you and help you look for work.Also get an extra €20 a week for the weeks your there.

joedared

some good reviews there. How do I put in an attachment for my C.V. to be viewed