Writing a CV

jonbeeza

jonbeeza

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When doing a CV, should you go back decades to include all your work history, or just the last ten years or so?
Also, what would be the best layout/ format, to create such a document? Been trying to look online for a template.
 
jonbeeza said:
When doing a CV, should you go back decades to include all your work history, or just the last ten years or so?
Also, what would be the best layout/ format, to create such a document? Been trying to look online for a template.
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I just show what's relevant from years ago. Maybe use a brief summary to show that you've always been working.
A lot of what I did years ago would be irrelevant for what I'd maybe be applying for now....
 
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Somebody did suggest google Docs, but I would be wary of putting private information into Google.
 
Is it for permanent, contract, or voluntary sector roles? Different styles for each, I'd say. I have several versions. I have more detailed descriptions of my jobs in the last 15 years, before that just a list of companies, roles and dates. But I'm talking contracts where I've been in places for between 6 months and 3 years each time. For a permit job, I just describe the detail of the last few jobs and then a summary of what I've done as a contractor all under one "job" for my Ltd co. For voluntary roles, I've just had one job for the last 32 years as a contractor with various responsibilities etc. In each different version, the emphasis is on different things though: skills, experience in general, but also eg management of staff details, or voluntary roles held etc.
 
lindsay said:
Is it for permanent, contract, or voluntary sector roles? Different styles for each, I'd say. I have several versions. I have more detailed descriptions of my jobs in the last 15 years, before that just a list of companies, roles and dates. But I'm talking contracts where I've been in places for between 6 months and 3 years each time. For a permit job, I just describe the detail of the last few jobs and then a summary of what I've done as a contractor all under one "job" for my Ltd co. For voluntary roles, I've just had one job for the last 32 years as a contractor with various responsibilities etc. In each different version, the emphasis is on different things though: skills, experience in general, but also eg management of staff details, or voluntary roles held etc.
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Probably on a voluntary basis, possibly leading to part time work.
 
lindsay said:
Is it for permanent, contract, or voluntary sector roles? Different styles for each, I'd say. I have several versions. I have more detailed descriptions of my jobs in the last 15 years, before that just a list of companies, roles and dates. But I'm talking contracts where I've been in places for between 6 months and 3 years each time. For a permit job, I just describe the detail of the last few jobs and then a summary of what I've done as a contractor all under one "job" for my Ltd co. For voluntary roles, I've just had one job for the last 32 years as a contractor with various responsibilities etc. In each different version, the emphasis is on different things though: skills, experience in general, but also eg management of staff details, or voluntary roles held etc.
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Just a bit daunting, having to list stuff from many decades ago.
 
Keep it to 2 pages. My CV lists everything but anything over 14 years ago is a simple 1 liner - that is so far in the past its pretty irrelevant. I am in the market now and rarely talk about anything over 10 years ago.

Layout wise - a summary at the top, only 2-3 lines then a few bullet points (2 columns) highlighting particular skills, experience etc...

Then for each recent role, a 3 line or so summary of the company and what I did, then more bullet points highlighting key achievements.
 
cambsno said:
Keep it to 2 pages. My CV lists everything but anything over 14 years ago is a simple 1 liner - that is so far in the past its pretty irrelevant. I am in the market now and rarely talk about anything over 10 years ago.

Layout wise - a summary at the top, only 2-3 lines then a few bullet points (2 columns) highlighting particular skills, experience etc...

Then for each recent role, a 3 line or so summary of the company and what I did, then more bullet points highlighting key achievements.
Click to expand...
I was told earlier in the year from a so called work coach at DWP, that I should remove my date of birth from my CV, call "O" levels GCSE, not to give dates for education and only go back 10 years. The first phone call from an agency - Reed - told me that I had to give my DOB. When I did that reluctantly, the woman said "You don't sound that old"
I haven't heard from them again, even though they supposedly have loads of vacancies and are short of people with my experience.
Make of that what you will.
 
A few years ago I was made redundant. After I had been unemployed for two years an agency advertised a job that was perfect for me. I sent my CV to the agency, and a few days later a woman phoned my up to discuss my application. She said that she wanted to fill in a few blanks on my CV. She asked me when I had last worked. I said two years ago. She then asked me what I had been doing in that time. I said that I had been looking for work, but was really struggling to find a job, probably due to my age. She said it wasn’t that as it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their age. She then went on to say that I had all the right skills and experience needed for the job, but as I had not worked for the past two years she was not going to forward my CV to the employer.
 
I had that issue accounting for a 3 month gap between contracts a couple of years ago, so I said I had been studying and doing voluntary work. Sometimes you have to be creative without actually lying.
Age wise, I don't include my DoB on the cv and refuse to give it or age if asked, as it's not relevant unless they are doing a DBS/security clearance.
 
cambsno said:
Keep it to 2 pages. My CV lists everything but anything over 14 years ago is a simple 1 liner - that is so far in the past its pretty irrelevant. I am in the market now and rarely talk about anything over 10 years ago.

Layout wise - a summary at the top, only 2-3 lines then a few bullet points (2 columns) highlighting particular skills, experience etc...

Then for each recent role, a 3 line or so summary of the company and what I did, then more bullet points highlighting key achievements.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that. ;)
 
j crossley said:
A few years ago I was made redundant. After I had been unemployed for two years an agency advertised a job that was perfect for me. I sent my CV to the agency, and a few days later a woman phoned my up to discuss my application. She said that she wanted to fill in a few blanks on my CV. She asked me when I had last worked. I said two years ago. She then asked me what I had been doing in that time. I said that I had been looking for work, but was really struggling to find a job, probably due to my age. She said it wasn’t that as it is illegal to discriminate against someone because of their age. She then went on to say that I had all the right skills and experience needed for the job, but as I had not worked for the past two years she was not going to forward my CV to the employer.
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That is awful.

Maybe the thing to do is say something like "Considering options and waiting for the right opportunity as I'm lucky enough to be able to do so rather than waste everyone time by taking a position I know I wouldn't be happy in. Plus of course I've been keeping up with contacts and keeping my eye on news and developments in my field and of course spending quality time with my loved ones."
 
I was made redundant in 2008, right in the middle of the banking crash. It took me almost a year to even get an interview. he problem was that I was over experienced for any available roles, even though I would've been happy doing data entry. They just said I'd get bored and leave after a few weeks.
 
you should never put personally identifiable information on your CV as it may end up in the public domain, so defo no address, DOB or mobile number.
These things would be supplied to the agency in a seperate document or email.

as per other things I am an IT Contractor so basically last 5-6 years with reasonable detail and then 1 liners.
Also i haven't put o levels on my CVs in decades, people want professional qualifications etc and courses / certificates relevent to your work/job experience
 
Mr Bump said:
you should never put personally identifiable information on your CV as it may end up in the public domain, so defo no address, DOB or mobile number.
These things would be supplied to the agency in a seperate document or email.
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Agencies with remove your personal details from CVs before passing them on to the prospective employer. If nothing else, to stop them contacting the candidate themselves.
 
andya700 said:
I was told earlier in the year from a so called work coach at DWP, that I should remove my date of birth from my CV, call "O" levels GCSE, not to give dates for education and only go back 10 years. The first phone call from an agency - Reed - told me that I had to give my DOB. When I did that reluctantly, the woman said "You don't sound that old"
I haven't heard from them again, even though they supposedly have loads of vacancies and are short of people with my experience.
Make of that what you will.
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I have only got a couple of level 2 qualifications, not sure what they are worth, as opposed to O level or GCSE quals.
 
Mr Bump said:
you should never put personally identifiable information on your CV as it may end up in the public domain, so defo no address, DOB or mobile number.
These things would be supplied to the agency in a seperate document or email.

as per other things I am an IT Contractor so basically last 5-6 years with reasonable detail and then 1 liners.
Also i haven't put o levels on my CVs in decades, people want professional qualifications etc and courses / certificates relevent to your work/job experience
Click to expand...
Good point. Qualifications like a level and gcse are irrelevant unless you are 22 or less. I have not been asked about mine for 20 something years.
 
Mr Bump said:
you should never put personally identifiable information on your CV as it may end up in the public domain, so defo no address, DOB or mobile number.
These things would be supplied to the agency in a seperate document or email.

as per other things I am an IT Contractor so basically last 5-6 years with reasonable detail and then 1 liners.
Also i haven't put o levels on my CVs in decades, people want professional qualifications etc and courses / certificates relevent to your work/job experience
Click to expand...
Would it be worth mentioning Level 2 stuff that was recent? I did this in College as a mature student.
 
An application going directly to a company is different to one going through an agency or head hunter.
However for both it needs to target the company and what they are looking for.

Many companies use a tick box system based on the Jobs specification listed in the advertisement. and documentation given to applicants. This is used for doing the first sort., and You absolutely must be able to satisfy those requirements. or it won't even get past the personnel office.

Beyond the obvious you should arm yourself with a good knowledge of the company and its business and even who is who, in the line of management that the post on offer, answers to.
Things you have done but that are not relevant, should be barley mentioned, and those more relevant covered in more detail. to move the balance to the needs of the job in hand. All successes should be mentioned in full.

I was perhaps fortunate in always getting an interview and job offer during my working life (However on one, I was deemed over qualified for the post, which was a very annoying, as it was an excellent opportunity with even better prospects)

It is always far easier to get a job offer when you are already in employment, even if it is only doing Voluntary work. This is true at every level.
Blanks are an anathema.

In my last post I was on very many interview panels, for both posts in my department, and posts in other departments. ( several hundred over a ten year period) All managers were required to complete a course covering interview techniques, and employment law, before they could sit on a panel, it was a very thorough process.. I also sat on several interview panels at the local university.

Filling posts is both costly and time consuming. bad appointments are doubly so. Interviews are usually taken very seriously indeed.
 
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Some interesting posts so far. As usual I have been over thinking things. I have just been looking at a few CV templates, just to give me an idea how to set things out.
 
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