CV review thread
Having a good CV is crucial to moving up the career ladder, so I thought a thread dedicated to improving your CV would be helpful. If you would like to have your CV looked at by our members then email it over to me and I'll post it up.
adrian.gaskell@managers.org.uk
I should add that this isn't official and all feedback offered is the opinion of those offering it, not CMI.
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Here is my CV.
Here is my CV
Nice idea. My two penneth (I'm not a cv expert so feel free to take with a pinch of salt)
@Jeff. I like that it's nice and brief and uses good bullet points to make it easy to scan. If I was recruiting I would be a little concerned about the claim that you created such a profitable division and website on your own in that role. If by Internet sales department you mean the website then it's probably best to say that. Other than beefing it up with a bit more experience though it's ok. Don't forget to tailor this to specific applications. Use the job spec and make sure you highlight the qualities they look for.
Oh, nearly forgot, there's no contact details for you Jeff. Might be worth including those if you want people to call you back.
@Sam I feel a bit like Simon Cowell here. Must resist the urge to pull my trousers up any higher. Ahem. Anyway.
There's some good stuff there but I'd say it's much too long. For me 1 page would be ideal, 2 pages max. Strip down the bullet points to your key achievements (as they related to the job you're going for). For instance if you've done wonders in an engineering capacity and you're going for a HR role then there isn't too much point devoting space to it. As a recruiter I want to know how you will benefit me.
You've dedicated considerably more space to your employment history than your academic history (which is almost consigned to a footnote). What was your thinking there?
One for both of you here, I like my nerdy stuff so I'll be Googling both of you (in a non creepy stalkerish way). What appears when I Google your names? Do you have LinkedIn profiles etc.? Good that you're on here contributing but just beware of that. If you do have profiles on professional sites, include that in your contact info. Make it easy for the recruiter.
Mike,
Hi and thanks for the comments, you are more constructive than Simon Cowell is I think lol. If you google me you will find a fair few bits on me and links to my business website which closed due to the recession. I am on the CIPD site too how do I reference my profile on there wihtin my CV? (Actually thining about it that was a huge achievement running my own business but it isn't on my CV...do you think I should put it on?)
I did wonder if it was too long. The format was suggested by an employment agency a while ago, so it's good to get up to date feedback on it. Do I perhaps need to give a brief description of the courses I have done? Having read your comments on my qualifications section.
Reading your comments on the employment section, is it no longer necessary to give decsriptions of the duties you perform in that role?
I take it bits like Interests aren't required anymore? What about the personal statement at the top do I keep it, amend it, delete it?
Any further comments gratefully received.
Thanks again
Sam
For me I think the employment section should be targeted. So rather than putting everything you achieved in a role, put what you achieved that relates to the job you're going for. Really hone in on the benefits you would offer.
Similar with the education stuff. If for instance the job wants CRM experience and you did a dissertation on CRM then that would be relevant and worth mentioning.
Ok great, thank you for your feedback Mike. Guess what I'll be doing over the weekend ha ha :)
For me, Jeff... yours is a little too short. I'd always thought things like address, DOB, etc. were standard on CVs. Other stuff like A-level grades and references I would have thought should be there, too.
Now off to look at Samanatha's... :)
Paul
Samantha...
I felt yours had a bit more going for it. It is a bit long for my liking - I'd be looking to condense it down to just two sides of A4 (1 side and it'd be a bit sparse imho). I would condense the roles of each job in order to do this as I feel there's a lot of detail there that's probably not really necessary.
I wouldn't bother with the +44 tel. code stuff unless you're applying for a job with an overseas employer.
Paul
Oh, nearly forgot, there's no contact details for you Jeff. Might be worth including those if you want people to call you back.
Hi Mike,
Thanks for your input, yes I mean through the website that I was responsible for and had built/designed for the company.
Other than the experience I've already listed on my CV I don't actually have anything else. Even as I type I'm drawing ever closer to having been on the dole for 12 months and having nothing to show on my CV for this period of time.
My contact details (address, email, phone) are included on my original CV however with large amounts of internet fraud I didn't want to broadcast personal information about myself out on the world wide web, especially my personal mobile number.
For me, Jeff... yours is a little too short. I'd always thought things like address, DOB, etc. were standard on CVs. Other stuff like A-level grades and references I would have thought should be there, too.
Paul
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your comments. As I've stated above the one I actually use does include my full contact details. I've missed off my grades on the advice that its never good to showcase poor results as it may mean I instantly end up in the rejected pile (my A levels and GCSE results were very poor) I have references from university and my previous job but in an effort to fit everything to a single page I decided not to include them.
Is it too much of a sin to expand it to two pages instead? So that information such as references can be supplied? My only fear of doing so would be that I might end up with lots of empty white space with little to no real content to fill.
Hi Sam
I'm no expert but I would agree with Paul. Your CV is very similar to mine but I have summarised it into 2 pages
Jeff - although this is a members only forum I agree with your decision to leave out personal details when posting your CV here. I think given your experience it might be a bit too much to stretch it to 2 pages.
In both - I didn't notice a section detailing CPD? I have it in mine (short courses, worlshops, conferences etc). is it necessary?
Thanks for the input Paul....did do some work on it over the weekend but need to look at it again.
Hi John
Thanks for the input I do need to relook at it after making some changes at the weekend. i am keen to start looking for a new job so I really need to get this sorted, although tailoring it to each application is another suggestion that has been made.
Never even thought about a CPD section but I could see the relevance in it.
Do people still like having the interests section on the CV? Do potential employers look at this bit or not?
Thanks again
Updated CV here from Sam.
Thanks Adi.
Would welcome futher comments on the changes I have made. Thanks everyone!
:)
If it's of use there's an article here on 10 do's and don't for CVs
http://www.more.com/6502/23409-resume-do-s-don-ts#1
Can I have my CV reviewed please? Thanks.
Can I have my CV reviewed please? Thanks.
Hi Endrit. That looks ok. One thing I would say though is make sure you tailor your CV to each job you apply for. Each job spec will require particular skills or experience so use those and draw them out of your schooling or professional experience. Make it quite explicit and obvious that you've done what they require.
Hi Endrit, I guess the first thing to ask is what do you want to achieve with your CV?
I am looking for a position in Management/Finance/Banking/Insurance and anything in-between. Is there anything I should remove?
Dear Endrit, a few comments from me:
1. Under work experience you should highlight responsibilities and achievements. An employer will want to know what impact you have made.
2. I would reduce the Education and Qualifications section to bullet points apart from your degree and MSc. You'll need to do this if you expand as in 1 above.
3. I would put key skills at the beginning but if you do you need to highlight an example for each. For example you could say language and then refer to the 3 you have and give an example where you used it.
4. This is a link to a good website on this and there are many others http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cvs.htm
5. The financial and banking sector is ultra competitive. Focus on the key skills that differentiate you from competition. In my view languages and work experience and drive, from what I see.
Good luck, Vince
Another CV here by Frank Mulligan.
Hi Frank
I only took a quick look but a few misc points that I would pick up...
1) you have a gap - as far as I can tell - from January to August 2010. As an employer, I'd be interested to know how that time was spent. If it was spent well, I think it'd be best detailing that on the CV so there are no gaps.
2) in your qualifications, you don't specify the class of degree that you got. Again, as an employer, I would be interested to know. You might have good reason to omit it, I don't know...
3) References available on request. Maybe this is a personal thing, but if I would prefer to see the references on the CV rather than having to request them.
Paul
Can I have my CV reviewed please? Thanks.
I'm not sure you need to describe what the CMI is towards the end. In any case, that text has just been copied and pasted, rather than been something you've written yourself. Rightly or wrongly, that would have me thinking 'lazy'.
Paul
Hi all, this is my CV.
I am a third sector junior/middle manager looking for a new role. The organisation I work for has plenty of scope for experience but not much for progression as we are fairly small. I'd like to move on and would preferably like to work for a largish organisation where there is a chance to progress up the management hierarchy. Having worked in the private sector and not for profits I'd be happy working in either field. This is my generic CV and I would welcome any comments and feedback.
Thanks
Charles
I am an experienced professional with business knowledge and skills in IT and management across industries. Qualified PRINCE2 Practitioner, with MBA and undergoing further professional development, and an seeking opportunity in a business /administration /management role. Currently a branch treasurer with CMI. Thanks
Here is my CV. I would be interested in getting some general feedback on my CV considering that I am now back on the job market having submitted my dissertation for my MSc on 1st September 2010.
Nice to see this thread getting lots of CVs. My feedback:
@Eze there is a lot of good stuff there but I think most recruiters will probably scan CVs submitted to them (as there will be a lot to get through). I'm not sure your CV is that easy to scan. That would be the easiest win I think you can make.
@Charles the one thing that immediately jumps out is the length. Again put yourself in the shoes of the recruiter. If they have 100 CVs to get through brevity will be welcomed. Can you cut it down to 2 pages? For instance in your employment section I would personally be more interested in what you achieved than the responsibilities you had.
@Frank I'm not sure quite how it's happened but when I opened up your CV in Word the sizing was such that I had to scroll horizontally to read it all. That would immediately put me off so may be something to check. In your achievements section there are some good things there about what you found out but not much on what changes resulted or how these findings were used.
Something none of you offer are things like LinkedIn profiles? I always Google any candidates so inclusion of things like that would save me some work and show you're open and confident in putting that information across to me.
Thanks Mike,
Please could you be more specific on what I may need to do.
Kind regards,
Ezeosa
Hi Eze, for me more bullet points, shorter sentences etc. would be easier on the eye. Make sure you focus on the benefits you gave to your customers (be they internal or external) and if you can quantify that even better.
Following on from Mike's good feedback:
1. Eze-CV is too wordy. I would focus on using bullet points and under work experience put responsibilities and achievements.
2. Charles-I agree with Mike. No more than 2 pages and more on achievements. I would also cut back on anything beyond about your 2 last significant jobs.
3. Frank-same comments as Mike. Too long, doesn't open up in a user friendly manner and you need to give more achievements with value associated.
4. Mohammad-very wordy. I would reduce the amount under each employment and focus on fewer bullet points with main achievements.
Vince
Hi all, could you review my CV? I am looking to make the move from a Field Sales Executive/Account Manager position into a National Account Executive or National Account Manager role. Thanks.
Hello Phil. Here are my comments:
1. Overall it looks OK but probably a bit wordy for me even though it is only 2 pages.
2. I would combine key skills and achievements and place the university part under education and qualifications.
3. I personally like to see some outside interests/hobbies.
4. Can you point in your last 2 jobs particularly to evidence of National achievements.
I hope this is useful.
Good luck
Vince
PS. The cover letter will be particularly important and I would be interested to see your draft.
Hi Phil,
My thoughts as promised.
How does that sound?
Hi all,
Thanks for the feedback.
Vincent - Some good points there. A former employer recommended that I put my degree details in with my work history to make it clear what I did for 3 years... I did think it was strange and hadn't seen it anywhere else so will change that. In terms of national achievements, my current job is very much region based so it can be difficult to achieve tasks outside of my area. However, the one I achieved is the new telephone ordering system which should produce, as a conservative estimate, around £150,000 of incremental turnover within a pub company I look after which has 6,000 pubs across the country (only a certain % order from us).
Wayne - Again, thanks for your thoughts. In regard to the £15m turnover responsibility you picked up on, it is fairly normal within larger graduate schemes to be given a lot of responsibility fairly early on. In my case I was managing the dry goods/grocery department (including beer, wine and spirits) of a store with a £90m turnover during the Christmas period. Others on the scheme in head office functions had larger turnover responsibilities. Somewhat of a sink or swim situation really!
Any other thoughts/advice would be appreciated!
Any feedback on my CV would be much appreciated. Thanks, Sara.
Seems good, Sara... nice and succinct. No mention of A-levels and earlier qualifications, though...?
Paul
Dear Sara, I think it is good too. My comments below:
1. You have a comma you don't need in line 5 of personal interests.
2. If anything I think you might have too much detail in education but of course it depends on your target employer.
3. Some might consider the type too small. You could up this to say 10 or 11 by cutting some info out.
4. Personal interests are maybe too long and could be summarised.
Good luck, Vince
Hi Sara,
My first thought was that it contained a lot of text. My personal preference is for a bit more white space, as the recruiter will probably have lots of CVs to get through so the easier one is to scan the more likely it is to be read favorably.
If you did that you could probably up the font size a touch.
Other than appearances though it's a nice CV.
Wayne
I also agree with you Wayne.
I have now amended my CV to reflect all your comments. Many thanks for taking the time to respond.
Sara
Super stuff, thanks for the update Sara. Have you put it to use yet in any job applications?
Glad our feedback was of use Sara.
Kindly help me review my CV for a better chance of securing an interview. I hope to hear from you soon.
Here is my CV, it'd be great to get some feedback, thanks. Andy.
Hi Andy
Just looking at the top section of your CV I can see a number of different font sizes and use of bold.
All in all, keep it clear and simple for an employer to scan to find the information he wants and then read the rest if necessary. An MBA with distinction will only keep someone's interest for so long.
I hope these pointers are useful. Also I hope I remember them when I review my CV this weekend.
Chris
Here is my CV for review. I am returning to the UK at the end of August so it's my turn to ask for your comments and advice.
This is my first CV for a little while so I would very much welcome some feedback. Thanks.
Been a while since I chipped in to this thread. Here are my thoughts on the last few:
@Mark. I'm not so sure on the format with the shaded areas. It looks a wee bit clunky, and at 3 pages is probably 1 page too long for my personal tastes. The content is generally good, although personally I would rather see more on your achievements than your responsibilities.
With regards to your education, are O/A levels relevant to someone with your experience? I'd be tempted to lose them personally as I'm sure you're much smarter now than you were then :)
@Chris I like it. Nice easy lay-out. If I can make one suggestion it'd be to make it even easier to scan. I'm so used to reading on the web now that this is how I read, and there was a lot of text on your CV still. Maybe use bold to highlight phrases of importance to you, or better still lose some of the text and tighten sentances up a bit.
Hi Mike
Being a bit wordy always is one of my shortfalls. I will have a go and see how I get on. I did look at reducing the number of bullet points, but had difficulty then with layout issues. I will have another go.
What was your general impression - does my CV say "Manager who speaks fluent German"? Or more "German speaker who knows a bit about Management"?
Obviously I am trying to emphasise the Management side.
Regards
Chris
Frank, I really like some aspects of your CV which I can see me working into my own.
Thanks for posting.
Chris