Need help with my CV

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abhishek1994

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#179010 22-Aug-2015 18:15

Hi I am a recent IT graduate and I have completed my Diploma in Advanced Computer Science Level-7. Right now i am looking for any kind of employment which would be relevant to my career so roles such as IT Help desk or entry level roles are the most realistic one's that I might be able to grab.
But now the sad thing is that after having applied heaps of jobs there is no response. Most of the time I am getting rejected straight just by an email.
So what I think the problem is that I have not got my CV correct. So if anyone on this forum could guide me to build a CV it would be super awesome and insanely helpful :D.
And if by any chance someone is looking to hire an person for jobs like cabling, router fitting and any kind of work related to IT including hardware repair I would be more than happy to join your organisation and work for free until I learn the work(by the way I am a quick learner) and then be on the payroll.
Anyone working in Telecom companies might be able to help me easily get a job or maybe a Interview by internal reference and one thing is for sure that I will not disappoint any referee's.
Thanks in advance and sorry for the super big amazing paragraph above.

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Geek @ Coastguard NZ
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#1372285 23-Aug-2015 08:55

Keep your CV to 2 pages - they dont want to know your life story.

If youre sending a physical copy, put it into a bright folder - will stand out more in a pile of black/brown ones.

I generally have personal details, brief intro about myself, breakdown of last couple of jobs, then a list of skills.

Always had good feedback about it.

Gavin / xpd / FastRaccoon / Geek of Coastguard New Zealand

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abhishek1994

24 posts

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#1372309 23-Aug-2015 09:39

My CV is very brief but informative.

jmh

458 posts

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#1372359 23-Aug-2015 10:42

I would recommend that you contact jobs you have applied for and ask for feedback on your CV. Most won't reply, but you may pick up one or two hints from the few who do. Then visit a recruitment consultant and ask them for feedback as well. That might give you some clues as to what to improve.

Other suggestions:

Make sure that a native English speaker checks your English usage - this is usually the main problem with people educated overseas.

Most CVs I see are very plain, and Indian ones often use old fashioned fonts. Use arial or calibri and find a design on the internet that adds a bit of style to the document. Nothing too fancy. I think Word comes with some that are ok, but these might be overused. Don't use US formats, look for NZ and Australian formats if you can. British is OK.

When listing projects and assignments you have worked on, make sure you say what you actually did. E.g. If you say you 'worked on a project' the assumption will be that someone of your level made the coffee. Spell out that you researched the topic, contacted clients, wired up routers, or whatever it was you did. If you were a student straight from school you can add in extracurricular activities that demonstrate you skills, e.g. what you did in the drama club that demonstrates your organisational skills. Ditto for any volunteer work you have done.

I have had feedback from people who have had success in starting up their own business in the evening while working in other jobs during the day. At the least this could lead to some good experience, and you might even make some money.

For the record, I have recruitment experience and also run a CV writing business.

Batman

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#1372364 23-Aug-2015 10:53

There is no one right way to do a CV.

A CV should read to the employer in big bold "WHY YOU SHOULD HIRE THIS FELLOW" (me, but me sounds too arrogant, so you put into third person)

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#1372366 23-Aug-2015 10:56

So if you want to be a soccer coach and you put all your PhD in chemistry and how you were awesome at acting ... no job

If you want to be in a company that wants to help women and you post you were a managing director of a men's club - you can twist it both ways, one makes you extremely unemployable, the other makes you very applicable.

What does your company want, what have you got to give them. Sell yourself. Usually in one page for an entry job + a cover letter, as there are many many CVs for the guy to read.

abhishek1994

24 posts

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#1372372 23-Aug-2015 11:06

That is definately a starter

dafman

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#1372374 23-Aug-2015 11:06

When I have recruited, on occasions I have had in excess of 200 CV's to wade through. So initial decisions - ie, in or out - are often made in as little as 10-20 seconds. I recommend:

1. Stick to facts, who you are, education, experience, interests. Avoid the cliche statements commonly listed under 'personal attributes' - often grabbed from the net or other peoples CVs.

2. Ensure no spelling or grammar mistakes in either CV or covering letter. You are putting your best foot forward, so attention to detail is important.

3. A short covering letter - not email - one page only - tailored for the specific job is often a good idea. Keep it upbeat.

4. Finally, as someone else said, use either Arial or Calibri and look at how paragraphs and lines are spaced. Don't cram, white space is good.

Finally, the objective of all of the above is to get you in front of the potential employer. Once there, it's up to you, not your CV. Good luck.

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abhishek1994

24 posts

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#1372386 23-Aug-2015 11:19

Appreiciate the advice.
This what my CV Looks like i just alter the skills section according to the job.
It is in my gallery.

gehenna

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#1372391 23-Aug-2015 11:25

Yep there's no one good way to do it, but as someone who just went through an interview process from the other side: i.e. had to whittle down a pile of CV's that were stacked 50 high and then have an initial chat with about 10 people, I can tell you the shorter your CV is the better. Keep it to 1 double sided or 2 single sided pages if you can. Bullets are good, but you have to strike a balance between being as concise but descriptive as possible. I had one CV that I'm sure the author thought was incredible, and it really was incredible - but I only had time to read one page of it before I had to put it on the "too hard" pile. What I personally try to do in my CV is include a kind of skills matrix up front with a rating on strengths, then go into work history by keeping the most recent job the most detailed, then just dates/places for the other ones. It's just there to tell a story about whether your job history shows any time patches that need explaining. It's when you get to the interview that you can go into all the detail you want about the roles you've had and the things you've achieved.

I'm sure this flies in the face of most suggestions, but really having experienced the pain of trying to pick some candidates out of the pile this is what I'll now be looking for.

abhishek1994

24 posts

Geek

#1372395 23-Aug-2015 11:39

Thanks a lot.
I will try alter mine in the best way I can.
By the way would anyone be able to tell me where would be the most realistic place to get a job right now for me.
I do not really have any experience in New Zealand in a IT firm but i am not able to get a break through in anybtelco companies a i think that is the most realistic one right now.

MileHighKiwi

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#1372397 23-Aug-2015 11:44

I start with a brief personal summary followed by my core attributes. Then job history, focusing on key responsibilities and 2-3 key 'achievements' per role. Finally I finish with education and training.

My wife is an HR advisor and a few years back helped me overhaul my CV to be more readable and make it stand out, and I have had no problem getting interviews.

The core of my CV is the same but I do change it depending on the role I'm applying for. As for a cover letter, re-write these for every job. I've recruited before and you can easily spot the copy and pasted ones that are not tailored to the specific role. I can spend a few hours writing a letter and adjusting my CV for a role.

And as others have said, it needs to look modern! Don't use times new roman or any 'fancy' fonts. Keep it simple, Arial is good or any other sans serif font, about 10 point size.

Oh, and one final 'tip', on my wife's suggestion I added a photo. I think its really helpful for people to put a face to the name.

abhishek1994

24 posts

Geek

#1372399 23-Aug-2015 11:50

Would anyone be able to do me a solid by emailing me a nicely built CV(strictly for refrence)
Abhichoudhary1994@gmail.com
Or I could email someone my CV and they can have look about where am i going horribly wrong.
Because i die little from the inside after getting so many rejected application's.

abhishek1994

24 posts

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#1372401 23-Aug-2015 11:52

Aandddd also if someone working in a place like a call centre or anything like a ISP provider can help me not get the job but atleast a internal refrence it would be super amazingly awesome.
I am also willing to work for free until i learn what i have to do if experience might be the issue.

timmmay

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#1372453 23-Aug-2015 12:42

Where in the country are you? If Wellington there's a small chance I could get you a bit of experience if you want to work free, though sometimes a new person takes more time than they save, unless you have them doing stuff they already know.

A CV has one purpose: to get you an interview. Remember it's an advertising document, not a collection of facts. I start with a paragraph about me, history, and aims, briefly list qualifications, then go into experience and projects. It doesn't matter how long it is so long as the most important stuff is in the front. If I'm interested and want to know more it's easier to turn a page than to have to ask someone.

I do some recruiting for my organisation, hiring developers and maybe one day a support person.

abhishek1994

24 posts

Geek

#1372466 23-Aug-2015 13:03

I am in Auckland but i could happily relocate if necessary for a stable job.

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