CV : How detailed

Dolby

Dolby

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For the guys that employee others - how detailed should a CV be?

Do they really care about my part time job I held for a few years as a teenager and the subjects I took at school? The few jobs I had were unrelated to IT - is it worth it to put them in? Perhaps just the dates and companies - with no detail?

Btw, I'm 32
 
If it is in any way relevant to the position that you are applying for, then include it.

Your CV first ends up on the desk of an HR type pen pusher, who will check that you meet the minimum requirements as per the advert. Your CV is turfed if it does not meet that minimum requirement.

The remaining CV's are then filtered based on relevant experience, etc. and a short list is drawn up for interviewing.
 
Keep it short, I've been to a few interviews lately and if they want more from you they'll ask during the interview. Mostly they want relevant experience and education.
 
The résumé template on word works nicely.
Include a covering letter tailored for the job you`re applying for. It shows you are not just sending out cvs for everything you see in the newspaper.
 
The format I use is:
- Personal details
- Qualifications
- Skills
- Experience

I've removed arb things like my matric marks and part-time work etc., as I'd no longer be applying for my first job.
 
Jabberwocky said:
Include a covering letter tailored for the job you`re applying for. It shows you are not just sending out cvs for everything you see in the newspaper.
Click to expand...
I did that early on, and I kept getting asked why I'd bothered because they just rip it off and throw it straight into the bin before looking at the CV. Perhaps in some fields someone does actually read it.
 
Keyword: Customized.

If you are applying for a job as a grave-digger ... experience as a business-analyst is irrelevant.

... unless you focused on loan-sharing.
 
Jabberwocky said:
The résumé template on word works nicely.
Include a covering letter tailored for the job you`re applying for. It shows you are not just sending out cvs for everything you see in the newspaper.
Click to expand...

this. don't bore them.
 
Each recruitment and selection department basically has a different approach to shortlisting of candidates (but all in line with the Basic Conditions of Employment). I generally first look if the person got the minimum requirements and then take it further with respect to experience.

If a candidate does not have the minimum requirements eg. No applicable tertiary qualification but has extensive hands on experience he/she can still be shortlisted.

Like the others said, keep the CV concise and to the point and focusing strongly on the requirements asked in the advert. A two page CV can also be a double-edged sword so it won't be advisable to apply for a high ranking position with a two page CV.

Most mistakes people do is not reading the advert. We have received CV's with no attachments (qualifications, copy of ID etc.) and had to chuck them out even though the person indicated the have the desired qualification.

My advice...only indicate your experience pertaining to the position. Do not bore them with all the jobs you had since finishing school (at least 3 previous working environments).
 
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moondoggie86 said:
I generally first look if the person got the minimum requirements and then take it further with respect to experience.
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IMO the biggest mistake that most recruiters make is to follow the formula like a script. I understand the need to have a filtering system in place, but this is a rather old fashioned way of doing things, and doesn't necessarily land you the best candidate. Having decades of experience doesn't necessarily mean that a person is good, just that they've been doing what they did for decades, and for all we know they could have been doing it inefficiently which creates a whole new problem. The ability to learn and absorb new knowledge is far more valuable, as it shows adaptability, which is crucial with the pace at which things change these days.
 
IMO the biggest mistake that most recruiters make is to follow the formula like a script. I understand the need to have a filtering system in place, but this is a rather old fashioned way of doing things, and doesn't necessarily land you the best candidate. Having decades of experience doesn't necessarily mean that a person is good, just that they've been doing what they did for decades, and for all we know they could have been doing it inefficiently which creates a whole new problem. The ability to learn and absorb new knowledge is far more valuable, as it shows adaptability, which is crucial with the pace at which things change these days.
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That is just the first process of sourcing the "ideal" candidate for the position. After the shortlisting process is completed, candidates are assessed (practical battery) and then the following stage would be Competency based interviews.

I agree with you Mike but would you rather recruit the 30 year old with extensive experience or a 18 year old fresh out of school (or Varsity). And yes...we do get alot of 18 - 19 year olds applying for Director level positions.

*Off topic* Am I seeing things or did my status change to Senior Member :D Waddup gangstas!
 
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moondoggie86 said:
That is just the first process of sourcing the "ideal" candidate for the position. After the shortlisting process is completed, candidates are assessed (practical battery) and then the following stage would be Competency based interviews.
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But you might be eliminating a candidate before it even gets to that stage, because they have 2/3 years of experience as opposed to 5.
 
2-3 pages.
Don't include subjects and part time work that's not relevant
Start cv with qualifications followed by most recent employment
Don't apply for every position or it will be marked as spam


Sent from iPhone
 
But you might be eliminating a candidate before it even gets to that stage, because they have 2/3 years of experience as opposed to 5.
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That's why the minimum requirements is the minimum requirements. In most cases if the applicant does not have it he is unfortunately disqualified. It is what it is. Shortlisting is just the first stage of elimination.

There is no way for the recruiters to know that a candidate with 2/3 years experience is more proficient than someone with 5 years experience so I can not see the sense in your statement.
 
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moondoggie86 said:
That's why the minimum requirements is the minimum requirements. In most cases if the applicant does not have it he is unfortunately disqualified. It is what it is. Shortlisting is just the first stage of elimination.

There is no way for the recruiters to know that a candidate with 2/3 years experience is more proficient than someone with 5 years experience so I can not see the sense in your statement.
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Sure, that company's loss then. Just keep in mind that if you hire someone who has spent 5 years counting playing Solitaire, and the company decides remove it and load Freecell, then you're stuck with the Solitaire guy regardless of whether he can learn to play Freecell or not.

As for determining a candidates proficiency, it's simple. Match first on qualification, then match on whether experience falls within a certain range, then match on their skills matrix. In the interview, question them on their track record and then move on to competency tests, which includes tests that fall slightly outside their scope to gauge their ability to adjust. If they don't have the qualification, or are not working towards it, then I would agree that experience should count for more.

Also, I've seen job specs that are totally retarded in the first place. Stupid qualification requirements like BCom IS or BSc Comp Sci for the same job, as if the two are even remotely equivalent. Once recruiters and/or management get a clue as to what a job actually entails, what the relevant qualification actually is, and the sort of skills and experience that would be necessary, then perhaps there will be less confusion for everyone. It doesn't help to say that you're looking for a BCom graduate who has spent 10 years developing in every language ever invented, and may also be required to optimise algorithms. What you will end up with is a BCom graduate who has spent 10 years developing in some language and has a vague idea about what an algorithm is.
 
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You might as well draw pictures of bugs bunny or scan a picture of your bum and send that in with one sentence that says "I like to [insert description of job applying for]" and your name as the recruitment agency will be sending you a <sarcasm>very fun</sarcasm> skills matrix to fill out.
 
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