CV : How detailed

[blunomore]

And don't forget: no spelling mistakes in your CV

 

[zippy]

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 emore valuable, as it shows adaptability, which is crucial with the pace at which things change these days.

What do you think is a better method for recruiting total strangers to work for you ?

 

[Patty]

Should the cover letter be actually the email body and then my CV attached?

 

[moondoggie86]

Originally Posted by Mike Hoxbig
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 emore valuable, as it shows adaptability, which is crucial with the pace at which things change these days.

Should the cover letter be actually the email body and then my CV attached?

That depends. I prefer the e-mail to contain the introduction: "Herewith find attached my CV for perusal for position blah blah blah" and have a separeate Word document for the covering letter.

It's a personal choice...not going to improve or negatively impact your chances.

 

[hellfire]

Also try find something to make your CV stand out.
My CV had a fancy header with my personal details on the top of each page (like a letterhead) and thus didn't need a separate section for personal details in my CV.
If you have a LinkedIn profile, and you have populated that profile well then why not have a LinkedIn url or profile name there?
If you are applying for a job that is IT related or strategy/marketing related, maybe put a QR code onto the first page which links to an online business card - this shows some tech savvy and a little bit of out-the-box thinking (for South Africa anyway)

 

[cerebus]

During my last interviewing round:
1) I edited my CV in line with every single job I applied for and revised it with help from my father.
2) I provided a cover letter for every job of approximately 2 paragraphs
3) I spent a lot of time fine-tuning my CV from a style perspective - fonts, tables, dividers, header and footer. If you have access to Adobe InDesign or similar document design tool, consider using that rather than Word.
G/L.

 

[hellfire]

During my last interviewing round:
1) I edited my CV in line with every single job I applied for and revised it with help from my father.
2) I provided a cover letter for every job of approximately 2 paragraphs
3) I spent a lot of time fine-tuning my CV from a style perspective - fonts, tables, dividers, header and footer. If you have access to Adobe InDesign or similar document design tool, consider using that rather than Word.
G/L.

And did you get offers from the places at which you were interviewing?

 

[cerebus]

And did you get offers from the places at which you were interviewing?

I got a lot of interviews and eventually found work yes. It was a pretty long process and I learned a lot about making CV's and taking interviews and all of that.