Question:
I recently consulted a careers adviser, who trashed my CV/resume. Her
criticism is probably valid, since I've barely altered its conservative
format in 25 years. It starts with my age and contact details, then lists
qualifications, followed by work experience. The final section deals with my
qualities, interests, ambitions, volunteer work etc.
My consultant informs me that over the last five years or so, it's become
the fashion to start a CV with a punchy little piece describing yourself,
your current activities, your talents, ambitions etc. She thinks my CV
would have more impact if I did this. She also suggests I should leave my
age (which is advanced!) off the document. What do the rest of you think
about all this? Is the consultant correct? What style of CV have you
found most successful?
I'm in two minds about this issue. On one hand, if I was an employer I don'
t know whether I'd bother wading through a chunk of self-aggrandising waffle
in order to reach the nitty-gritty. I'd probably want to take in brief
details of employment and education at a quick glance at page one. I also
tend to think that bragging about your wonderful creativity, leadership
skills and volunteer work might look like a mask for a lack of training or
experience. And what's the use of hiding my age? An employer will guess it
soon enough from my graduation date, back in 1975.
On the other hand (as the adviser correctly pointed out) my qualifications
and work experience were mostly gained so long ago that they wouldn't be
very impressive to an employer. I won't go into the reasons (no, it wasn't
sprog-raising!) but I haven't worked for quite a few years. I'm 47 years
old, and it's going to be VERY tough for me to find work, even if I can
produce a CV of Shakespearean literary value.
Back in the eighties (before the desktop publishing revolution) I used to
work as a sub-editor/feature writer for a magazine publisher in London. In
recent years, I've learnt to use a Quark XPress desktop publishing package
(I've got my own) and taken a refresher course in sub-editing. I've also
used my Quark package to create newsletters, leaflets etc. for charities. I
really enjoy this sort of thing. I'd like some sort of job in areas like
editing, proof-reading, layout and design. I'd consider any work, freelance
or permanent, but I know my prospects are pitiful without recent employment
experience. I've tried to get unpaid work experience, but no one was
interested.
So perhaps I should do as the lady suggests, and start my CV by making as
much as I can of my volunteer work and my enthusiasm and flexibility? Or
should I stick to the old format, and hope that my professional
qualifications will impress? Also, should I send a CV when applying for
freelance work, or should I do that only for permanent jobs?
I'd be grateful for any advice or support, in CV writing or any other
relevant area. Do any of you know anything about desktop publishing? Have
any of you gone through the problems of trying to find work in middle age,
or after a long break? Can anyone offer me any useful unpaid desktop
publishing work? I've nothing much to do at the moment, and any extra
experience would look good on my CV. I'm getting pretty discouraged and
worried about the future.
Answer:
"That "paragraph" she's talking about is what's called a functional summary,
and for someone whose strengths lie more in character qualities and varied
experience, rather than education and specific jobs, it's the best way to
begin a resume. Her concern about "wading through...self-aggrandizing
waffle" is valid. It should take up no more than 1/5 of the formatted page,
and should focus on *real* experiences and abilities, rather than general
stuff like "hard-working." Also, IMHO one great way to make your resume
stand out is to *avoid* common resume "catch-phrases": I've hired people in
other jobs, and nothing turns my brain off faster than phrases like
"self-starter" or "detail-oriented." Say something interesting, say
something true, and say it fast.
She's right about having her education and previous employment (keep it to a
few of the most recent or salient, not her whole career) on the first page,
but there's nothing wrong with a two-page or two-sided resume (but no
longer!). If an interviewer really wants to skip, they can skip, but a
well-written functional summary will minimize the danger of that.
Incidentally, if she has access to a copy of Microsoft Word, it usually
comes with several free resume templates, some of which aren't half bad. If
she hasn't changed her format in 25 years, it's time to do it now."
