CV help.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I am having trouble finding full time office work and am wondering if anybody can offer some help with my CV. I have got some advice of a forum member and am now looking to do a CLAiT (RSA) course starting next month most likely, assuming I can get a place. Realise my current qualifications arent great, but not alot i can do about them immediately.

I am just after an entry level office job.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

P.S. Removed my details from the top of the page so it start's off funny.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[tatters]

Heres mine simple and to the point, and it works a treat.
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Past:NRG50,AF1125(x2),NSR125RR,ZZR250,CX500,VFR400,KR1S,ZZR600(x2),CB400N,YZF1000(x2),KH125,Z200,FX400R,CBR954RR(x2)GPZ500S,GT550,VFR750F(x2),RD350N,XR650R,CBR600F,CB250,KDX250,YZF750R,CRM250,400EXC,KLR650,TTR600RE,DR350S,R100GSPD,RGV250,VMAX1200,DL650,KZ750 Present:G650XC,C12,CRF450X,1190ADV

[Itchy]

I've had a look , this is merely my opinion however:

I think you should give a bit more detail on software you can use as office jobs other than office juniors (hell the office juniors even use excel and word but lots of inhouse) , with weighting towards word / office ,excel and power point , and if possible put out some examples , say powerpoint presentations excel spread sheets to work out tax liabilities etc , word mail merge or auto letter creation (there is a ton of inhouse software which mail merge is just enter a search for the persons name click and the letter comes out), acess , etc

Also that in your work experience provide examples of the list at the top ,

Good customer service skills – including telecommunications - this leads a question to how where and when?

IT literate: - Microsoft products, E-mail, and the internet - as above , what microsoft packages (whats microsoft yes many people are in the dark about who wrote what)

Quick imaginative thinking and logical problem solving -> give an example (can be in the jobs down below)

Good eye-to-hand co-ordination and attention to detail - > I think this is irrelevant for a factory job yes, but can't relate it
to an office job unless you mean a high WPM typing rate , or you are a wanker (heh) , or filing (filing is awful btw)

Keenness and passion to learn new skills -> say how this always goes down well , ie I'm studying at night school this and
that or something like once I was settled into my role I often asked for more challenging roles



I hate to say it but you also make some school boy grammatical errors I am not perfect myself.

"screen’s and general area’s tidy when working on floor. Also displaying and putting stock into specified storage "

should be areas and screens , the 's is for a belonging word ie

my firm's fee note,

Peter's bike was nicked ,

Siggi's fist repeatedly smashed into the chav's face,

or word it to avoid saying plaural non belonging.


I'd also be less blunt about the stuff you have done and try to say what skill this demonstrates ie

Working as a multifunctional member of staff. Dealing with customer enquiries concerning ticket sales via phone and in person and the sale of tickets, Serving customers on concessions.Keeping screen’s and general area’s tidy when working on floor. Also displaying and putting stock into specified storage

My thoughts on this are a bit iffy, I would have said (splitting primary and secondary duties , depending on job wanted)

I worked as a staff member with many functions primarily dealing with customers over the telephone and face to face concerning ticket sales, which required an excellent telephone manner and a confident manner when dealing with difficult customers and
their concerns.My secondary duties involved general maintenance of the computers and management of general stock items.

It says the same thing but words like maintenance = useful for office folk as people who can fix things and know there way
around computers have a premium in offices as they are usually filled with barely computer literates.


Your hobbies also seem to me to stake out the loner persona , not that I'm dissing loners but offices hate them , put in a
team sport or something , paintball even as this implies team work motorcycles are a maybe as different people can read
it in different ways.


remove words like basic , this shows lack of confidence , basic means fuck all , good experience , good ability , advanced knowledge
indepth skills are good words, if you can't use 3ds I'll show you how , or just claim you used to be the www.combat-helo.com
project artist (and yes that apache cockpit is mine done in 1999 no really it is I did it as a freebie for flexman but never got round to skinning it prperly)

NOTE

Itchy hath no magic bullet , remember the rules 5% response rate = good , agencies need to be pestered twice daily, of a 5% response expect 3 to say no , and 2 for an interview. I float around the 15% response rate and 8% interview rate., my current job
is application 72 I think.


also I'd say fill in blank spaces ie you have month gaps between jobs move the job start dates around to fill them in a little so it looks
like you've always been employed or that you worked for places more than 3 months , 3 months is the testing phase , if you don't
last 3 months you are deemed unsuitable.

if you want some (old circa 1999)semi home written microsoft books I found some under me bed and I'll send them to you, missing
excel though.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Itchy]

blimey that was an awful lot of rambling , anyway please don't be offended! , its constructive criticism!
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[cagiva gezzer]

Thoughts from the last CV question, afraid it's not as long as above...
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"because one stroke isnt enough and four strokes waste two"

[Annabella]

Ok, you need to mention that you are about to start your Clait course.


I've put some changes onto your existing CV without altering the format etc. Attached.


Having spent months modifying people's CVs for job applications I really dislike anything too 'fancy'. Unless you are applying for a media/sales job no one wants to see colours or shading.

As you are applying for admin work, make sure the layout and presentation is clear, simple and easy to read.

Stick to keeping it on a maximum of two pages, and print it out double sided so there is just one sheet of paper (no one can loose half your CV then )

Under each job, maybe use a bulleted list of the skills you used or learnt in each job. I've attached my CV as well for you to have a look at. (minus the contact details obviously!)


/edit - My CV is out of date!
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[Laura]

Right CV pointers (and no I haven't looked at yours I look at CVs all day not going to start now.)

Make sure your contact details are on their.

Clear and concise is the way forward.

Don't put your age on your cv.

Modify your cv for each position you apply for.

Do not put your picture on (tossers who do).

State basic facts generally in a bullet point form.

If it doesnt follow these guide lines I normally file it B for bin or I also have a draw in my desk with T for tosser
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Good girls ride motorcycles bad girls thrash them.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Thanks for all your help, made a few changes here and there but it wasn't too far off what you suggested.

Can't beleive people attatch pictures to their CV's either.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Teaman]

[Drew]

[Laura]

Yup always a good laugh at tea break

[Handsome]

I did CLAIT stage one a few years back, it's not hard in fact it's a peice of piss. I started stage two but the work changed my hours so I gave it up.....
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Previous Bikes...Honda NSR 125 RR...Kawasaki Zephyr 550...Suzuki SV 1000 S...Yamaha FZ8...Current Bike...Suzuki GSX-R 750...

[Annabella]

One other thing both Laura and I forgot -

Make sure there are no gaps in your work history/employment history that are unexplained.

Those who had gaps that came into me were placed on a 'dodgey' pile



I remember one CV came in that was three pages long, and one and a half pages were courses completed and qualifications. There were loads of them!
I started looking at the work history, and this guy was out of work when he was furthering his education.

Some investigation later (oh, and a call from his parole officer, which kinda gave it away) revealed that this delightful chappy had spent seven years in jail for manslaughter!
____________________
Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
www.bikepics.com/members/bella

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Got a call recently to have a telephone interview tomorrow for a data entry position. What should I expect and should I prepare a few basic questions as I would for a normal interview?

Also I have since found out about a qualification called ECDL (European Computer Driving Licence), is this any better than CLAiT? It seems to be more internationally recognised, the course's are pretty similar from the tutor's I have spoken to today.

Thanks for the CV help, seems to have worked.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Itchy]

A telephone interview? its late and I just did 40 miles to pick something up not realising
it was in my pocket! (ahahhaa) , ie an interview over the phone or a phone call to attend
an interview?


Data entry depends , I've done that multiple times, its a very depressing job but what the
hey a job is a job.though this sort of stuff usually goes to India these days (all ours does)

More often than not they do tests , computer based tests,

can be copy this document in under X minutes

can be listen to this audio and type what I said , with lots of trickery using iffy street names and
iffy names which are not spelt as they are spoken.

spelling ,speed & accuracy are important

I've no idea how they'd do it over the phone , they'd ask and you could say but how do you provide
proof? ,

My thoughts:

Have you any experience in data entry? , (your computer job may have some weight here can the Junior bit of
the title assistant sounds so much better)

How fast is your typing (give your current +20% , since you can practice before a real test)

DO not say

I'm doing this job for experience = you wanna leave after a few months

I want to get me foot on the ladder = same as above

Do say

I'm suited to this role as I have a large amount of experience in this type of work before, I am literate, from (say reading)
and confident,






EDCL is free BTW or should be it bloody well is at all the adult education centres near me , its insultingly easy, if you can write on this forum make a basic excel formula then you will breeze it.My 60 year old dad has one.

and from my experience if they are after computery types , they always look for thick thick glasses ,



oh if you are desparate , my company is hiring an office junior/receptionist and a trainee book keeper / accounts manager

10K , 14K and 15K respectively in Mancs though
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

I now need to brush up on my Excel skill's. Does anyone know of any good online walkthrough's/tutorial's for Excel. I know how to do the basic's but knowing a bit more advanced stuff would be helpful as I need to sit a small assesment. Thanks for any help.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Annabella]

[Handsome]