Discussion
Hiya guys,
Really hoping you can help. The carers department at uni have been quite hopeless and just like to point to accenture training schemes etc.
Now I want to urn good money and I don’t mind putting in the hours to get that money, I would also like to move up the career ladder quite fast. This is going to sound big headed, but if I put my mind to something and really go for it I believe can do most things.
What I'm not is hugely social - a few drinks with a couple of friends in the pub fine, but I’m not a lets have hundreds of friends and go out pubbing and clubbing kinda guy. Because of this I really don’t think that the "London Scene" is for me, I would really like to stay on the South coast anyway.
I guess what I’m looking for is something that gives me good career prospects, I don’t mind having to pull long hours- but if I’m going to I want to enjoy it.
I have stuck a cv online - Its the first one I have written so feel free to tear it apart and tell me what you would want to see changed if you were reading it!
cv link removed for rework!
I have to say I like the thought of going retail management- but most training schemes seem to want to you move to where ever they want you in the country and I have a lot of ties to this area, if it was just for a year or so fine.
Have any of you been on any of these schemes?
I have a job with the company I currently work for if I want it but there is not really that much in the way of career prospects longer term.
Have a crack at suggesting jobs, fingers crossed something will come up that really fires my imagination!
Sorry for the long post!
>>> Edited by Althalus on Thursday 28th April 22:11
Really hoping you can help. The carers department at uni have been quite hopeless and just like to point to accenture training schemes etc.
Now I want to urn good money and I don’t mind putting in the hours to get that money, I would also like to move up the career ladder quite fast. This is going to sound big headed, but if I put my mind to something and really go for it I believe can do most things.
What I'm not is hugely social - a few drinks with a couple of friends in the pub fine, but I’m not a lets have hundreds of friends and go out pubbing and clubbing kinda guy. Because of this I really don’t think that the "London Scene" is for me, I would really like to stay on the South coast anyway.
I guess what I’m looking for is something that gives me good career prospects, I don’t mind having to pull long hours- but if I’m going to I want to enjoy it.
I have stuck a cv online - Its the first one I have written so feel free to tear it apart and tell me what you would want to see changed if you were reading it!
cv link removed for rework!
I have to say I like the thought of going retail management- but most training schemes seem to want to you move to where ever they want you in the country and I have a lot of ties to this area, if it was just for a year or so fine.
Have any of you been on any of these schemes?
I have a job with the company I currently work for if I want it but there is not really that much in the way of career prospects longer term.
Have a crack at suggesting jobs, fingers crossed something will come up that really fires my imagination!
Sorry for the long post!
>>> Edited by Althalus on Thursday 28th April 22:11
It looks a bit confused to me...
Probably a good idea to put %'s as indicates not to far of a First.
Doesn't say what you want to be/do , reads like you might want an IT job. - is this the case?
there is no such thing these days a single CV.
You need to have a few templates for example to make it easier to do. BUT it is much better to tailor a new CV to each specifc job requirements, EVERYONE else will be doing this a generic CV implies no effort and will be in the bin.
Even if you apply to the corporate grad schemes a CV for each company tailored to that company, yes you do need to research them to do this.
Mention own company, so immediate question was it so unsuccesful that you need to find a career job?
Are you going to ditch it and focus on (thecompany uou are applying for) - ie we want 100% focused people her.
If you described setting up websites, do they still exist, put links in..
Don't want to put a damner on things but their are tens of thousands of grads out there with 2:1's on better, MOST will be equally as confident, and be prepared to work hard, they all want to be ambitious and work up career ladder quickly!!!!
You need to stand out in some way...
What versions of Windows?!
Why oceanography, do you want to use it in your career...
If not why did you do it, - to become an accountant?!. Tough questions all the above you will be asked if you get that far.
Good luck..
Own business generally is the best of both world, compared to someonelese career/office politics.
B
EDITED to add DO NOT mention interest in reptiles and fish - immediate image of person with no social/communication skills not what a corporate wants, - generates mental image of ken livingstone - Even though this led you to do Oceanography?, WHICH is MUCH more than fish
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 14:45
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 14:50
Probably a good idea to put %'s as indicates not to far of a First.
Doesn't say what you want to be/do , reads like you might want an IT job. - is this the case?
there is no such thing these days a single CV.
You need to have a few templates for example to make it easier to do. BUT it is much better to tailor a new CV to each specifc job requirements, EVERYONE else will be doing this a generic CV implies no effort and will be in the bin.
Even if you apply to the corporate grad schemes a CV for each company tailored to that company, yes you do need to research them to do this.
Mention own company, so immediate question was it so unsuccesful that you need to find a career job?
Are you going to ditch it and focus on (thecompany uou are applying for) - ie we want 100% focused people her.
If you described setting up websites, do they still exist, put links in..
Don't want to put a damner on things but their are tens of thousands of grads out there with 2:1's on better, MOST will be equally as confident, and be prepared to work hard, they all want to be ambitious and work up career ladder quickly!!!!
You need to stand out in some way...
What versions of Windows?!
Why oceanography, do you want to use it in your career...
If not why did you do it, - to become an accountant?!. Tough questions all the above you will be asked if you get that far.
Good luck..
Own business generally is the best of both world, compared to someonelese career/office politics.
B
EDITED to add DO NOT mention interest in reptiles and fish - immediate image of person with no social/communication skills not what a corporate wants, - generates mental image of ken livingstone - Even though this led you to do Oceanography?, WHICH is MUCH more than fish
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 14:45
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 14:50
Jobsite is good, but it’s useless till I know what I’m looking for.
Basically at GCSE time I REALLY wanted to be a vet, that idea got dropped for various reasons that I won’t go into. I have not really had a fixed career aim since, it worries me.
I do plan to focus that cv - I know it still needs a lot of work!
The fact it looks confused is most likely as I’m utterly confused and feel a bit lost as to what I want to do. I don’t want to send out the cv or finish it till I have decided! - It would just waste everyone’s time.
I have a worry that if I go into IT I’m going to end up stuck in an office for ever&ever, it’s not what I want.
The company was not un-successful, my reasons for shutting it down were that I could not deliver the support I wanted to customers and work on my degree was suffering. In the end I made the decision (rightly or wrongly) that the degree would give me something on paper- a fall back if you like.
At some stage in the future I will have another go at my own company. Running it made me realise how time consuming (life absorbing) it can be, I don’t think I want something that does not give me a break atm. I need to network and get a team of people I can work with together before I have another go. In addition I need capital (and I would have to settle on one of the many ideas I seems to presently have flying around).
I can understand why this may be a problem for a company, but I don’t think I’m going to be in a start-up position anytime soon tbh.
Oceanography was abit of a mistake, that’s not to say that I have not learnt things from doing the degree. But it has defiantly made me realise scientific research is not for me. I went for it because of my interests at the time, scuba diving, sailing, canoeing and yes to some extent keeping fish lol (that defiantly needs to go from cv!). Unfortunately most of my expensive hobbies have gone until I have the money to fund them again. Partly why I setup my own company – but the time I would have spend relaxing got used on other things! Working has been purely to pay my way through uni, buy and fund a car etc. Everything I was doing at the time involved the oceans and as everything academic up until then had been scientific –seemed appropriate.
Help! V. confused!
Basically at GCSE time I REALLY wanted to be a vet, that idea got dropped for various reasons that I won’t go into. I have not really had a fixed career aim since, it worries me.
I do plan to focus that cv - I know it still needs a lot of work!
The fact it looks confused is most likely as I’m utterly confused and feel a bit lost as to what I want to do. I don’t want to send out the cv or finish it till I have decided! - It would just waste everyone’s time.
I have a worry that if I go into IT I’m going to end up stuck in an office for ever&ever, it’s not what I want.
The company was not un-successful, my reasons for shutting it down were that I could not deliver the support I wanted to customers and work on my degree was suffering. In the end I made the decision (rightly or wrongly) that the degree would give me something on paper- a fall back if you like.
At some stage in the future I will have another go at my own company. Running it made me realise how time consuming (life absorbing) it can be, I don’t think I want something that does not give me a break atm. I need to network and get a team of people I can work with together before I have another go. In addition I need capital (and I would have to settle on one of the many ideas I seems to presently have flying around).
I can understand why this may be a problem for a company, but I don’t think I’m going to be in a start-up position anytime soon tbh.
Oceanography was abit of a mistake, that’s not to say that I have not learnt things from doing the degree. But it has defiantly made me realise scientific research is not for me. I went for it because of my interests at the time, scuba diving, sailing, canoeing and yes to some extent keeping fish lol (that defiantly needs to go from cv!). Unfortunately most of my expensive hobbies have gone until I have the money to fund them again. Partly why I setup my own company – but the time I would have spend relaxing got used on other things! Working has been purely to pay my way through uni, buy and fund a car etc. Everything I was doing at the time involved the oceans and as everything academic up until then had been scientific –seemed appropriate.
Help! V. confused!
I have been working in IT during my degree, which basically means it’s where my experience is lol. Part of the problem I suspect. But the company I work for atm paid so much better that any other uni job! Probs because I went to them with a business idea and have help them with quite a few projects now. vs paying someone qualified must have been such cheap labour :P
Has also put me off working in IT.
But thanks for confirming my thoughts PL
Has also put me off working in IT.
But thanks for confirming my thoughts PL
bjwoods said:
It looks a bit confused to me...
Ditto, and I have to say I struggled with the grammar of the profile. Whilst I think its good to have it in the third person, the sentence structure seems to suggest there are some words missing here and there
All above meant in a constructive way..
..you have some really good experience, especially the Fiji bit which shows a bit of adventure and spirit.. you just need to develop your c.v. in different ways depending on the target audience. (eg Land management job, talk about field trips etc, IT job, talk about OS knowledge etc) Cheers
Matt
>> Edited by M@H on Thursday 28th April 15:36
think the CV is pretty good actually - but would benefit from some formatting which would make it easier to follow....M@H does have a point re: personal profile being a bit woolly. that said I HATE and DETEST personal profiles on CVs (and yes, everyone has them now).
re: reptiles and fish interest. sorry bjwoods...dont agree at all. Never put 'i like playing badminton, reading and going out with friends' - cos that reads 'I dont have interests but thought I should put something down'. Anything else is inetresting....and the person reading the CV (whoc could easily be me) might also have a passion for reptiles....
Funnily enough I wanted to be a vet too....then I worked for one...then I didnt want to be one anymore...childhood dream shatetred by reality
Althalus.....not knowing what you want to do is not a problem...though saying that in an interview WOULD be! You seem to have lots of time concerns considering you're only just leaving Uni - what's the rish to get everything sorted for ever? Why not try a few things and see what you enjoy?
re: reptiles and fish interest. sorry bjwoods...dont agree at all. Never put 'i like playing badminton, reading and going out with friends' - cos that reads 'I dont have interests but thought I should put something down'. Anything else is inetresting....and the person reading the CV (whoc could easily be me) might also have a passion for reptiles....
Funnily enough I wanted to be a vet too....then I worked for one...then I didnt want to be one anymore...childhood dream shatetred by reality
Althalus.....not knowing what you want to do is not a problem...though saying that in an interview WOULD be! You seem to have lots of time concerns considering you're only just leaving Uni - what's the rish to get everything sorted for ever? Why not try a few things and see what you enjoy?
Doh! I'm going to have to leave urn in the orignal post as its really quite funny 
(well to a stressed uni student it is anyway!)
It was going round an abattoir and some of the other stuff while doing work experience with a vet that put me off. Most defiantly childhood dreams shattered!
I think your right I’m stressing about nothing really. My main problem is I want enough money to live comfortably– buying houses, nice cars etc seems very expensive..
If it was not for that I would just continue to work on the novel that I’m halfway through writing in the hope a publisher might actually give me something for it!
I guess I figured that everything was sorted for the next year or more with current employer. There have been some things that have made me less sure and put me into panic mode For the most part I get on well with everyone, but two people I was working with have left for no reason I can see, but both at the same time.
The directors of the company are aiming to build up and sell it; with a share for the employees at the end, but it is a risk. However I quite enjoy the job, and it would, if I stay with them and they sell for the predicted amount, in a couple of years give me the money to have another go at my own company.
There is a lot that I want to try, but that never comes across well at interview. Nor does not knowing what you want to do. I don’t want the rest of my life sorted, but the next couple of years would be nice. Some of the problem is unless something really grabs me I find it hard to stick to one thing (not at all what an employer wants (unless they want product ideas or solutions)).
I have to say that ideas are, as far as I’m concerned my strong point. Every solution I have come up with so far at work has proved sound and I have yet to find a problem I can not figure out given enough time. The trouble is I may not be able to implement that solution myself.
I also very seriously considered trying to get into ip (intellectual property) law, as not only with my current job but also on my management module I found it fascinating. Unfortunately languages have never been my strong point and my written English can be a bit flaky if done in a hurry (Damn dyslexia!).
Re the formatting on cv, it needs tidying up, possibly tables or reworking the structuring.
I think I might try and reword the stuff about reptiles and fish so they are not on the end. Mention that I’m on a reptile club committee etc. Yer it might be quirky in some ways. But that’s me so!
Very long posts!
Soz
(well to a stressed uni student it is anyway!) It was going round an abattoir and some of the other stuff while doing work experience with a vet that put me off. Most defiantly childhood dreams shattered!
I think your right I’m stressing about nothing really. My main problem is I want enough money to live comfortably– buying houses, nice cars etc seems very expensive..
If it was not for that I would just continue to work on the novel that I’m halfway through writing in the hope a publisher might actually give me something for it!
I guess I figured that everything was sorted for the next year or more with current employer. There have been some things that have made me less sure and put me into panic mode
For the most part I get on well with everyone, but two people I was working with have left for no reason I can see, but both at the same time. The directors of the company are aiming to build up and sell it; with a share for the employees at the end, but it is a risk. However I quite enjoy the job, and it would, if I stay with them and they sell for the predicted amount, in a couple of years give me the money to have another go at my own company.
There is a lot that I want to try, but that never comes across well at interview. Nor does not knowing what you want to do. I don’t want the rest of my life sorted, but the next couple of years would be nice. Some of the problem is unless something really grabs me I find it hard to stick to one thing (not at all what an employer wants (unless they want product ideas or solutions)).
I have to say that ideas are, as far as I’m concerned my strong point. Every solution I have come up with so far at work has proved sound and I have yet to find a problem I can not figure out given enough time. The trouble is I may not be able to implement that solution myself.
I also very seriously considered trying to get into ip (intellectual property) law, as not only with my current job but also on my management module I found it fascinating. Unfortunately languages have never been my strong point and my written English can be a bit flaky if done in a hurry (Damn dyslexia!).
Re the formatting on cv, it needs tidying up, possibly tables or reworking the structuring.
I think I might try and reword the stuff about reptiles and fish so they are not on the end. Mention that I’m on a reptile club committee etc. Yer it might be quirky in some ways. But that’s me so!
Very long posts!
Soz
nightmare said:
think the CV is pretty good actually - but would benefit from some formatting which would make it easier to follow....M@H does have a point re: personal profile being a bit woolly. that said I HATE and DETEST personal profiles on CVs (and yes, everyone has them now).
re: reptiles and fish interest. sorry bjwoods...dont agree at all. Never put 'i like playing badminton, reading and going out with friends' - cos that reads 'I dont have interests but thought I should put something down'. Anything else is inetresting....and the person reading the CV (whoc could easily be me) might also have a passion for reptiles....
Funnily enough I wanted to be a vet too....then I worked for one...then I didnt want to be one anymore...childhood dream shatetred by reality
Althalus.....not knowing what you want to do is not a problem...though saying that in an interview WOULD be! You seem to have lots of time concerns considering you're only just leaving Uni - what's the rish to get everything sorted for ever? Why not try a few things and see what you enjoy?
But, fish and reptiles, he was talking about applying to accenture, amonsgts other, they like people person, not someone with ADMITTED not a hugely social person.
Also nice to be able to afford to try a few things, if you just drift along after uni it is Very easy to wake up and realise you've been in a Mac joc for 5 years.
I'm afraid to MOST graduate recruiters, Quirky means risk. In the interview you have to come across as wanting the JOB 100%, and any decent employer will drag out of you that you have no idea what you want to go...
Sorry to sound harsh, but graduate dreamers, with a high opniion of themselves, I'm just an ideas man, someonelse can implement/do the work are 10 a penny.... LOts of people with ideas and can also do the work out there....
I do sympahise, really, drifted into Apllied chemistry degree myself, worked for CAstrol, jumped into a Cybernetis' masters, and then years of IT, (And I've seen hundreds of CV's whilst recruiting) and now something completely different.
B
Edited to add - I have also never learned to type quickly and accurately
B
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 17:23
>> Edited by bjwoods on Thursday 28th April 17:25
That’s what I’m worried about; don’t want to drift around to much. I actually said all the uni careers people seem to be able to suggest is accenture etc..
Not that that was what I was necessarily after..
Infact I don’t think I’m at all the right kind of person for accenture.. Not by a long shot.
Sorry I don’t think I would want to read everything that I have written – piles of the stuff!
Its good that your being harsh, I need to wake up - its why i'm abit worried!
I'm just finding it really hard figuring out where I want to go.
>> Edited by Althalus on Thursday 28th April 17:29
Not that that was what I was necessarily after..
Infact I don’t think I’m at all the right kind of person for accenture.. Not by a long shot.
Sorry I don’t think I would want to read everything that I have written – piles of the stuff!
Its good that your being harsh, I need to wake up - its why i'm abit worried!
I'm just finding it really hard figuring out where I want to go.
>> Edited by Althalus on Thursday 28th April 17:29
I know its something I have to do.
I think I have come across not at all how I intended, -ie a useless lazy dreamboat with no idea what I want. All I was really after was a bit of feedback on my cv (thanks everyone for that). With possibly a few have you thought about xxx.
Trust me i'm not trying to make this someone else’s problem. I'm trying to solve it. At the moment talking to as many people as possible is helping as it is opening new avenues and getting me looking at different things.
I think I have come across not at all how I intended, -ie a useless lazy dreamboat with no idea what I want. All I was really after was a bit of feedback on my cv (thanks everyone for that). With possibly a few have you thought about xxx.
Trust me i'm not trying to make this someone else’s problem. I'm trying to solve it. At the moment talking to as many people as possible is helping as it is opening new avenues and getting me looking at different things.
Althalus said:
I have been working in IT during my degree, which basically means it’s where my experience is lol. Part of the problem I suspect. But the company I work for atm paid so much better that any other uni job! Probs because I went to them with a business idea and have help them with quite a few projects now. vs paying someone qualified must have been such cheap labour :P
Has also put me off working in IT.
But thanks for confirming my thoughts PL
Althalus - Your thread reminds me very much of the postings I made to forums a few years ago. I am a Southampton Graduate (Physics) and was very confused in what I wanted to do, and to be brutely honest - didn't have much of a clue what the world of employment had to offer.
During the last year of uni I got the idea to try and become an air traffic controller - I got a place in training but it was all it cracked up to be, and I dropped out of that. SO now I am back working as a contractor in IT Support , its pretty mundane and sometimes boring but its paying the bills whilst I am looking what I really want to do...I think this is the key, once you are employed you get to meet people and find positions for yourself, get your cv upto scratch, sell yourself positively and get stuck in. Like me, you are still young enough to try several things before making long term commitments such as housing rent/mortgage , car loan and anything else that stops you from having freedom of choosing what you want to do/where you want to go.
>> Edited by dtmpower on Friday 29th April 15:03
dtmpower said:
During the last year of uni I got the idea to try and become an air traffic controller - I got a place in training but it was all it cracked up to be
I have been looking at a career in ATC, why wasnt it all its cracked up to be? Mind mailing me offline about your thoughts with it?
Ben
Can you take a look at my cv and suggest any improvements or areas of work that may suit my experience.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/crazyskylineuk/cv%20john%20fisher%20discrete.doc
>> Edited by dtmpower on Wednesday 15th June 22:49
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/crazyskylineuk/cv%20john%20fisher%20discrete.doc
>> Edited by dtmpower on Wednesday 15th June 22:49
IMHO, I would do the following -
Lose the call centre & helpdesk jobs
Merge 'aims' and 'capabilities' into a 'Summary' and actually tell me something about your career instead of wishy washy stuff about 'communicating effectively with others'.
Bring 'activities' and 'interests' up above jobs list
Summarise IT skills under 'interests' a bit better and add in personal stuff about home life, sports interests, membership to anything etc. I even include my passion for dodgy 90s european house music in my CV and its been talked about at interviews before now (including the interview for the job I'm now doing!)
Lose the call centre & helpdesk jobs
Merge 'aims' and 'capabilities' into a 'Summary' and actually tell me something about your career instead of wishy washy stuff about 'communicating effectively with others'.
Bring 'activities' and 'interests' up above jobs list
Summarise IT skills under 'interests' a bit better and add in personal stuff about home life, sports interests, membership to anything etc. I even include my passion for dodgy 90s european house music in my CV and its been talked about at interviews before now (including the interview for the job I'm now doing!)
Gassing Station | Business | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff