Another CV Help Question!

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

After 22 years in the Army I now have to make my way in civilian street! Attached is my CV so I'd be grateful if anyone could take a look and post some (constructive) criticism. I'm in the catch 22 situation where I have the quals needed to work in IT but not the experience. Anything that may be helpful in gaining a position in IT would be most appreciated.

Thanks.

Ian

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

Hmm, 15 views and no replies? Is it that bad guys?

I've been applying for loads of jobs and I've had one interview in relation to IT. Most of the time I just get knocked back with the excuse that I don't have 2 years full experience working in IT. It really is frustrating trying to get started somewhere and getting knocked back by this excuse. Oh well, onwards and upwards

 

Hi

If you have a good look on the forum and use the search function you'll see we get loads of people asking similar questions and the replies are also similar - that's porbably why you're not getting much of a debate over your CV.

The CV layout could be improved ad you can lose a lot of that personal stuff at the top.

Try to flesh out the IT experience you have had (I noted some reference about security).

Having interviewed ad employed some ex-forces staff I find the biggest issue to get over is the chain-of-command syndrome. As an employer I want people who are innovative free-thinkers and can get on with doing a job not waiting to be told what to do or for confirmation all the time. May sound like an unfair criticism and I'm not aiming that at you personally but I can only speak as I've found in the past.

I would suggest you have a good look at the threads about CV's and other job tips we have here.

Then start getting your CV registered on some job sites and see what sort of response you get. Pick one or two recruiters near to you that have a specialism in IT, ring them up and speak to them. You may get some useful feedback as to where they think you can pitch yourself i.e. 1st line support or something a bit more meaty. We have several threads on jobsites - just search !

Hope all that helps and you see it as constructive.

Good luck !

 

Thanks, that was just what I was after. I don't mind criticism as long as it is constructive. I also know what you mean by the chain-of-command comment. However, being left to work on my own for the last couple of years of my service has cured me of this! I've already registered with loads of sites as well, it's a bit of a bad time to start now (credit crunch!!) but I'll keep plodding on and I'm sure something will turn up eventually.

 

I'm in the Catch 22 scenario already (that's what I keep being told anyway). The course are part of my military resettlement so I have to do them or lose them. I'm quite happy to start at the bottom and work my way up but I just can't seem to get my foot on that bottom rung of the ladder. I just don't understand all this "You haven't got enough experience for 1st line support" stuff, where does everyone else start? Are they hatching 1st line support staff somewhere?

 

It's mainly agencies I'm registered with although I have contacted a couple of firms direct. I know there's supposed to be ageism but I can't help but feel that being 42 goes against me sometimes! Or am I being too sceptical?

 

I can't say I've noticed it and I'm 46 !

However, my CV does not state my age or d.o.b or marital status etc etc. It just has name, address and contact info. In the last 6 months I've applied for about 130 jobs and age has never come up in conversation at all.

 

You must look young for your years I've had a hard paper round! It's just one of the thoughts that goes through your head when you hear nothing back from jobs you've applied for.

 

You could emphasize the IT side of things a lot more.

Also try losing the specific army terms and acronyms. It makes for very difficult reading if you don't know what they are and do. You lost me after the first 3 lines and after that I just skimmed the job titles.

Taking some of the certifications out might help a bit too, you need to tailor your CV to the job when possible.