Critique my CV
- Thread starter Gromit
- Start date
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Lee_M
Guru
Well I do IT so that wouldnt be much help...
however, you have a tendency (as I do ) to say things like "Worked as ..." rather than "I worked as " or "Deborah worked as"
Its up to you whether you write in first or 3rd person, but without the subject (Deborah or I or She), the CV will tend to sound terse
however, you have a tendency (as I do ) to say things like "Worked as ..." rather than "I worked as " or "Deborah worked as"
Its up to you whether you write in first or 3rd person, but without the subject (Deborah or I or She), the CV will tend to sound terse
vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
I've had a look and have edited and emailed you the altered version for you to use/discard as you see fit. Check your gmail account.
Good luck with the job search
LegsRsore
Active Member
- Location
- Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside
I've employed several people in my time and I must say I've always preferred CVs that are personal and wrote by the person looking for work. I would therefore prefer CVs wrote in 1st person perspective.
CVs wrote in third person sound like they've been wrote by an agency, your partner or your mum. This would make me worry if you can actually write your own CV or not.
It's your CV so say how good you are..... Show off!
DISCLAIMER: this is my opinion as an employer and not as a recruitment specialist.
CVs wrote in third person sound like they've been wrote by an agency, your partner or your mum. This would make me worry if you can actually write your own CV or not.
It's your CV so say how good you are..... Show off!
DISCLAIMER: this is my opinion as an employer and not as a recruitment specialist.
Yes your right there, my heads in job seeking mode.
ArDee
Legendary Member
- Location
- North of Buntingford, Hetfordshire
As both Lee-M and LegsRsore have said make it personnel in the first person, also rather than I worked as part of a team let people know what you were responsible for, I don't know what other certificates or training courses you've attended on the way, grafting certificates, etc.; but include those, as said above show off. Oh, also include the grade of your degree.
Always have problems when it comes to selling myself when I apply for jobs. Thank you for your advice and will have a look at changing it to first person. I did write it myself, just used the same writing styles I have seen on the templates.
LegsRsore
Active Member
- Location
- Haydock, St Helens, Merseyside
Some of those templates are awful. The employer/job you go for will most likely see ten's of similar "template" based CVs. They will tend to fade into obscurity. Think out of the box;
Use a themed document using a picturesque scene as a watermark on the paper.
Write your CV on some tree bark
The more your CV stands out from others, the more chance you have of getting an interview.
Use a themed document using a picturesque scene as a watermark on the paper.
Write your CV on some tree bark
The more your CV stands out from others, the more chance you have of getting an interview.
Its factually fine but doesn't stand out from the crowd.
You have some good stuff down at the bottom of the employment list in volunteering and rangering that is much better than the "hoeing and weeding" experience further up. Perhaps reverse the time sequence to bring it up to the top where its more likely to get noticed? Also that first sentence in Profile is wasted. Don't talk about being a student etc. Just say you are a graduate in Applied Horticulture and then lead into the relevant skills you have and the things you've done that demonstrate that e.g. your volunteering, rangering etc.* Your BSc should just be a consequence of following your interest, not a means to a job which is how it comes over. Try to put here the things that will make you stand out from the crowd as its the first thing people will read and first impressions etc. And show it goes outside of work into your personal life beyond growing vegetables if you can
Some technical points you will need to deal with. Put in your degree classification. If its missing the automatic assumption will be that it was a Desmond or a third and you are hiding it. You also have a long gap between your archaeology graduation in 2002 and starting your horticulture course in 2009. What were you doing during all that time? Gaps in employment/education history that are not explained nearly always raise questions.
Good luck.
You have some good stuff down at the bottom of the employment list in volunteering and rangering that is much better than the "hoeing and weeding" experience further up. Perhaps reverse the time sequence to bring it up to the top where its more likely to get noticed? Also that first sentence in Profile is wasted. Don't talk about being a student etc. Just say you are a graduate in Applied Horticulture and then lead into the relevant skills you have and the things you've done that demonstrate that e.g. your volunteering, rangering etc.* Your BSc should just be a consequence of following your interest, not a means to a job which is how it comes over. Try to put here the things that will make you stand out from the crowd as its the first thing people will read and first impressions etc. And show it goes outside of work into your personal life beyond growing vegetables if you can
Some technical points you will need to deal with. Put in your degree classification. If its missing the automatic assumption will be that it was a Desmond or a third and you are hiding it. You also have a long gap between your archaeology graduation in 2002 and starting your horticulture course in 2009. What were you doing during all that time? Gaps in employment/education history that are not explained nearly always raise questions.
Good luck.
mangaman
Guest
Hi Gromit
I don't work in your area, but do a lot of shortlisting and interviewing.
Generally a nice CV - short and to the point.
Trying to be constructively critical :-
You obviously have really embraced the horticulture thing and feel strongly, are well qualified and done extra work.
As a potential employer I'd be interested as to why you changed from a degree in archaeology - just a few words in the personal statement at the start that sound really "from the heart" about why you're so keen to pursue this field (excuse the pun).
Also in your interests I would expand a bit - everyone says reading for example. And vegetable growing is really going to be your career rather than a hobby!
Maybe write a bit more about your woodwork, for example - I'd have liked to know a bit more about that.
I tried to pretend I had 100 similar CVs to get through. You need to keep it short and relevant with good experience - which you've done very well.
To differentiate yourself a bit I would like to have read the thing that has driven you to get so excited about horticulture - don't be scared to be "passionate" about it - the employers will be passionate themselves to be in the job.
And, as compo says, I'd remove your personal details from the website
Good luck
I don't work in your area, but do a lot of shortlisting and interviewing.
Generally a nice CV - short and to the point.
Trying to be constructively critical :-
You obviously have really embraced the horticulture thing and feel strongly, are well qualified and done extra work.
As a potential employer I'd be interested as to why you changed from a degree in archaeology - just a few words in the personal statement at the start that sound really "from the heart" about why you're so keen to pursue this field (excuse the pun).
Also in your interests I would expand a bit - everyone says reading for example. And vegetable growing is really going to be your career rather than a hobby!
Maybe write a bit more about your woodwork, for example - I'd have liked to know a bit more about that.
I tried to pretend I had 100 similar CVs to get through. You need to keep it short and relevant with good experience - which you've done very well.
To differentiate yourself a bit I would like to have read the thing that has driven you to get so excited about horticulture - don't be scared to be "passionate" about it - the employers will be passionate themselves to be in the job.
And, as compo says, I'd remove your personal details from the website
Good luck
.. although I would avoid the word 'passionate', which gives off the smell of HR-speak. And please don't be "a highly motived self-starter with a proven track record of achievement at the highest level..." - yeuch!
I would also check what identifiable personal stuff you have lingering elsewhere on t'interweb. When I was interviewing I would normally do a Google search of my shortlisted candidates' names and email addresses - I would think twice about someone whose Facebook page had them baring their nethers on the Town Hall steps every Saturday night.
oldfatfool
Guru
"I am a gradate BSc (Hons) Degree in Applied Horticulture, with the aim of securing employment within the horticulture sector."
Terrible English, makes no sense and not sure what a gradate is.
Afraid with 100 cv's to go through this would be in the bin before I had got past the first para.
Terrible English, makes no sense and not sure what a gradate is.
Afraid with 100 cv's to go through this would be in the bin before I had got past the first para.
mangaman
Guest
I agree about "passionate" - I just couldn't think of a more appropriate word in a hurry so I tried to hide it in exclamation marks!
I just meant something she had clearly written herself, briefly explaining her obvious love for horticulture - otherwise it's rather a dry document for me.
