CV Advice

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taxing

Well-Known Member
As you're not all as daft as you look, I'm hoping for an opinion or two on the 'Employment' section of my CV.

At the moment I'm studying part time for a PhD so I've got a few jobs that I can fit around my studies and aren't committed to certain hours for any of them. So my CV looks a bit like this (obviously set out nicely and with full descriptions of the jobs):

July 2010 - Present. Student Crew - a bit of office temping around uni, and helping out at open days

April 2010 - Present. Mentor - going into a local secondary school and getting the kids to think about uni

April 2010 - Present. Self employed copyeditor - do a bit for a friend, and I do his bookkeeping too

December 2007 - Present. Supply teacher/TA

I'm wondering whether having that many jobs looks bad on a CV, would it be better if a couple were to disappear? If so, which ones? The supply teacher one has to stay because otherwise I've got a massive gap between the job before that one and now, and the others all show experience of different environments so I'm a bit loathe to get rid of any, but from an employer's point of view it might make it look like I'm unreliable or can't hold down a job. I'm looking for something a bit more stable with more hours at the moment and jobs are a bit thin on the ground, so I need to get this right or I'm just throwing chances away.
 

Arch

Married to Night Train
Location
Salford, UK
I don't know that it makes you look unreliable - more that you are capable of juggling several tasks at once. After all, they run concurrently, not one after the other.

You could always mention a couple specifically - whichever you think are most relevant or impressive (I'd say teaching and copyediting myself - but it might depend on the job you were going for) - and mentioning the others in the personal statement?
 

BrumJim

Forum Stalwart (won't take the hint and leave...)
I'd stick the ones that aren't directly relevant to a post that you are applying for under one heading, and then bring out any features of these jobs that do relate in your accompanying letter/personal statement, i.e.:

April 2010 to Present - various part time jobs including Student Crew, mentoring teenagers considering university, copyeditor and book keeping.

December 2007 to Present: Supply Teacher/TA (presumably teaching assistant, rather than running around fields shooting guns?)

So if the job involves accuracy of work, you can then mention the copy-editor responsibilities. If it is a varied and flexible job, Student Crew seems like the best to expand on, and if reaching out and working with youngsters is relevant, then obviously the mentoring is key.

If I was a potential employer, the list of temping jobs shows willing, flexibility, and a wide range of people that are happy to employ/use you. That is the important bit. I would then only be interested in those parts that showed relevant skill sets, but be happy that you are a person with a broad skills base and a rounded personality.
 

craigwend

Grimpeur des terrains plats
Just be honest & put it as it is.

Potential employers can spot 'customised' CV's a mile off,

my boss recently spotted various 'gaps' in an application & I'm sure it did not set the interview off positively.


the stadard I am informed (when I did my PGCE) for CV's is the link below, however I've not apllied via a CV for an age

http://europass.cede.../CVTemplate.csp
 
OP
OP
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taxing

Well-Known Member
If I was a potential employer, the list of temping jobs shows willing, flexibility, and a wide range of people that are happy to employ/use you. That is the important bit. I would then only be interested in those parts that showed relevant skill sets, but be happy that you are a person with a broad skills base and a rounded personality.

This is such a good bit. I was only thinking of the negative before (look unreliable/unemployable) but actually, you're right. It does show willing and flexibility. Thanks!


Thanks for the advice everyone, I've thought of a few changes to make to my CV!

Craig - that Europass site seems to be aimed at applying to jobs within Europe, the sample CV includes some things that wouldn't be advisable to put in if you were applying for a UK job (like a photograph, apparently it's standard practice in Germany to include one but here it would be seen as weird).
 
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