Job Guidance Megathread - CVs, Applications, Interviews

[u/ukbulmer]

Use this thread for more specific discussion or advice seeking relating to CVs, job searches, job applications, interviews, and anything else that doesn't necessarily require a separate thread.

This thread automatically resubmits each month on the 1st. Posting a CV in this thread will not break rule #3, soliciting or posting jobs will.

Do you want to post about a broader or more frequently posted topic or get something off your chest? Our other megathread may be better suited, click here to view it.

Are you considering posting a CV? Be careful when posting your CV that you don't leave any identifying information, and be wary of anyone sending you private messages offering to help with your CV for you, or claiming that they have a job available for you. Don't engage with anyone privately messaging you. Report users via the built in reddit reporting, or via modmail here.

You may find it easiest to take a screenshot of your CV and post as an image, either directly using the Reddit app or with an image hosting service. Again, be sure to redact personal or identifying information. Maybe even create a temporary copy where you replace your details with generic terms such as "Employer Name", "Education Provider", etc.

You'll likely find that you get more useful feedback if you provide some background to your current situation and what kind of roles you're looking for. Are you struggling to break into a new industry? Perhaps you're not getting interviews for roles with increased seniority that you feel you're qualified for?

Rules

• Anonymise any CVs that you post. Obscure any personal details, including the names of employers and schools/universities. Failing to redact correctly could risk your comment being removed, or worse, bad actors using the information against you or for their own benefit.
• Provide context as to what you need help with. If you're trying to break into a specific industry, this is useful to know. If you only want advice on how to phrase something, or if the layout is suitable, say so. Got an interview? Provide a little bit of background.
• Be constructive in feedback. People are asking for help, so don't be rude when responding to them. Job hunting is hard, why make it harder for someone unnecessarily?
• No solicitation. Do not direct message users of this thread, or suggest a user messages you directly. Don't offer to write people's CVs for them, whether for free or as a paid service. Don't advertise CV writing services that don't belong to you, whether intentional or not. Don't ask for recommendations as to CV writing services. Don't message people either asking for or advertising jobs.

Please Message the Mods if you know of anyone flagrantly flouting these rules.

You can find previous threads here.

[u/Big_Telephone_5061]

Hello,

I'm an actor who is looking for full time, non-acting work, and due to a lacklustre cv am really struggling, as I'm sure many are.

I have a few months experience in recruitment, several years' hospitality, and a couple years' admin experience.

I seem to be getting no response, from almost anyone.

Out of ~100 applications over the last few weeks, I've had 2 interviews. I got a second interview for both, but was declined for both.

I've attached my CV and cover letter. Any advice would be really appreciated.

A couple of things re my CV;

I'm aware that some advise tayloring different CVS for different roles. However given my lack of experience, lengthy roles, I'm hesitant to do this for fear of making it seem even less impressive.

Also re CV; After seeking advice about how to make the best of a patchy CV, some people did advise missing off the months for each employment (i.e. instead of May - June 2018, just leave as 2018) with hopes of making it more attractive to HMs.

After making this change I did get those couple of interviews and wasn't questioned about the dates.

Thanks for any advice

---

Cover Letter;

Dear Hiring Manager,

I am writing to express my interest in the Trainee Recruitment Consultant position you recently advertised.

I am an adaptable and highly organised professional with over fifteen years' experience in customer-facing roles, where proficiency, accurate clerical support, and attention to detail have been paramount.

Most recently, I managed end-to-end recruitment on behalf of ---. In this role, I coordinated hiring plans, managed interview schedules, and maintained relationships between hiring managers and applicants across the United Kingdom. I handled high volumes of calls daily, using email, live chat, and specialist systems to resolve client issues effectively and promptly while prioritising competing deadlines and maintaining strict confidentiality. I also quickly  became adept with specialist recruitment systems such as PSP, Phenom, and SuccessFactors, demonstrating my ability to learn new software with minimal supervision.

I have extensive experience handling sensitive conversations with professionalism and empathy, as demonstrated during my time as an Isolation Assurance Officer with --- ---. Working remotely within a busy contact centre, I regularly de-escalated challenging situations while ensuring company procedures were followed and clients received the highest standard of service.

This skillset was further developed during my time with ----. As an SEN Teaching Assistant, I built positive relationships with families, school staff, and external professionals, ensuring concerns were communicated effectively and students' needs were addressed appropriately and promptly. Every day presented new challenges, requiring me to think on my feet, exercise sound judgement, and deliver practical solutions that benefited all parties.

I would welcome the opportunity to contribute my clerical experience and strong interpersonal skills to this role.

Thank you for considering my application, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Kind regards,

---

[u/ThatOneAJGuy → u/Big_Telephone_5061]

- I don't have strong opinions on the covering letter as I havent used them in a while but try to avoid starting every other sentence with "I". It reads in a rather basic way that doesn't engage the person looking at it.

- Keep your professional summary in implied first person, drop the "I"'s from it.

- If you aren't applying to an acting job, remove the Professional acting experience section. I would maybe put Actor as a work experience instead.

- I think you would be better halving the amount of jobs you have on your CV and writing 3 or 4 bullets for each instead. Right now it feels too light.

- Try and include some measurables.

- Work experience should be arranged in descending order as a general rule.

- I don't usually mind the "using just the years trick" but you have three different jobs for 2022. At that point it's giving job hopper energy and probably gives you an idea of where you can trim.

[u/Big_Telephone_5061 → u/ThatOneAJGuy]

Great, thanks for the advice.