Being put forward without all the skills

**Bagpuss** · 4 October 2005, 16:56

Originally posted by MarillionFan

I have applied for a contract about 20 minutes from my house. I was actually missing a key skills which the client required but it could be learnt quickly on the job.

The agent had about 15 replies and had a short list of 3 to be sent. So he sent two CVs which were perfect matches and mine which was missing the key skill.

Why did he do this is the question?

Well it appears that
a) I am local the other two live in the north of england, I live in the South
b) Neither one impressed him verbally on the phone whereas I am oozing confidence and never fail an interview.

So will the client see past this and interview me. We will have to wait and see.

Its confidence chaps, not skills, confidence.........

You posted that you failed an interview not so long ago!

**AtW** · 4 October 2005, 16:56

Originally posted by MarillionFan

I was actually missing a key skills which the client required but it could be learnt quickly on the job.

Its not teamplaying is it?

What's the word on the High Street anyway?

**MarillionFan** · 4 October 2005, 17:00

Interview

"You posted that you failed an interview not so long ago!"

No I didnt. You must be getting me confused with ATW.

I am still to fail an interview. I posted I walked out of a contract a while ago.

**ancient** · 4 October 2005, 19:56

Hope it works out

I have a similar problem

30 years IT experience, multi-functional, multi-skilled, could do a number of different roles.

CV is getting a bit too vague, trying to keep it to 5 pages max e.g. business, applications, data, infrastructure.

The full story is probably worth 20 pages, but who would read it.

It seems most of the ad's ask for specific point skills, and my interpretation is the customer wants someone who has been a painter or plumber for 20 years (and speak russsian) or some other idosyncratic skill. e.g. repeatable experience in exactlly what they want to do within their business setting.

The strange thing is that in all my years I have rarely done the same thing twice and never thrice.

Master of all and Jack of none can be a problem.

The industry is getting very silo'ed

Perhaps the time to tailor CV's specific to the role and forget all the other stuff.

I appreciate the attractiveness of just working down the road = a life.

Hope it works out.

**ancient** · 4 October 2005, 20:02

OK

**Not So Wise** · 4 October 2005, 20:11

A.

**HughGBanana** · 4 October 2005, 21:15

I tailor my CV for EVERY job I apply for. Not lies or truth bending, just guiding the eye.

I have several docs in which they offer guidelines for CV writing. VERY enlightening info from people who read HUNDREDS a day and how they seperate the crap out.

Let me know if you are interested and I can email them to you.

**ancient** · 4 October 2005, 21:40

Originally posted by HughGBanana

I tailor my CV for EVERY job I apply for. Not lies or truth bending, just guiding the eye.

I have several docs in which they offer guidelines for CV writing. VERY enlightening info from people who read HUNDREDS a day and how they seperate the crap out.

Let me know if you are interested and I can email them to you.

Hugh,

perhaps you could give us (post) a synopsis of the key points?

**HughGBanana** · 4 October 2005, 21:53

Heres a bit from the first page, I will post the rest 2moro! as off to bed

What should my CV contain?
Only things that are germane for the job for which you are applying. You should produce a
unique CV for every job for which you apply. A single general, one-size-fits-all CV will not do.
That may sound like a lot of work, but an hours work to get a £75k+ return is not bad work.

How long will a recruitment consultant look at my CV?

Probably between 30 seconds and a minute. Really.
What that means is you must have maximum impact and present information — not opinions,
not puff — in the most succinct, direct and easily digestible manner.

The Golden rule of CVs

If you pay no attention to anything else in this article then remember this.
Your CV should be no longer than 2-3 pages.
Less is more. Two is much better than three unless you are a very senior director/CEO when
it is just about acceptable to go to a third page.
There are almost NO circumstances under which a CV should be longer than three pages.
Several hundred CVs arrive at xxxxxx xxxxxxx every day. Most of them contain information that
is unnecessary, clutters up your CV and, for those who have paid attention to the two-page
rule, has meant they have not included other, more important information.
All recruitment consultants have horror stories of the six, nine, ten, even 14 page CVs.
Candidates with 14 page CVs will remain candidates for a long time.

Any good?

Being put forward without all the skills