"Dumb down your CV" - jobseeker told

[Mully]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/3662...o-dumb-down-CV

Apparently, WINZ have told someone looking for a temporary job to remove mention of her degree in her CV:

Ms Meehan, 22, completed a political science degree at Victoria University in 2008 and since then has been doing administration and customer service work. Her last job, on a cruise ship, finished in March. She will join the navy in July and wanted a fulltime job until then

Does removing a PolSci qualification from your CV count as dumbing it down??

Reminds me of the old joke;
What did the Engineering graduate say to the Arts graduate?
"Big Mac Combo please."

[Swoop]

A place where I worked some years ago, we had a chap with a batchelor's degree who worked in the cafeteria making sandwitches.

It was the only job he could get since there was a glut of "intelligensia" in the workplace.
Guess he should have studied to become a plumber.

[yachtie10]

Don't see what the issue is (Its reality in the current marketplace)

I have been told this many times but I'm not a good liar

I get sick of the "why would you want this job?" and "youll just leave when a better job comes up"

By the way I am Unemployed if anyone has a job (IT preferably)

[Slyer]

I thought it was fair advice. I've heard of people being turned down because they are overqualified many times. Especially when it's just for a short term job.
I'm just remembering back from my old countdown days where many of the teenage part timers were smarter than the full timers...

[doc]

Yep I think its a good idea of WINZ, she only wants a short term job.

[avgas]

I got turned down from 500 applications - most of which were due to "over-qualification" - it got to a point where I had cut all the crap out of my cv so it only said who I was, the fact I had dug holes for a few years, and 3 years of work at M10.
Then they said I didn't have the skills to make coffee.
Turns out you have to make passionate love and finish their sentences to make some recruitment agents feel like they could hire you.
Job market is nicely fucked in NZ. Recruitment agents have done a good job at this.

[dogsnbikes]

I can relate to that,I have been turn down for jobs because its was deemed I was over qualified for the positions I applied for Hmmmm my view is that the people doing the interview's were insecure in there positions and wanted staff dumber than themself's

As for the young lass or anyone you want's a job short term they would be best to go door knocking and even if it was a job in a packhouse now kiwifruit is being picked and normally packhouse's start slowing down in june,

just a thought

[Headbanger]

Fuckin hard case.

I can't get through to the interviews on the positions I want, and when I get through to an interview for a lower level position I get the same shit, why in hell are you applying for this position?, You will be gone as soon as better role turns up.

[Dave Lobster]

Doesn't EVERYONE leave their job when a better role comes up, regardless of their qualifications??

Or do companies pride themselves on hiring people with no ambition??

[Mully]

Doesn't EVERYONE leave their job when a better role comes up, regardless of their qualifications??

Or do companies pride themselves on hiring people with no ambition??

I wandered that too.

Reading the article again, I don't actually get the impression that she's telling anyone at these jobs that she's ony there till July.

In which case, WINZ was right. Apply for a job at a supermarket or fast-food joint - does she honestly think a company is going to want to go to the drama of training and such if she's only going to be there two months?

[Tank]

Im 100% behind the WINZ person (fucken stupid media beatup).

She is offering great advise - Set your CV (and covering letter) to the position you are applying for.

That dosnt mean telling lies - just making sure you highlight the appropriate bits. Obv going for a role at Pack and Slave - a uni degree is less useful because they expect you to be there "only until you can get something better" - thus they go for the great unwashed so they retain their staff longer.

Simple good advise from WINZ - yet the dipshit media make a big thing of it.

[Headbanger]

I also agree with Winz.

In the past when I have wanted quick employment digging ditches, I told the employer I was a gun at using a shovel.

[avgas]

Doesn't EVERYONE leave their job when a better role comes up, regardless of their qualifications??
Or do companies pride themselves on hiring people with no ambition??

You would be amazed at the number of companies I have worked with that wanted ONLY the minimum level required in my contract. Nothing more.
Seems management feel threatened if your any more than a robot these days.
Protecting their own, and all that.

If I were in their position, I would take all the free stuff I could get.

[ckai]

I wonder if a mate of mine does this? He's a registered engineer in the UK came here and worked his way up in a local firm and was just about to go for reg here then BIG shit hit the fan in his personal life. He decided to take some time off and do some volunteer work overseas for 6 months. It's now been over a year and he still hasn't been able to get work. He's even been turned down as a baggage handler. Not on the dole because he doesn't want to and has been living off the money he made when selling his property in the UK.

Pretty rough. Especially when he's done volunteer work. He came back right when the job market went up the shit.

I should mention this to him.

[Spuds1234]

The reason why she cant get a job is because she only wants to work for 2 months. No fast food joint would hire her unless she lied or didnt tell them that she would be leaving in 2 months time.