Opinions, please

[AD345]

That sort of the problem I have with my CV. More like big gaping holes to be exact.

It's a worry, my brother has the same thing

At that point you really need networks to get you across the threshold

[MSTRS:Me]

I've been hiring people for stores/warehousing work over the last several months (still am actually) and it's a pity you are not in Auckland.

However, if I didn't know it was you (the little I know of you as MSTRS on KB) that cover letter would not have got you to an interview.

Too personal and too off topic.

If you are applying for a specific role your cover letter and CV should only be about the attributes you have that you can bring to that role. I'm not interested in your previous work on other fields - at least not at the initial cull stage.

Glean as much information as you can about the role on offer and make the cover letter short(ish) and directly to the point of the job. Don't put in any limitations (can only work x days or Y hours - sort that out at the interview process).

As previously stated you are one of a lot of applicants and there is, of necessity, sweeping decisions made to cull applications down to the few worth seeing.

Cover letter to the point and offering the best possible reasons why you fit the role

CV needs to be briefly descriptive covering work history with highlights of relevant roles and experiences and qualifications

DO NOT HAVE UNEXPLAINED GAPS IN YOUR CV

Then it's down to luck, timing and you.

Good stuff, thank you.
But if a previous poster is to be believed, then I have a near-20 year gap in my CV...

[AD345]

Good stuff, thank you.
But if a previous poster is to be believed, then I have a near-20 year gap in my CV...

nah - self employment is not a gap

Just make sure you highlights the bits of it that are relevant to the job you are applying for.

E.g. Self employed as a painter - not relevant to a stores role - BUT managing your inventory, purchasing decisions, stock rotation, logistics of getting gear and self to right place at right time....etc etc. All relevant to the warehousing/distribution/logistics fields

Hit the high notes

[Zamiam]

I'd not mention self employed in the covering letter.

In my previous experience looking over CV's and interviewing people the 'self employed' looking for jobs either could not work well with others, thought they knew how to run everything or were a flight risk. Harsh as it sounds we had little luck with the self employed and tended to ditch their CV's.


Having said that when you get to the interview stage I'd be inclined to state you are looking to get out of self employment as it consumes all your weekend and is affecting your family. Of course you are more than happy to put in extra time at their job when required :-)

As someone who has employed a number of people over the years I agree with this. Self employed, and I am, rings alarm bells and your reason for getting out would make me think you'll go back when things get better. When you're employing you tend to get a shit load of applicants and to be honest it comes down to really small things when you're trying to get down to a maximum of six to talk to. Your letter would almost certainly end up inte "thanks but no thanks" pile. A concise, well written and relevant letter would give you more chance of getting to the other pile.

Good luck and good on your for seeking advice.

[Ocean1]

I'm overly critical with application letters and CV's (I bin any CV or letter with a spelling mistake) so take this with a grain of salt and as one mans view only, but the following:



says to me "I have a real job/trade and your one is only of interest until the market picks up again".

I'd not mention self employed in the covering letter.

In my previous experience looking over CV's and interviewing people the 'self employed' looking for jobs either could not work well with others, thought they knew how to run everything or were a flight risk. Harsh as it sounds we had little luck with the self employed and tended to ditch their CV's.

Yep, I'm afraid that's a fairly common HR view of self employed people. Accurate too.

I've been hiring people for stores/warehousing work over the last several months (still am actually) and it's a pity you are not in Auckland.

However, if I didn't know it was you (the little I know of you as MSTRS on KB) that cover letter would not have got you to an interview.

Too personal and too off topic.

If you are applying for a specific role your cover letter and CV should only be about the attributes you have that you can bring to that role. I'm not interested in your previous work on other fields - at least not at the initial cull stage.

Glean as much information as you can about the role on offer and make the cover letter short(ish) and directly to the point of the job. Don't put in any limitations (can only work x days or Y hours - sort that out at the interview process).

As previously stated you are one of a lot of applicants and there is, of necessity, sweeping decisions made to cull applications down to the few worth seeing.

Cover letter to the point and offering the best possible reasons why you fit the role

CV needs to be briefly descriptive covering work history with highlights of relevant roles and experiences and qualifications

DO NOT HAVE UNEXPLAINED GAPS IN YOUR CV

Then it's down to luck, timing and you.

Think this is on the money. Also a good idea to get constructive criticism of your letter and CV, initially from friends, (because as well as you may write you eventually lose focus, being so close to the documents) but if possible from either HR professionals or, even better specific industry contacts. AD345 shows how valuable such advice is in sharpening targeting.

Like others seem to have found I've never had a job offer result from a normal agency referal, either someone within the company recommended me or someone who knew both drew the link.

Luck, dude. It can be hard, let's know how it's going, eh?

[MSTRS:Me]

Well - that was interesting...
I apply for any job that may suit and use Seek, TardMe, newspaper, personal call, etc to find/make that contact.
Seek and TardMe send a confirmation email that the application has been received/forwarded/whatever.
Some I have not heard a thing more. Not even a no thanks. Did they even get my application? So I have taken to ALSO sending to an email addy, if there's one in the ad. That's 2 chances of being seen, right? Wrong!
Phoned one that closes tomorrow, by way of a follow up and to prove motivation etc. I have the TardMe receipt, but this employer does not have me in the pile of 90 applicants. Not from the TardMe ad or from the direct email.
So I get the 'personal' email of the contact person that I was speaking to, and re-sent my details.
Exchange goes like this

Me...
As discussed, please find my application attached.

Them...
Thank you for your application. I can confirm that I have received your application this time and will be in touch within 7 working days of the applications closing date.

Me...
Thank you and know that this is a relief. I am convinced that I have missed other opportunities due to emails not being received.
Your position is one which speaks to my skills and aspirations in a job, and I am VERY keen to secure employment in this role.

At the very least I've been noticed. Maybe this time I will get a fair shot at the job?

[Scuba_Steve]

Well - that was interesting...
I apply for any job that may suit and use Seek, TardMe, newspaper, personal call, etc to find/make that contact.
Seek and TardMe send a confirmation email that the application has been received/forwarded/whatever.
Some I have not heard a thing more. Not even a no thanks. Did they even get my application? So I have taken to ALSO sending to an email addy, if there's one in the ad. That's 2 chances of being seen, right? Wrong!
Phoned one that closes tomorrow, by way of a follow up and to prove motivation etc. I have the TardMe receipt, but this employer does not have me in the pile of 90 applicants. Not from the TardMe ad or from the direct email.
So I get the 'personal' email of the contact person that I was speaking to, and re-sent my details.
Exchange goes like this

At the very least I've been noticed. Maybe this time I will get a fair shot at the job?

Wonder if your've been getting parsed through those stupid fucking HR CV programs. Those things reject many a good applicant while letting through many a useless one

[MSTRS:Me]

Something else too...
Should the letter and the CV both be attachments? Or should the letter form the body of the email and the CV attached?
And is it preferable to use Word or PDF?

[5150]

I've been looking and applying for jobs for over a year now. Have had a few interviews, but no luck.
I have it on good authority that there is nothing wrong, and plenty right, with my app. letters, so I am wondering what I can do to increase my chances of an interview, at the very least.
I have some on the go atm, and have had the 'Your application has been received...' emails.
Should I follow up with a phone call or wait until they contact me?
Anything else I can try?

So standing on street corners is not proving too lucrative these days?

[MSTRS:Me]

It's the fishnets...they play havoc with my varicose veins. But the industry is clear that they must be worn or find another job.

[MisterD]

Something else too...
Should the letter and the CV both be attachments? Or should the letter form the body of the email and the CV attached?
And is it preferable to use Word or PDF?

I've always done the cover letter as the body of the email and attached the CV and I don't think word v pdf makes any difference, I'd doubt whether many home PC's have the ability to create a pdf.

All I'd add to the amazing amount of useful information already provided is:

1) Too many people have a CV. You should look to tailor your CV to the position being applied for.

2) The job of the cover letter is to get your CV read, the job of the CV is to get you the interview and the interview gets you the job.

[arkeo]

[...] Too personal and too off topic. [...] CV needs to be briefly descriptive covering work history with highlights of relevant roles and experiences and qualifications [...] DO NOT HAVE UNEXPLAINED GAPS IN YOUR CV

I totally agree... As far as I can tell, few lines about personal interests can be timely at the end of the CV but only in case they had something to do with the job.

A.

[cowboyz]

tbh, I have no idea. I was unemployed for 2 years. I hounded the temp agencies doors daily (and by hounded.. I mean I showed up every morning and sat there with a coffee telling them to assign me somewhere to work.) It worked for me but only because the recruitment guy thought it bold and liked that. If he was different.. it would have been putting me to the bottom of the list. I have worked in my company for a couple of years now after they hired me after a year of temping. its just blind luck. In the time I have been there I have seen plenty of good workers let go over those that have friends or family working for the company. You have to ask yourself... Are you willing to do anything? The 9-5 jobs are gone now. I work 9pm to 6am at the moment and that can change in an instant. I realised early on that saying the 'right' things (coincidently is usually the complete opposite of what I am thinking) will get you further. People want to feel important and they want to hire people who make them feel important. It makes no difference if you can do the job well or not. What makes the difference is if you can make your boss look like he knows what hes doing.

[Stirts]

If you are providing referees or even name of contacts at previous places of employment you could try removing them.

Or at least do a "mystery check" on any of the verbal reference contacts you have provided in your CV. I phoned a previous employer, impersonating a Recruitment Officer, asking them questions about the "candidate" - turns out this fuck-knuckle (who actually also provided a very glowing written reference) was giving very destructive feedback for this person, thus explaining why he wasn't getting the jobs he could do with his eyes shut.


My opinion for writing Cover Letters - match the language/terminology they use in the Advert and Position Description. Reading the PD and Advert can give you the main attributes/skills they are looking for, so focus solely on those.

i.e

Enclosed is my CV to support my application. In it you will see that I would bring some important skills including:
• Advanced computer literacy.
• Staff supervision and training skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Project co-ordination and organisation skills.
• High level of accuracy.
• Strong problem solving ability.

Then write a very short, but to the point script on how you applied those skills/attributes.

Same with CV...
Very short, to the point, but I have found that adding "Acheivements" at the bottom of each role that I have listed. It certainly gains attention if I get an interview. And it generally addresses a standard interview question anyway.

[MSTRS:Me]

References are problematic insofaras I can't list many.
My working relationship with an employer is limited to one in recent times, and clients - well - I'm uncomfortable about the idea of them knowing I'm planning to chuck it in.
Friends are good towards character and then only with a pinch of salt, because they have a bias in the matter.

It's fecking depressing, I tells ye...