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My CV has the same format it had in when I wrote it 20 years ago. The content I am reasonable confident with, I am fairly sure they just want a list of technologies and responsibilities, that seems to be what people want to see - but I feel like I should reformat it. Lots of examples online of a sort of brochure type layout with colours and design etc on it. Of course, I'd go for understated rather than University prospectus type stuff, but is that likely to be better than plan text on white?
What do we think?
When you say Senior IT, is that management or technical? And which bit of IT - software, infrastructure, networks, data, security? Your target audience will want to see different things in the different areas.
Apart from using a modern font the only thing I would do is to format it in whichever way answers the question 'does this person fit the job description'? I find flashy cvs annoying up for this sort of position. If it was a marketing position then that would be different. A good quality photo helps though (if you want to include a photo).
Technical, likely to be a solution architect or integration architect role.
No animated GIFs then yeah?
Given that every almost job application requires you to re-input your CV information into an online application form or upload it to be scraped for data, I dont think it matters anymore... bar being legible in its layout and easy for someone to find key details in.
I would never include a photo, in fact good employers will ask for CVs without them. Do you want to work for somebody who potentially screens your CV based on appearances? The photo offers no useful point here.
The photo offers no useful point here.
You really don't need to add one but I've found when going through lots of cvs it helps me remember who people are.and helps differentiate you a little when cvs get whittled down. In the end the CV is only to get you to the interview at which point people see you anyway. So, good photo or none
I read a lot of CVs recruiting for my team (high tech mfg. not IT). Usually spend a minute or two on each one, anything that's not in standard format takes me longer to process and is frankly annoying and unless they're a promising grad, usually get binned. I'm interested in the content not the format.
Spelling mistake or cut and paste error in your cover letter gets you an instant fail.
Technical, likely to be a solution architect or integration architect role.
When I was recruiting for that kind of role, I was at least as interested in the candidate's communication skills as in the list of technical acronyms (but you do need those too to get past the automated CV checkers). So a CV that demonstrated those skills would get my attention much more effectively than a list of certifications, as would a CV that looked like someone had put some care into its design. So yeah, Comic Sans and animated GIFs are just the things you need.
Personal statement on the top or just go straight in with the jobs?
Depends on how you structure the jobs. Give me a regurgitated job description that doesn't tell me what you achieved then it can be useful to pick out the highlights. If it's generic waffle, no thanks.
I have to work really hard to condense the stuff I've done into a small paragraph tbh.
Throw a paragraph to chatGPT and ask it summarise it.
Scarily good, but make sure you fact check it!
Print it out. Open Word, click File / New / Blank Document. Start typing using the old one as a reference point.
It's what I did. I'd been patching together the same document I've had since the 1990s until I was well out of turd polish. The "reinstall Windows" (or if you prefer, "Etch-a-Sketch") approach resulted in a modern document which is fit for purpose again.
Print it out. Open Word, click File / New / Blank Document. Start typing using the old one as a reference point.
That's what I've just started to do (bar the dead tree bit). This whole lot needs to be re-done. At some point in the last 25 years the formatting has become corrupted too which is entertaining. I haven't actually used it since 2009.
I have to work really hard to condense the stuff I’ve done into a small paragraph tbh.
The list of previous and current jobs stays the same. The personal statement gets tweaked to highlight why you're good for the role you're applying for. I dont think you can do one unless you have a specific job application in mind. Then for any following jobs you revisit and rework it.
The list of previous jobs needs re-writing because jobs that were once highlights and needed a lot of words are no longer as relevant to the roles I'm now looking at. If I hadn't been trimming old job paragarphs it'd be about 8 pages long.
Technical, likely to be a solution architect or integration architect role.
That’s my job and one I recruit for at a senior level.
This is what I look for when I’m reviewing a CV…
- degree level of education only and professional qualifications that are relevant - I don’t want to see a list of every cert you’ve passed back to the dawn of time if they’re in technologies nobody uses any more.
- impeccable command of English as all our work is client-facing. A spelling or grammar mistake gets it binned as you’re using a tool that does this for you.
- clear indication that you know the capabilities of the technology stack in use - I don’t care if you can actually build it but I want to know you can select the right tools for the job and why.
- related to the above point - how have you kept your knowledge current or expanded it?
- what did you, specifically, achieve in engagements or roles? No ‘the team did’, or ‘we’. Architecture is a singularly responsible role for the most part.
- evidence of risk management - architects tend to be the last line of defence.
- what sort of artefacts have you created as an architect? Solution designs, design decisions, architectural views etc.
- what problems or issues did you identify or a project have, and what did you (not ‘the team’) do to fix them? E.g., did you recognise that requirements were poor and sit down with the business to determine how to refine them?
- evidence of leadership - not management
- evidence of financial awareness - you know how to plan a project, how to resource it, how to cost it, how to check its on track.
Personal statements I don’t really care about, that’s what the phone screening interview is for, to decide if you’re a dickhead or not. I also don’t care about hobbies or if you have a vegan cat. I’m not allowed to look at length of experience any more but I do look for a level of ‘gravitas’. My architects get put in front of serious people at massive global companies who are spending huge amounts of money, and I need to know they’ll get taken seriously and be able to hold their own.
Some of my colleagues also look for guff like conference speaking or social media presence. I couldn’t give a stuff about that.
My organisation (one of the global consultancies) has a load of architecture positions available at the moment. If you want to pm me, I’d be happy to point you to them or help you shape an application.
Oh, and I like @Cougar ‘s idea of starting afresh. Might do that myself, although I’ve no intention of going anywhere.
I have a slightly flashy cv. Overall conte t is standard, but it uses non-standard colours and some design I got a pet ux designer to do a decade ago. My thinking is that it's memorable, so if someone's flicking through a whole load of cvs they might go "oh yeah that one"
As someone said above ChatGPT. My wife was using it. Previously she paid someone to do a very similar job. It was a couple of hundred for a telephone interview and re-write. Well worth it for higher level jobs but the results from AI were just as good in terms of shortening and rewording.
Not IT but now I have a long list of experience I have a long CV that I cut down for the specific job. Sometimes by skill, sometimes by job role depending on how well it matches.
Make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile tell the same story.
Open Word, click File / New / Blank Document. Start typing using the old one as a reference point.
+1. I did this and paid £5 for a modern template. Molgrips I’d be happy to email my CV to you in Word off you want to blag the format. It seems to be getting me interviews so I’m guessing it’s Ok 🙂
2 pages max
Page 1 = last 5 years of experience
Page 2 = other roles, qualifications, etc..
I find that "old style" CV layouts are absolutely fine. Personal details, maybe a VERY short personal statement, work experience and qualifications that are relevant and then I always have some personal interests at the bottom just to show I'm a human being and not an IT robot. Works for me (speaking as someone in one of the roles you've mentioned going for).
Technical, likely to be a solution architect or integration architect role.
then presumably a key part of the role is to take lots of quite complex technical information and distill it into a format that is easy to quickly digest.
it doesn’t need to be super fancy but if it’s black n white, times new roman, crampt with key facts lost in a sea of superfluous information you are not going to impress.
I don’t like photos but for the same reason as the person up there ^^^ something that makes your CV slightly more memorable than the other dozen in my inbox is probably useful. Im unconvinced by “personal statements” but that is because 95% of them are shite.
I am fairly sure they just want a list of technologies and responsibilities,
no, at the level you are at (I think) I want to know more than that. I want to know about achievements. I want to know about problems/challenges you overcame. I want to know why YOU not why I need a solutions architect - I already know that, I advertised the job!
As someone who looks at CV's for a job, both tech and non-tech, here is my view:
Black and white, sensible font, no pics or graphics, clean formatting that's easy on the eye. PDF or Word doc, no other file types please.
3 pages tops. And get the interesting/relevant stuff in the first page. If someone hasn't found what they want on the first page they're unlikely to dig into pages 2/3/4.
Name, some contact details and at least rough idea of location clearly visible at the top. Link to a LinkedIn profile is no bad thing either.
Short personal statement, 4 or 5 lines, detailing broadly what you do and the key skills you have.
Job history, most recent first, with dates. Don't paste your job spec, talk about what you achieved, where you succeeded, the type of kit/tech you worked on. Think "what would the hiring manager of my dream next job want to know about?" and make sure it's there.
Qualifications at the end, and only the relevant ones too, no-one cares about what GCSE's you've got. If you have some professional quals that are well regarded then you can weave in a mention of them into the job history, "Passed with merit my XYZ qual during my time here".
I'd leave interests out unless they're either very impressive, relevant to the job, or you need too fill some space at the bottom of a page.
More broadly, think of it as a sales pitch. This is what I do, this is what I've achieved, this is why I'm good, keep it waffle free. And ideally tailor it to each application, or at very least have 3 or 4 different versions that emphasis the different areas you've worked on.
no, at the level you are at (I think) I want to know more than that. I want to know about achievements. I want to know about problems/challenges you overcame. I want to know why YOU not why I need a solutions architect – I already know that, I advertised the job!
This is solid advice too. Why should I interview you over the other CV's in my inbox?
Personal statement on the top or just go straight in with the jobs?
I've never understood the point of these, although they seem all the rage.
I mean no one ever writes "Lazy bastard who will appear busy and interested, but idle away their time on forums and will steal from the stationary cupboard whilst undermining their peers."
XML format everything and include an XSD so they can scrape it
Reminds me I do need to freshen mine - Chat GPT could be a good shout as mine could do with some trimming.
Related rant:
Could IT people please stop using the words architect and engineer in relation to roles that are nothing to do with either architecture or engineering.
It's horrible trying to look for an engineering role currently when your inbox and every search is filled up with irrelevance. It's especially frustrating when the JD is written in such a way as it takes 3-4 paragraphs before you can discern that it's a IT role. Some I've seen are even a bit vague by the bottom of the page but then I suspect that's recruiters doing what they do rather than anything else.
what did you, specifically, achieve in engagements or roles?
@bensales there is nowhere near enough room on a CV for all that. I will talk your ear off at interview on the subject though. I seem to be unable to DM you, would you mind DMing me?
I’ve never understood the point of these, although they seem all the rage.
I put one on when I came out of uni as I had not much else to put on. I mean as above, if you want to know about me and my values and motivation with respect to my job, then my career history isn't going to explain that.
I mean as above, if you want to know about me and my values and motivation with respect to my job, then my career history isn’t going to explain that.
No, but as everyone is apparently "highly motivated, dedicated, willing to go the extra mile, etc" the personal statement is next to useless as a differentiator.
No, but as everyone is apparently “highly motivated, dedicated, willing to go the extra mile, etc” the personal statement is next to useless as a differentiator.
Depends what's in it then I suppose. If I can write something interesting and non-cliched that does actually give some insight, then that should also demonstrate good communication and problem solving skills 🙂
Mrs TJ used to train folk in CV / covering letter writing and had a great success rate in getting folk to interview. How applicable this is to your sort of role I do not know however
Keep it concise - 2 pages max. Keep it relevant to the job you are applying for. Recent or relevant jobs put a little about what you actually did ie main responsibilities and achievements but keep in concise. Older jobs or irrelevant ones just the title and dates ( to keep things concise) Only put other info that is not job related in there if it is really relevant
If you have to put in a covering letter or similar refer to the job description and person spec and play buzzword bingo with them - so if they ask in the person spec for "good knowledge of databases" ( as an example) then in your covering letter you say " I have good knowledge of data bases as was demonstrated in my time at megacorp where I did this..." You can also use this type of format in your personal statement if there is no covering letter but again keep it concise and relevant
A lot of places when setting up for weeding out for interviews will have a points based system where you get scored on how closely you meet the person spec - so make that clear that you meet the person spec by demonstrating this in your covering letter.
Dunno how helpful / relevant that is at your point in a career.
My really radical opinion is that names, addresses, schools and universities shouldn’t appear on CVs by the time HR starts filtering them…esp for senior roles.
I sort of agree with that, except maybe University. A first from Cambridge in Computer Science is a very different qualification than say a first from S****horpe Poly (other made up institutions may exist).
I've been with the same company for 10 years now, pretty much straight out of uni. It's going downhill so I have been thinking of looking elsewhere, but it's quite daunting! I haven't had a proper interview for 10 years. I've changed jobs and been promoted internally but that's not the same as coming in from outside. All these CV tips are useful.
I also need to look into finding a decent recruiter for my position as well. Anyone know any good ones for Product Manager roles?
Depends what’s in it then I suppose. If I can write something interesting and non-cliched that does actually give some insight, then that should also demonstrate good communication and problem solving skills
My honest personal statement would be something like "I just like solving interesting problems. I have zero career aspirations and just want to be left in a corner writing code for the next 10 years, then I'll probably retire."
I haven’t had a proper interview for 10 years.
23 years here and it was looking like it might end in the next few weeks, but we've just been told we've won a $250m contract, so if we can last long enough to close the contract, I can stay in my corner hacking code for the next few years 🙂
Well, my twopence. If your senior you have probably done a significant amount of recruiting - make mental note of the formats and things that stand out for you. I'm a fan of bolding particular words in sentences, basically to get past the HR filter monkeys quickly. make sure all of the key criteria as defined in the job ad is on your application somewhere - usually for me that is the cover letter where I tackle the specifcs of the role, the following CV tends to be more generic which I tailor based on the role - I've a few angles I can pitch for, as can most who are senior.
make sure you have a link to linkedin and its up to date and your contacts are a good representation of your role
Though, if you are an architect you could probably write "TOGAF wibble" on a bit of paper and still get an interview at the moment
"I want to tell everyone how to do things, because then everything will work really well, and we can get it done and go home early so we can get out on our bikes."
Though, if you are an architect you could probably write “TOGAF wibble” on a bit of paper and still get an interview at the moment
So it's a good time to make a move?
make sure you have a link to linkedin and its up to date and your contacts are a good representation of your role
I have absolutely no idea who 95% of my contacts on LI actually are. At some point I must have dealt with them and connected, but after a few months completely forget.
I only look at it once or twice a year now, it's become like FB only full of people I really don't give a shit about and have nothing in common with.
Thanks for a prompt - just looked at mine, it's been 4 years since I updated it (I've been 13 years at same place, 10 years FTE).
It looks out of date 🙁
Linkedin is your marketing platform for finding a job. Treat it as such. Maybe it won't make a difference, but maybe it will and it'll take you a few hours to update and 'curate'
Yes some energy vampires use it to relentless self promote. Just mute them.
If you are looking to jump to architecture I'm not sure, we seem to only ever recruit people who (say) they are experienced. We always seem to struggle to find senior techs, and then to hold on to them...
I'd decide on a company you'd like to work for, have a look on linkedin to see if you have a contact that is linked to it, and try to get it so you can have a chat with ideally the decision maker in the area you are interested in. They may not even have a vacancy published but you never know. You can ask about what they look for in an architect, what a typical day is, what the company is like etc... without the formality of an actual interview. All that info then can be used to tailor your CV / maybe focus your training & development etc...
Other option is to talk to recruiters, you need to find a good one though that actually knows the industry / role. They are rare. Most are akin to estate agents