Creating a CV - A couple of questions

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

I’ve decided it’s time for me to start looking for another job. I saw one this morrning on the net and the required a CV to be sent to them. I have a couple of questions if that some people here might be able to answer. Here goes:

1 I have got a degree…one of those some might say useless ones which I did some 15 years ago. Should I ommit it from my CV? I’ve heard that people shouldn’t show themselves to be ‘over qualified’ but I have not taken the driving route and really the degree is redundant. Maybe I should just put down the last 10 years as this would sort out this problem?

2 How many referees do you need to put down? I assume one should put it down on the CV. I would be quite uneasy if they contacted my current boss as he takes these kinds of things rather personally. I’ve heard that others who have gone for other jobs but didn’t get them and he found out resulted in them being ignored for months afterwards. Not sure how to get around this. Any suggestions much appreciated.

2

Ader1:
I’ve decided it’s time for me to start looking for another job. I saw one this morrning on the net and the required a CV to be sent to them. I have a couple of questions if that some people here might be able to answer. Here goes:

1 I have got a degree…one of those some might say useless ones which I did some 15 years ago. Should I ommit it from my CV? I’ve heard that people shouldn’t show themselves to be ‘over qualified’ but I have not taken the driving route and really the degree is redundant. Maybe I should just put down the last 10 years as this would sort out this problem?

2 How many referees do you need to put down? I assume one should put it down on the CV. I would be quite uneasy if they contacted my current boss as he takes these kinds of things rather personally. I’ve heard that others who have gone for other jobs but didn’t get them and he found out resulted in them being ignored for months afterwards. Not sure how to get around this. Any suggestions much appreciated.

  1. In my view nobody can be over qualified for any job. The main thing as far as we are concerned is that you have the commitment to stay on the job you apply for and not use it a ’ short term stop-gap’ to fill in time until a job which uses that qualification comes along. That can upset a potential employer and would make him wary the next time an ‘over qualified’ person applies for a job. I personally would be looking for evidence of your working pattern and if there are gaps I would want to know why - I wouldn’t want to know detail, but if you have spent a period studying the gaps would be accounted for. I’m not putting this very well, but I hope you can see where I am coming from.

  2. It’s usual to ask for two referees. If you have only to send a CV and there is no application form which specifies your current boss, you can get away with giving the name/address of suitable individuals ( not relatives or personal friends, and subject to them giving you their permission to do so) to give you a reference. If you get to an interview they may ask for a reference from your current boss, but you can explain your position on the issue then and hint that you would like to think you are being offered a position before they approach him. ‘HINT’ is the operative word because you do not have to put them in an embarrassing position in case they are not going to offer you a job in the end. In our case we would only ask for a reference from a former employer if we were offering a job, and many firms are the same.

If you don’t want your current boss to find out you are applying for other work keep quiet about it until you have got the new job. Trust no-one, because these thing do have a habit of getting out and by the time it reaches the top it is nowhere near the truth.

Good luck

3

Ader1:
1 I have got a degree…one of those some might say useless ones which I did some 15 years ago. Should I ommit it from my CV? I’ve heard that people shouldn’t show themselves to be ‘over qualified’ but I have not taken the driving route and really the degree is redundant. Maybe I should just put down the last 10 years as this would sort out this problem?

I am not graduated, but I always put my studies on my CV. Off course Physics and astronomy does not help much in lorry driving, but it gaves the reader information that you can’t be the most stupid one if you managed to get your degree/to study such subject.

2 How many referees do you need to put down? I assume one should put it down on the CV. I would be quite uneasy if they contacted my current boss as he takes these kinds of things rather personally. I’ve heard that others who have gone for other jobs but didn’t get them and he found out resulted in them being ignored for months afterwards. Not sure how to get around this. Any suggestions much appreciated.

I always just write “references available upon request”. They can call me and we can have wee chat where I am able to “oh, if you are interested in this or that, I can give you the number to mr X for whom I was doing this kind of job”.

4

Pretty much as xtruckerlady says.

Most companies understand that you may not want your current employer to know that you are looking to leave, so I’d give the previous two and leave it at that.

5

I would put the degree on, BUT with references I always put " References to be supplied" If they want to take it further you can always provide the referees. I dont want anyone good enough to provide me with a reference being mithered without good cause.

6

Thank you all for your helpfull replies. It’s good to get some objective advice and I feel a little more confident now about what to do. :slight_smile:

7

Don’t make you CV to long; we understand you finished nursery and primary if you have a degree.
Leave irrelevant information out of it, I want to know if you have experience for example on the continent, but I don’t want to know every country or village you have been.

Never put “I try" in your CV, Companies are looking for “do ers” not “try ers” (Annoys the hell out of me if people do it in an interview, and say on every question “I will try")

Read always your CV on the day after you made it and look for silly things, and remember you are trying to sell yourself (or your services) Look if you read your own CV, if you would invite yourself for an interview. (Be really honest and not to quick satisfied)

Yes we want to know if you have a degree, even irrelevant, shows that you have some brains.

Have the gaps in your CV very well covered, Gaps is not a problem as long as you and we understand that in that time you did something to move forwards. (Always a bad plan to write that you sponsored the local pub daily)

If you change a lot from jobs, explain, and name agencies where you worked for.

1-2 references will do, we prefer TM’s rather than owners (if the TM is the owner so it is) and explain the situation with your current employer, any decent company will understand, and will not make any enquire until a position is offered.

Please put contact details, address, and D.O.B., marital status, kids etc. In your CV very important, and work down from your current situation to your school years, so that the most important information is on the first page.

Put any relevant hobbies in your CV, but be careful with information like I have a year ticket for Premier League team such and such, and I like my holidays 5x a year, this makes you look very un-flexible, and if you support the wrong team you could miss some brownie points.

AND PLEASE USE A SPELL CHECKER, and stop using standard “jobcentre” CV’s with the standard text “I am a good Team player and also be able to work on my own"

Good Luck

8

Don’t include your date of birth on a CV.

9

What caledoniandream said plus:

Your CV should never be more than two pages printed in black on good white paper. No fancy fonts or smileys.

Be reasonably honest but you don’t need to say that you got fired from a job ten years ago because you were shagging the TM’s daughter.

Write a covering letter. This should say why you are writing to them (on spec — say you heard they might be taking on; reply to ad — say which paper and when) and should link your personal experience to the type of work they do. Eg. If they have fridges, tell them of any fridge work you have done etc. There is no reason not to exaggerate a little here either.

Before you send out a CV always get someone else to proof read it for you. I looked at one recently where the guy had spelled his own name wrongly.

10

Can I bake my potato in your fire as well (do you have such expression in English?)

I am just sending out some speculative enquiries, and I although I am happy with my CV (as it was checked by a proffesional), I would like to ask you what do you think about my covering letter?

Orys’ covering letter:
Dear Mr Blahblah.

I am writing to enquire if you have some temporary opportunities. I guess that due to recurrent volcano ash disruptions to the air traffic your company might feel more pressure on your time critical deliveries branch.

I would like to offer my services in case that you need some extra drivers for some temporary appointments — I can drive car derived vans, transit size vans, 7.5 tonners or class 2 vehicles (and I have digital tacho card).

I am experienced driver, driving small vans in Europe and UK for several years and class 2 lorries from 2006. I am no stranger to timed deliveries and to long distance driving. I have clear license, one year old enhanced Disclosure Scotland (but I just applied for renewal) and I am self employed. I am based in Glasgow but can travel even for long distances, if reimbursed for.

At this moment I finished second year at the university and I am about to start full time employment, but due to my new job being with a new enterprise there were some delays and it was postponed for a few weeks. Therefore I am able to offer my services in case that your company will need some relief during the busy periods of the volcano air freight chaos.

As a long time agency worker and emergency interpreter, mostly for Strathclyde Police, I am used to work on call and I am not bothered with urgent departures even for longer distances. Double manning do not bother me as well. I am not a stranger to European driving and I speak Czech, French and Polish languages.

Please see my CV attached for more details and my personal and contact data. If you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact me either via e-mail or by telephone.

Kindest Regards,

Mr Orys

Is it OK? What do you think?

11

Oreys, there are to many eyes in (“I”) makes it very uncomfortable to read.
We know it’s about you, because you are not writing for a group, so the sentences need to be formed different.
Use short sentences, very short to the point without being bitten of.
If you use to many words in a sentence, people are already forgotten where it was about when they come to the end of the sentence.
A lot of the information you write in your cover letter is already in your CV, which waste time for the people to read it.

I received a CV from a bloke, a couple of weeks ago which intrigued me, he just wrote on his cover letter: " I am your driver from Scotland, ready to fly"
No more than that, but it made me smile, and it made me read his CV and be in contact with him.

Success is standing out from the crowd, without being loud :grimacing:

12

Hm, thanks! :wink:

13

caledoniandream:
I recieved a CV from a bloke, a cuple of weeks ago which intrigued me, he justr wrote on his cover letter: " I am your driver from Scotland, ready to fly"
No more than that, but it made me smile, and it made me read his CV and be in contact with him.

Succes is standing out from the crowd, without being load :grimacing:

televisionheaven.co.uk/boys.htm

That covering letter reminded me of Yosser Hughes. Brilliant :laughing:

14

mrpj:
Don’t include your date of birth on a CV.

Why not? if I look for a driver in a certain age group, I won’t take you on if you are not in that age group, regardless if you be invited for an interview.
Feels to me a waste of time for both parties :unamused:

Also I like to see if your CV adds up, 21 year old with 7 year experience don’t really work for me.

It’s not a matter of “Age discrimination” as any one who knows me, I don’t do, but more a case of Horses for Courses :smiley:

15

mrpj:
Don’t include your date of birth on a CV.

caledoniandream:
Why not? if I look for a driver in a certain age group, I won’t take you on if you are not in that age group, regardless if you be invited for an interview.
Feels to me a waste of time for both parties :unamused:

Correct - I tried not giving my age but as soon as they found out then it becomes a complete waste of everyones time.

If a company want a 30 to 40 year old white (for example) then that is what they will get - they may ask all ages & creeds to interview to show that they do not discriminate but in the end…

It’s like schools having a no-bullying policy - sounds great but makes no difference - kids still bully

16

Ader1, if you are looking for a job, it might help if you put your location on your profile on here

you never know, there may be some prospective employers looking for drivers from the forums, if you are in the right area for them, you my get a pm :wink:

17

ROG:

mrpj:
Don’t include your date of birth on a CV.

caledoniandream:
Why not? if I look for a driver in a certain age group, I won’t take you on if you are not in that age group, regardless if you be invited for an interview.
Feels to me a waste of time for both parties :unamused:

Correct - I tried not giving my age but as soon as they found out then it becomes a complete waste of everyones time.

If a company want a 30 to 40 year old white (for example) then that is what they will get - they may ask all ages & creeds to interview to show that they do not discriminate but in the end…

It’s like schools having a no-bullying policy - sounds great but makes no difference - kids still bully

I totally agree…discrimination is the way forward ,it goes on,it always will ,it’s impossible to stop,impossible to prove.I would much rather know that I fit the profile that an employer is looking for than go through the motions to keep the PC brigade happy and waste everyone’s time.

18

ROG:

mrpj:
Don’t include your date of birth on a CV.

caledoniandream:
Why not? if I look for a driver in a certain age group, I won’t take you on if you are not in that age group, regardless if you be invited for an interview.
Feels to me a waste of time for both parties :unamused:

Correct - I tried not giving my age but as soon as they found out then it becomes a complete waste of everyones time.

If a company want a 30 to 40 year old white (for example) then that is what they will get - they may ask all ages & creeds to interview to show that they do not discriminate but in the end…

It’s like schools having a no-bullying policy - sounds great but makes no difference - kids still bully

I totally agree…discrimination is the way forward ,it goes on,it always will ,it’s impossible to stop,impossible to prove.I would much rather know that I fit the profile that an employer is looking for than go through the motions to keep the PC brigade happy and waste everyone’s time.

19

  1. you write your CV according to the type of job. keep the information relevant to whatever job you are going for, in this case driving. you dont need a physics degree although in the last section (personal information) it is quite acceptable to include any qualifications so if you are going to list it then this is the place for it.

  2. you do not include referees or references on a CV. an application form will have the relevant boxes for them

if you are stuck you can always go to a careers advice service. they will help you write your CV or just give you information including an example which you can use as a template for your own CV

20

shuttlespanker:
Ader1, if you are looking for a job, it might help if you put your location on your profile on here

you never know, there may be some prospective employers looking for drivers from the forums, if you are in the right area for them, you my get a pm :wink:

I’m looking for work in the London/South East area…but I’m currently living/working in South Wales. Anybody
know of companies in this area taking on drivers?

Thank you all who give advice on writing a CV. :slight_smile: