Do You really want a new job

The failure of job applicants to provide up-to-date and accurate CVs has been a bug bear of mine for quite some time – however, it never ceases to amaze me how many people actually do it!

The numerous times that I have failed to get hold of a potential interviewee as they have included an incorrect email or telephone number has been well documented in my various blogs and newsletters. There are also numerous occasions when the telephone number is correct but there is no answerphone so a message can’t be left – I do start to wonder why people apply for jobs when they make it very difficult for their application to be taken to the next stage?

I now find myself wondering why applicants feel that it is appropriate to submit a cv that does not go up to the present day? Why would anyone submit a CV that ends in 2012 or earlier when we are now over half way through 2013? There should be no unexplained period within a CV otherwise the recruiter can make up their story & one of the possible stories is that the gap in the CV is due to the applicant being detained at Her Majesty’s pleasure & I don’t mean that they were a visitor to Windsor Castle or Balmoral.

People are actually stunned when I query any potential gaps in employment! There are many genuine reasons why people have gaps in their CV so we recommend that all gaps are simply explained e.g. raising a family, travelling overseas, doing voluntary work etc.

If you have undertaken any voluntary work it can be very useful to include in your CV as not only may it demonstrate some transferrable skills and tip the scales in your favour. More than that it may help you stand out from the competition as it did recently for one of our young applicants who had been doing voluntary work since leaving school. Our client was very impressed as they believed that this demonstrated the applicant’s “appetite for hard work” and the applicant was over the moon with the subsequent job offer!

I know that many recruiters have a bad reputation & no doubt some of them deserve it – however, applicants need to help themselves & the first step is getting the right CV. So my not so silent prayer to all job applicants is “help us to help you, make sure that your CV showcases all your experience & that we can contact you when we want to discuss your next opportunity." 

Until my prayers are answered I guess I just have to continue using my crystal ball to fill in the gaps & telepathy to contact the uncontactable!