Badge

me too

my short CV is a paragraph which reinforces my horsemanship, drilling exp, truck/tractor driving, flying, parachuting, shooting, First Aid Instructor, Physical Training Instructor, sailing certs, etc these are the skills that will get me the manual/labouring jobs, where yuo need to show manual competency and a flair for being able to take on board technical info and apply it practically. Just one page.

I got a technical physical drilling job primarily cos the guy could see I had the mental attributes and the First Aid helped too, even thought the other candidates were far stronger. this was in Aussie.

my normal CV is IT all the first page, then activities at the end. Make me look like the professional. (Yeah as if).

You just switch hey presto.

Badge

OzTennis

I'm just having a quick read at the interesting posts in this thread. Sadly DUP don't you think that these days a lot of businesses would be more worried about someone screwing up their precious data/hardware than people's lives? There is a growing practice now of taking people away from their place of work to tell them they have been downsized/outsourced etc (sacked) and it is a case of hand over the keys, don't return to your office, here's your severance pay, we've changed the locks etc - so they can't wreak havoc with the precious data/hardware. This is particularly used for those in IT, Accountancy, Personnel (sorry Human Resources!) etc who have access to sensitive information.

Good luck to everyone with your job search. I must also admit that it seemed strange to me when I came to the UK that '2 pages max' was the mantra. Just another case of differences between UK and Oz.

OzTennis

Nicstids

If I may say so Badge you sound the most unlikely IT bod! Having never met you, I'm having great difficulties figuring out what you must look like!!

Jirrupin

He looks like an angel....

OzTennis

Mainly black, white stripe, bushy tail, likes to burrow Yep, the same thought occurred to me nicstids.

OzTennis

Jirrupin

I have parachuted, driven a tractor, calved a cow, worked on a dairy farm, climbed mountains, have an old first aid certificate, got stuck in a canoe, flown in a plane, (including the one I jumped out of), and own my own electric drill.

Do you think I could get a job with those skills too They are not on my Cv and I neer thought of trying to get a job on a dairy farm, you see I've been going about it all wrong.

Thanks for the inspiration Badgers.

Badge

mate - I've been lucky.

Right place right time. Everytime someone said "any one fancy this course, or that course," I was always first to volunteer. Basically I will try anything once. Except surfing.

Life is what you make it. Girlfriend has 2 horses, bosh - I'm on one. Fancy delivering a yacht across the Atlantic - bosh I was in like Flynn. Fancy a skiing course - I'm in. Wanna have the chance to play for a national team - "of course".

"LIFE. BE IN IT"

One of the things I like about Australia is that its a country for all rounders. I see people on the train in my profession - IT - and its all they've ever done. Apart from one bungee jump for charity or something. Incidentally - that is another thing I won't do.

Badge

You've got it. stick em on your CV in your interests.. Often people invite you to interview cos they wanna meet you. In my current profession they can choose to interview a 'standard' software developer * 10, all of which put down one wacky hobby - be it extreme sports etc or they can choose a professional with a difference...once at interview you then 'close' the deal. Thats what recruitment consultants tell me.

Badge

Jirrupin

You have got me thinking now, I have also renovated several houses, I have helped to deliver two babies, I can knit, I worked in a butchers, ( not good around lots of dead raw meat though), there will be others but can't think of them right now. I'm off to input my new skills to see what jobs I should be appliying for, I wonder if helping deliver the calf (which was breach) and being the birthing partner for my sister would help me become a midwife or even a vet

Oh yes I have ridden a horse too, not a glamorous experience as I thought I was going to fall off and clung to the poor beast for my life, I was less scared jumping out of the plane.

Megalania

'on yer!

Badge

great. This is exactly what you should be doing. You take skills and then "job" them.

SO in the military - platoon commander 30 men = manager. But you have to do it whilst outside, cold wet. Not in an ac office when go home at 5pm. etc

Soldier (people say 'so what') = map reader, orienteerer, first aider, shooter, hill walker, use of complex equipement, instructor abulity, teaching ability, ability to RECEIVE instruction, work under pressure, survival skills, skiing, parachuting, scuba, medicine, planning, spatial awareness, radio/signals ability to get job done with no whinging etc

Looking after horses - shows org skills, ability to work in smelly, nasty environments with highly strung, temperemental animals, get up early etc customer relations

Yachting - abiity to take on scientific skills, terminology (technical) apply them to circumstances, when you're cold and wet yadd yadda

housewife - say, organiser, domestic manager, cook, task management, has a relation to crisis management etc

of course, you have to be careful - you don' t list a horse if all you've done is been on one on holiday - if you can at least, gallop, canter, have control in the school - be useful then you can think of sticking it down

Any more?

Badge

Pollyana

...but don't forget to cram all that into a very small space or it will

dugongs

my experience of cv's in oz is despite what the aussies tell you only give them a maximum 4 page cv. If they want more info they can ask you at an interview. Bullet pointed, to the point and well presented is the way to go.

Aussies will always say what they think is the right thing and in oz the more detailed and complicated something is it is believed to be somehow better even though it is'nt. Its not logical and goes against the English trend to simplify matters. however just because they suggest something does'nt make it right. Give them the short form (they will appreciate it really) but re write cv for every job you apply for in order to tailor it to the ad or job description.

refs are still an issue for brits as overseas will always be harder than local refs as it is so much more work for lazy aussies as well as time zones working against you. providing scanned copies of written refs is one way. we found that once you got a job offer the agencies will ref check you even overseas if the company demands it. one of my refs got a call from oz agency - hays i think were the ones which also have a system of using their overseas offices to help them.

Jirrupin

Always useful if the circus is in town.

Simone

Hmm, interesting.
I knew about the long cv thing, and about tailoring it to the job, but you guys have given me inspiration to fill it up too:
In my young life, I've only been a student so far, but I've had lots of different jobs, work experience for my bachelor degree, I did an International semester in my course, am now doing an extra workshop 'BIG HISTORY' just for fun, was on the school promotion team, did horseriding for at least 4 years, was in a youth circus for 3.5 years (in WA), I like sailing(done it 3 times),.
I've also kept goats, chooks, rabbits, hamsters, even if I was a child, they don't need to know!

And here I put in Education: primary school - Australia
Highschool - Australia
Which is already interesting of course, and gets conversation started.
But inOz, I can specify even more, saying I lived iN Bidjadanga Aboriginal Community for 10 months and in Nullagine for 10 also.
Maybe it won't help, but at least it's interesting.

Hmm, I think I'll do a first aid course as soon as I get there. Will fill time while finding a job too. Also I think it's good, if I want to become a facilities manager, maybe, why not!

Another thing:
Most people just send there letter and cv. I have ALWAYS been recommended by my dad, to hand it in personally.
Not always possible, but if you have an address, go round, ask for the person, and even if they say they're not there, you can hand it to reception, and hopefully they'll say you handed it in personally. Can't hurt I think!
My dad always talks about getting his first job in Oz. He was in building, and his english was alright, but he had trouble sometimes understanding the ozzie accent over the phone, but still I think this applies for me, and you UK'ers as well.
There was lots of building jobs in the paper, but only with phonenumber, so usually such conversation went fast, he couldn't find his words quickly, didn't understand the guy, and of course he didn't make a good impression either.
Then there finally was one with an address, so he went there.
While waiting he looked around the carpentry factory (showing his interest/curiousity) and then had a conversation with the manager, which went much better. And he got the job! Wooohooo.

Now, I always follow this tactic. When first in the ad asking for written replies, I do that but hand it in personally.
Then, if askes for an interview, and they ask me to take a seat, and wait a while, I stand up, and take a look around. Not straying to far, or being to nosy but still. Like if they have informative posters on the wall, start reading them,or a brochure lying around.

Well, another to long post (I'll have NO problem with my CV )

Good luck with the jobs everyone!