Good advice Dugongs.
My penny's worth and possibly all obvious stuff but:

I've agonised over CV's as both an employer and someone who has struggled to get work here twice in the past.
I can categorically say that I would never employ anyone with a long "Tomb Stone" CV going much over 3 or 4 pages.(personal preference perhaps?!!). Also, I've never been part of an interview team that has ever hired anyone with a very long CV.

Earlier this year, I got conflicting advise from agencies while searhing for work in Melbourne. Finally, I stuck to my view and reduced it down to 3 pages. Remember, there is a lot of effort & skill required to condence it down and many employers appreciate that.

I also believe that a decent covering letter and addressing individual selection criteria is the key in a successful application in OZ.

sorry pollyanna - I didn't mean to offend at all! Just somewhat insensitively expressing my surprise that 12-17 page CV's are acceptable in aussie. Obviously if that's what people request, and that's what gets you the job, then that's what you do.

That would just be my personal reaction if I was looking for ANY reason to weed someone out - but then I wouldn't ask for a 12 page CV, so obviously I wouldn't be looking for that type of CV.

I'd do the same thing if that is what the agency or whoever advised/wanted - just wondering how on earth I'd fill 12 pages though - does 'British Expats.com addict' count as a hobby?? :D

probably best not to mention that I suppose....

OK, point taken everyone, my resume is now in the bin. Though I do wonder about the agency that sent the "short" version back this week saying they would consider me when I had a longer resume, with more details, to offer them.............

I agree about the cover letter...

I've known people who've sent off identical cover letters to heaps of different jobs - without changing the cover letter one bit - they just put sir/madam at the top, and don't even type the name and address of company - so it's easier to photocopy and send without changing anything!

I express myself better in words than in an interview - so I use the cover letter to convince them as much as possible I'm the person for the job - so they've practically made their mind up before the interview - that way the interview is just a double confirmation for them that I wasn't lying in the letter! Makes it easier I find.

well you shouldn't ditch it if thats what the agency told you they wanted - do whatever they ask I reckon.

If it works it works. It depends very much on the employer I would think....

Not at work eh?

On this subject I have just about perfected the art of doing my job effectively and being a BE addict at the same time. I run it in the background and like now have a quick 'refresh' and look at the latest threads and posts. Posting takes care of breaks, lunchtime, the odd period off (teacher) and when the 'weans' are doing a test or whatever. My classroom is full of PC's and we usually give the pupils 5 minutes of 'free time' at the end so I can check out BE then. Being able to type extremely fast is a god-send as well.

What do others do? Oops, there's the bell, Year 12 class beckons.:D You'll also notice I don't post before 8.30 am, after 4.30 pm or at weekends incidentally!

OzTennis:)

I am 31 and can still do an 'every job' long CV in 2, 3 if I am more verbose pages.

Probably because some jobs were for 5 years - so i only had to list examples of duties.

I have of course omitted all the McD, BurgerKing jobs I did between 16-17. Or should I not? It seems to me that all the other jobs you do eclipse these ones.

Of course if you are Simone then you include them.

Graduates (with no work exp) = put down all the sexy stuff FIRST, eg captain of soccer team, helped prince william in chile carry heavy logs in gap year etc not the "listen to music" - everyone does this, THEN work exp. If I was an employer looking at a recently graduated undergradaute would not give a flyiing fig about grades I would look to extra curricular FIRST.


IT/professionals - put your skill sets first, then exp, then interests. If you can, put a few bits of candy in the summary at the top because everyone will have similar skill sets etc. So you have to reinforce blue chip clients, bilingual, juggle 6 balls etc

All interests need to have a normal interest eg you stick something sexy down like 'white water rafting' (ie you get the magazine once a week) plus something like reading, cooking. But enlarge so say Indian cooking or reading on current affairs. But don't make the hobby too wacky esp if you are in IT as "its like yeah whatever, bungee jumping seen that one last week, you spend all week tip-tappity away, at the we you are a loony yadda yadda, bet -you-smoke -pot-too".

Sometimes people ask you how have you got the time to do all those things, you say "I don't I did them 7 years ago" - but the skills and lessons are still with you etc. All you concentrate on one hobby. I am lucky in that the extracurricular activiites I did are for a job, so there're not just hobbies. They might acuse you of being all play and no work yadda yadda

its all a game, eh.

Badge

:D

Yep, I have to, got nothing else!
But I do have 2 half years 'work placement', one I'm still busy with now, and I learned heaps in both places. Then next half year is my last half year, which is also a sort of workplacement, but doing one big project: researching something and then writing an advice rapport about it.

Btw, am I using all the right terms? I keep calling what I'm doing now work experience, and I just looked it up, and the dictionary says traineeship. But for Britain work placement, and for America traineeship.
So, what do I call it in Oz?
And do you guys also have this system when you do a bachelor course: 2 half years of work placement in the 3rd year, and half a year at the end doing a project or an big essay, to end it all??

And Badge, I understand about the balancing it, I think I'll be right there. Picking the most important/interesting.

Also: the cover letter. I've always changed that completely too. And adressing each selection criteria.
I can't believe some people change just the names! Are they mad!! :confused:

Hmm, maybe when I've made my new CV I'll let you guys tell me what you think (I'll leave personal details out), especially for the terms I use.
Though, I have got seen some examples and tips on the web too, so I should be alright. And I can email it to friends in Oz as well, but I wouldn't get such a quick response as I'd get here! They're either not close to a computer, or fruitpicking somewhere outside Perth, saving for their trip round Oz!

how well does english experience translate across. i have been in my chosen profession for two years now and while it would be easy to move jobs in england i get the feeling my experience (at present) wouldnt go that far in oz. does more experience in the uk help for the transition.

Hi Pollyana, The agency are just covering their own laziness. Any agency worththeir salt would meet you or interview you on the phone to get the extra 8 pages of info they needed and also suss you out, how you look and talk etc....

getting you to do the extra pages is a cop out. Suggest you chat them through it...

Good luck
Mash :)

This is interesting, I have a short CV just 2 pages long with my ambition and objectives at the top,my work experience with Key bullet points of the key jobs I did, follwed by education and then personal information about me.

I have interviewed and selected a lot of people, but I will be looking to the agents to advise me also.

I'll just get on the phone and be my ususal cheeky self :D

Good luck all, I am just looking to get a list of who to contact again after Christmas for them to look for me jobs. I have noted though that many companies want you in the country before they will even consider you.

Carrianne x