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AIBU?

to feel frustrated by this speculative cv I've received?

104 replies

flowery · 07/01/2011 09:18

For those who don't know, I have my own HR consultancy business. I get sent speculative cvs from time to time.

I had one yesterday. I think it's great that the lady in question is being proactive about finding a job, rather than just flicking through the paper and registering with agencies etc. She's gone to the trouble of contacting lots of people and I commend it and am impressed by it.

However she's really not done herself any favours with her application. I think looking at it it could have been so much better and I think she will get much poorer results from her campaign than she should have got had she worded her email and cv differently.

It's reasonably likely I will need extra help during the next year, so although that's not now, had she done better with her application and convinced me more that she wanted a career in HR, I may well have been keen to stay in touch and possibly offer her some work.

I will obviously respond to her, but do you think I should offer feedback on her application or would that seem patronising and intrusive? I'm just frustrated on her behalf that she's gone to this effort and therefore has a certain amount of get up and go, but is not going to see the results she could.

OP posts:

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arentfanny · 07/01/2011 09:20

I would be grateful for feedback in her position, she obviously is wanting a job, proactively seeking it but not selling herself in the best way.

Acinonyx · 07/01/2011 09:21

I would give feedback. I have often asked for feedback and most people are not so helpful!

flowery · 07/01/2011 09:23

Perhaps I should just ask her if she's interested in feedback on her application and see what she says. Hopefully as you say, because she is keen for a job she will welcome it.

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MmeLindt · 07/01/2011 09:24

Yes, do offer her feedback. It is up to her if she heeds it.

thumbwitch · 07/01/2011 09:25

Definitely offer feedback. Whenever you write back to her, tell her that you would be happy to discuss her CV format with her, if she would care to contact you.

Jux · 07/01/2011 09:25

I'd want the feedback, definitely. If she rejects it then she's not as good as she seems, and if she takes it then she is.

Mmmango · 07/01/2011 09:27

I'd love feedback in her position - very kind of you to offer it, too.

flowery · 07/01/2011 09:27

That's true, Jux, if she doesn't want it that does say something about her really doesn't it?

I'll offer it and see what her response is.

If you're reading this, lady with spec cv, do take me up!

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Longtalljosie · 07/01/2011 09:27

Well, if you think reading between the lines, she does have something to offer, why aren't you asking her to reapply? CV writing is a skill, but it isn't the only valuable skill.

Sarsaparilllla · 07/01/2011 09:27

Yes, I think you should contact her, tell her you think her proactive approach is great & ask if she's like some additional feedback to help her job search.

I think she'll approciate it, she's clearly very keen to find a job.

BettyCash · 07/01/2011 09:28

Flowery, as a jobhunter myself I know this woman will really want the advice - and, out of curiosity, can you be more specific about her application? Obviously, working in HR you know a good application when you see one!

flowery · 07/01/2011 09:29

Without giving too much info josie, it's not just the wording of the cv exactly. There are things about her experience that are potentially not helping her but similarly she's not actually addressing those in the best way. I'm also not convinced she's genuinely wanting a career in HR for a couple of reasons, plus I don't actually have a role available right now.

So it would be more that I think she needs to think more carefully about her approach really, and adjust it more for each employer, that kind of thing.

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Hassled · 07/01/2011 09:30

Give feedback, definately. I expect she'll be grateful for it, and she'll never progress without someone pointing out where she's going wrong. And if she does feel patronised that's her problem really, not yours - if she has any sense she'll take any advice that comes her way.

I had a similar dilemma last year interviewing someone for a role. She said all the wrong things and was just hopeless, but I could tell she was bright and very nice, and maybe would have been quite competent. It was just hard to tell amongst all the inappropriate stuff she was saying. I never did give her feedback, and I wish I had - I often think about her.

LoveBeingADaddysGirl · 07/01/2011 09:30

Offer her feedback if you can, noone gives feedback anymore even if you have an interview it can be like pulling teeth.

Mahraih · 07/01/2011 09:34

I work in recruitment and always give feedback.

It's more uncomfortable, I think. for the person giving feedback than the person receiving it. 99% of candidates I meet are hungry for feedback as they're aware that in the current job market, they need to refine their applications as much as possible.

Ask her if she'd like feedback, and be honest but kind to her. In the long-term, you are doing her a big favour.

If it helps, I just give them a call and say that it's a 'no' this time, and would they like a bit of feedback? I make a list of the positives and negatives and then structure them accordingly i.e. "Your academics are great, very impressive. On the current CV that isn't made obvious. Employers are used to seeing CVs strcutured like ... if you did that, it would really help your skills shine through." Etc!

GoldFrakkincenseAndMyrrh · 07/01/2011 09:35

I would definitely offer feedback in your position and in hers I'd grab it with both hands.

Things like not seeming like she wants a career in HR are helpful, especially if you can back it up with suggestions about what would help convince you as a prospective employer.

flowery · 07/01/2011 09:36

Sorry x-posts Betty.

I'm not sure if I can be more specific really. Obviously if she reads this she'll know who she is, but I don't think anything I say could identify her to anyone else in RL.

Ok. She addressed the email Dear Sir/Madam. My name is all over the website where she got the email address so that would have been easy.

She said she wanted a career in HR in the email, but her personal profile thingy on her cv said nothing of the sort, and was way too general, not at all tailored to her application.

She has had a very chequered career, doing all sorts of things, including one very short temp job in HR in the past. So to convince me that she genuinely wants a career in HR, rather than any job at all, she'd have to be tailoring all her experience in terms of the skills she thinks would be useful in HR, all that. I'm not particularly bothered at the very limited experience in HR if she'd investigated what skills she needs to pursue a career in it and was selling her other experience with that in mind.

It reads as though she's not bothered what area she gets a job in, so has done a very general CV and woolly personal statement, then sent her CV to all and sundry.

If she does genuinely want a career in HR, or indeed in something else, she could frame her application so much better, and even if she actually isn't sure what she wants, she could draft her application so that she gives the impression she actually is.

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theevildead2 · 07/01/2011 09:37

I would really want feedback myself

alegre · 07/01/2011 09:41

Definitely give feedback. By even considering whether it's appropriate or not I think shows your sensitivity; I'm sure you'll do it in a non patronising way.
I'm a jobhunter too and, even if I didn't get a job, if someone took the time to reply to one of my applications and offer me advice on how to improve it, I would be appreciative.

FantasticDay · 07/01/2011 09:41

Sounds like a very kind offer to me.

philmassive · 07/01/2011 09:42

Definitelt, definitely give feedback. If it was me I would certainly appreciate it.

Also, if, as you say, she's got a bit of 'get up and go' it's a pity that she's potentially missing out on work through the first impression she's making.

LoveBeingADaddysGirl · 07/01/2011 09:42

Basically she has done her cv and then written a load of letters to different places/types of job and only tailored the letter not the cv.

You have picked up what everyone else who reads her letters will pick up she is unlikely to get anywhere like this and needed to have invested a bit more time.

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flowery · 07/01/2011 09:44

That's exactly it LoveBeing. She has gone to all this trouble but everyone will think the same as me so she's basically wasted her one opportunity to make contact with however many people she's sent this to.

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AlpinePony · 07/01/2011 09:46

OK, I'm probably going to get flamed for this but wanted to put it out there. So what if she's not desperately dreamt of a job "career" in HR since she was a little girl in pigtails. Is the world of HR really so myserious that only a mystical few might enter its realms?

Do you want someone with a degree in HR or someone who very clearly wants to work because they need to put food on the table?

coatgate · 07/01/2011 09:47

Definitely give feedback. CV writing is a skill and can be quite difficult. Tailoring a cv to a particular job/function is time consuming but well worth the effort in the long run.

However - I personally am absolutely crap at taking feedback, so be gentle with her!

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