To think that if connexions does a cv for someone

[MrsKravitz]

It shouldnt be riddled with spelling and grammatical errors?
Just re-doing ds' CV

[TidyDancer]

YADNBU! That's appauling! Last time I checked, they were supposed to help young people, not reduce their chances of a job!

[MrsKravitz]

It has in it

for work experience:
" store room work and shelf staking. I also waited on interacted with the public and kept the bar tidy".

Ive fixed it so its ok. I guess they are busy.

[TidyDancer]

That's just plain lazy though, those kind of mistakes are unacceptable. They are not making any effort to help DS sell himself. That CV would not help him one iota.

Thank God he has you to help him!

[eurochick]

That really is terrible.

[PiousPrat]

It could have been entirely correct. Are you sure your DS wasn't responsible for controlling the vampire shelves?

[Columbia999]

My son had a perfectly good CV, written by me, and I've written loads of them in my time. They took it away to "sort it out" and sent ten copies of the most illiterate shite I've ever read. Apparently when he was working in a shop, he did "stork taking and have deal with members of the general public".
It makes me mad that thick numpties like this are making a difficult situation worse. If my son had sent out that version, any employer reading it would think he was an idiot.

[proudfoot]

Why aren't people writing their own CVs? Why are parents and Connexions doing it?

No wonder they can't get jobs if they can't even write a CV

[MrsKravitz]

Because the lad is 16

[MrsKravitz]

Which begs the question...do I out his dob on it? The connexions people didnt.

[MrsKravitz]

put

[Columbia999]

My son did write his own CV but unfortunately thought that employers would be more interested in his Playstation skills and his other hobbies, rather than what he can actually do! I overhauled it and re-wrote it.
Not everyone can write a CV when they've never done it before.

[AuntiePickleBottom]

at the age of 25, i have never written a CV...i wouldn't even know where to start. So if i ever needed one someone would have to show me or correct any mistakes....this is what Connexions is for.

op yanbu

[proudfoot]

I thought they were taught how to do it at school, but maybe I'm wrong!

[MrsKravitz]

No, they arent at all.

[FabbyChic]

Leave off the d.o.b. It is no longer relevant.

[MrsKravitz]

Im not sure. If he is applying for apprenticeships, the age range is 16-19.

[FootprintsOnTheMoon]

But anyone sending out a CV has to be prepared to defend it and answer questions on it in an interview.

If you don't know your own CV inside out you risk looking a prize numpty.

I wouldn't let someone else write my CV at any age. Give me models to copy, fine. Correct spelling mistakes and make suggestions, sure. However, final responsibility should be with the candidate.

And, tbh, at 16 wouldn't he be better off doing some kind of education or apprenticeship that incorporates these kinds of self-presentation skills?

[MrsKravitz]

You need to apply for an apprenticeship using a cv footprints

[FootprintsOnTheMoon]

I thought apprenticeships used structured application forms (in the manner of: please list your exam results; please list your extra curricular activities; please list your hobbies; please describe in 200 words why you are interested in this course/apprenticeship). That is, they are set an appropriate level for the age/experience of the people who would be applying.

I remember that at 16 my school gave us faux-leather bound folders called 'record of achievements'. We'd built them up in a series of structured sessions in school. They had examples of our best work, references from teachers, lists of activities done in and out of school, personal statement of our future aspirations, space for our exam certificates etc. Idea was that we could take them to interviews.

A Curriculum Vitae is a bit of a stretch for any school leaver. It's like Rimmer from Red Dwarf, whose CV had 'bronze swimming certificate; silver swimming certificate; gold swimming certificate'.

[Birdsgottafly]

YANBU- i feel very sorry for the children who have to rely on Some (not all) Connexion or JC services and CV writing. It isn't a natural skill, so i don't see why everyone should be able to do it. Also not everyone recognises the skills they have.

D.O.B is relevent, depending on the post or employment, some of the employment schemes are age specific, so leave it in.

[woodpeckers]

I took one look at the CV the local Connexions had done for DS1 and rewrote it. He got the first job he applied for with it, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have with the other one!

Having said that the Connexions lady for DS2 was incredibly supportive and helped him sort out a college course :)

[Richlinn]

I work in a Connexions office, so here's the script. Some people who work there can be bothered and offer a good service, others can't be bothered and don't. Where I work there is a self service facility, where members of the public work on their own CVs and take responsibility for the quality of the work they leave with.
There is no getting away from the fact however that the vast majority of young people who access Connexions have very poor reading and writing skills, even if their qualifications say otherwise. The majority want to get in and out as quickly as possible and their feedback to parents is likely to bear no relation to events that actually happened in the office.
Saying all this - and referring to my office - the quality of service delivered depends entirely on who the client sees when he/she calls in. Unfortunate but true.

[Firawla]

I don't understand why being 16 is a reason not to write his own CV though?
Yanbu that the connexions one is crap, but he should do it himself and if he needs it checking by you then fair enough but not writing the whole thing for him!

[Silverlace]

What do you expect from an organisation that can't spell its own name? The English spelling is Connections not the American version with an X. It grates every time I see it!

[LineRunner]

I don't want Connexions to be writing CVs. I want applicants to be writing CVs, with assistance if necessary.