To create a fake CV in order to get a job?

[BillHadersNewWife]

ANY job? I know I am BU and would not actually do it but I'm reaching the end of my tether!

I'm 45. I've worked as a freelance copy and content writer for 10 years now and my portfolio is very good. I've worked with some very well known brands and organisations.

I want a job now though...I'm tired of working alone. Also sick of hustling. I get regular work but there's always the fear..."will I still have this client in a month?" you just never know as a freelancer.

I started freelancing when I had DC 15 years ago...it was a way to earn money without having to commute and all that. It's worked well but I feel I'm missing out on the social aspects of work...I have friends but feel the need to get out and about again.

I've been applying for copywriting roles in my city (Australia) and only had a few interviews...2 to be exact. But I've applied for around 20 roles. The last position I applied for was great for me I thought. But I didn't get it. During the interview, the business owner told me I was the most experienced candidate.

Did he mean I'm too old?

I just sent my details to a business owner in my city who had posted a part time role on social media and she got back to me saying she thought the tasks would be "too basic" for someone of my experience. "She also mentioned that the job was more of a V.A. type role"

BUT she HAD posted that she wanted a copywriter...not a V.A....so the only thing I can think stopping her, was that she thought I'd cost too much.

What can I do to improve my chances? I'm THIS close to creating a fake C.V.listing some shitty jobs so I could at least get a job in a shop or something! The jobs themselves would not be fake...I could list the job I had before I had children...which was a semi unskilled job. And a couple of bar jobs I had when I was setting myself up freelance.

I just want a bloody job!

Zelda thanks so much. I will make a new CV. Though I hate to have to dumb myself down as though a shop assistant isn't good enough or something.

Why can't someone who has a degree want to work in retail? It's pretty offensive isn't it? I enjoyed my time behind a counter...and will again I think.

I'll try anyway...and maybe once I have something like that, I won't mind doing some freelancing to top it up a bit.

I feel for you OP! It's tough when you are older! I would, however, agree with PPs suggestions of getting your CV professionally redone. I'm older than you, early 50s, and had my cv online for 18 months with very little interest. I kind of knew it was two things putting people off...I'm expensive and 'old'. I'm also a teacher...and schools are strapped of cash, so tend to employ young, cheaper teachers, fresh from uni.

I really needed a new job...so in desperation I started applying for jobs way below my pay grade, saying that I would be happy to take a cut...but was still met with rejection...apparently this wasn't an option either 🤷‍♀️

Three weeks ago I had my cv updated completely by a professional, and within two days of it going live, I was invited for an interview for a senior teaching post ABOVE my current grade (significantly above). Had the interview last week and was offered the post! I start in January 😊

It was definitely the new cv that swung it...I'd never have been offered the interview with my old one, as I hadn't suitably 'sold' myself.

It's well worth the cost of having this done...fingers crossed for you 💐

I think scale the cv back a bit, if you sound too experienced they won't want to give you the job because you probably know more than them and wouldn't want their boss to realise that or go for job roles above them.

Have you checked your cv for matching words OP?

Lifting words from their ad and giving them higher profile in your cv, or adding if they are not already there. Sorry if I missed that you've already done this. Obviously it means changing every cv in tailoring it to each role.

It sounds like you have a passion for your work, and its worked so well so far, have you fully investigated what else is near to your role that you could sideways slide or go up into?

Maybe by the addition of another bolt-on skill that you could train in you could enter a newish realm workwise?

Good luck, more luck, as you've achieved so well to have such a suitable and enjoyable all this time already!

I don't think it's easy to just walk into a shop job either without any retail experience, when tons will have, sorry!

Following this thread with a mixture of relief and alarm. Can somebody recommend me a professional cv writer in the North West?

Smother thank you...I do have retail experience though.

I will look into a professional CV writer. Come to think of it, DH is friends with a recruitment professional. He's pretty high up these days and may not even have to look at CVs any longer but maybe he could take a look. He's a very kind man and a good friend of DH's so I will ask.

Oh, ok OP. Its because you talked of years of freelance. Well you do indeed have choices then

I'd be wary of taking cv advice from a UK based website if you're based in Australia. They'd expect a much longer cv for anyone other than a school leaver/ fresh graduate. My siblings who are in Aus have cv's that are 4/5 pages long.

I'm with virtualhamster. I'd be nervous of taking UK advice for an Aus job, the recruitment landscape is much different.

I do sympathise; though. I have a lot of friends in copywriting/content writing as it's a close field to mine; and they seem to be struggling at the moment too. I suspect it's going through a bit of a phase where people are valuing UX writing etc over it, and therefore don't want to pay for both. I work with a few companies who have either got rid of or significantly reduced their copywriters in favour of experienced UX professionals instead, despite it being quite different!

I got the advice to shorten it here in Australia. But I'm definitely going to see about having it checked over.

Anchor UX is a specialised area...mainly used in relation to software...not something that can replace or is replacing other forms. I've written UX and it's not comparable to web content, articles or blogs. Most of my work is in web content though.

Oh I know, Bill - completely different discipline, really, but I think a lot of companies at the moment are wondering why they should hire both. Clearly they should, and this might just be a UK phase, but it seems to be effecting a lot of my friends in the industry. Hopefully it's not happening as much in Aus... or it blows over everywhere quickly! It makes my job a lot harder not having good copywriters/web content writers and editors around, let alone having someone who specialises in something else entirely but has to give it a go!

I hope that makes more sense this time

Best of luck with your job hunt

Anchor well no, they wouldn't wonder any such thing...they're not related. General copywriting and UX are different. Most UK writers are just copywriters like me...who've done a course.

Job hunting is a mare.
In recent interviews I have found discrepancies between the job description and what they actually want can be massive. Ie the ‘minor’ part of the role you have less experience in is the one that you’re interrogated in during the interview, therefore don’t get the job.
I def tailor my CV for the type of job I’m going for but they are minor changes ie, would emphasise admin experience over something else if it were a wholly admin, but more people-facing I’d emphasise that part. No harm creating a CV more appealing to shop work but I wouldn’t lie outright on dates etc.

The last position I applied for was great for me I thought. But I didn't get it. During the interview, the business owner told me I was the most experienced candidate

So in that case, did you go back to them and ask for feedback on what else it was about you that meant you didn't get it? You have to be proactive, maybe they could have helped you identify where you needed to sell yourself more.

I know I'm reaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but don't forget that if they're looking for someone who can write copy that sells their product or service, the first thing they're going to look for is a CV (then interview) that sells the applicant.

Wonky I did but he never got back to me! So rude. My CV is well written. I'm fully aware that it's my calling card. :)

Definitely have someone look over your cv. I had a recruitment consultant rewrite mins and it looked excellent and I got a new job. Same age as you op. Also don't forget its not what you know-its who you know so networking is a good idea. Try not to take the rejection too personally and keep going

Thanks Salem I will ask DH's mate to look at it. If I tell him my situation, he might even put out his feelers for me.

Agreed 2 interviews from 20 applications isn't bad at all. You might just have to keep going. Have you got any feedback from the jobs you didn't get?

If you want a basic unskilled job in a shop, definitely dumb down your cv.
Use the older experience in a bar and retail and remove any degrees.

I wouldn't consider it lying as you've done those jobs before.
The issues occur when someone creates a cv for something high level that they've never done before.

So a one page minimal cv tailored to retail work might be good.

OP I think your issue is that you have a good skillset within a narrow area and so there will be necessarily fewer jobs that fit exactly. It's just numbers. Think about any sizeable firm you know - there are many people doing generalist work and fewer doing things that require specific skills so natural churn will turn up fewer vacancies because there are fewer jobs in the first place.

I understand your impatience but surely most people with specific skills find this. It's absolutely normal.

As for lying, well yes of course you can do this but I'd advise against it because day to day you'll be working closely with people who you can never tell the truth to and that in itself is stressful and makes you feel bad.

I also think you're over egging the pudding rather. You presumably have skills and experience that mean you can command a high wage, albeit that you can't just walk into one of these jobs immediately because they don't come up very often. Do you really think that people whose labour and time is valued less highly than yours have an advantage over you simply because there are more jobs they can do? That the resultant gap in material comfort, cultural engagement, life opportunities etc for their families compared to yours is worth it because there are 500 possible low paid low status jobs they could do whereas you'll maybe have twenty to choose from?

OP, the title of your post makes it sound like you’re intending to create a “fake CV” not simply leave off the bulk of your professional experience. One has to read to the end of your post to see what you’re actually asking and it’s a long post. There’s no need to savage people trying to help you because they missed a fact you left until last.

My question is, have you applied for retail or bar work? I only saw you mention two jobs in your field that you didn’t get. I was unsuccessful in many more interviews than that before gaining my current role.

I’d advise you to apply to lots of jobs and cast your net wide. But you are free to remove or lessen the importance of your career. I did the same: when applying for temp work in my 20s I left my degree off my CV.

If you want just a job, any job, then I'd definitely play down your skills and experience, OP. I once wanted a little part-time job (any little part-time job), and I tried and tried and tried with my real CV .... dozens and dozens of applications. As soon as I removed my degree and radically dumbed down my CV - bang! I got the next job I applied for.

But I think a pp had a good idea - try punching up rather than down.

Good luck, OP. I know exactly how you feel. I'm a writer too, and I've been in this situation.

Your title was deliberately misleading. As a writer you know that. You probably also know that you should write for your audience and there are some people on MN without the comprehension skills to read past your first line and who will jump to the conclusion that you are fabricating an entirely new fake character.

I check CVs for a living. Many many people tell me they have a great CV and can't work out why they are not getting interviews. The issue is nearly always that they are pitching the CV at the wrong level. If you are going for a junior role there is little point telling an employer you have been a director. They are looking for a junior (who will take instructions, learn how to do it the organisation's way and most importantly wants a junior's pay rate without looking round for a better paid role as soon as they've arrived). If you present yourself as having way more skills and experience than needed for the role, they don't think they're getting a bargain. They think they're looking at someone who doesn't fit what they need.

So, of course you should tailor your CV to the role you want. If you want a retail job of course your CV should show your retail experience and far less focus on your important and prestigious career doing other things with no bearing on working in a shop. I'm sure if you're a writer you won't need to pay anyone else to write a CV for you.

Good luck.

Think about it from the employer’s perspective. I used to run a café in an arts centre/theatre. The number of applications I used to get from “actors” who were just looking for a little job to tide them over... CVs full of acting roles and their agent’s details would go straight in the bin. How does being an actor qualify you for work in a café? Do you have any qualifications as a barista? Can you be on your feet for 10 hours and remain friendly and efficient? Are you reliable and will show up without fail at 7:30 every morning to set up? Can I trust you with money? Do you have a food safety certificate and know about alcohol licensing laws? Will you be a supportive colleague and not shy away from the boring or unglamorous parts of the job, such as filling in paperwork or scrubbing the kitchen floor?

In fact, if all you talk about is acting I might suspect that you feel a café job is somehow beneath you, you perhaps underestimate what it takes, and that you would leave me stranded at the first opportunity of something “better” (I.e. an acting job) turning up.

I’m not saying that is you, OP. Just explaining how a CV with a lot of irrelevant experience comes across to an employer, especially if there is a lack of actually relevant experience compared to other applicants.

Now I did actually employ some actors - but those were the people who clearly demonstrated they had given a lot of thought to the demands of the actual job they were applying for and either had some relevant experience or showed sufficient interest and enthusiasm to learn. I didn’t begrudge them taking time off for acting jobs because they showed that they took the café job just as seriously when they were working there.

Anyway, this has got long - you’re a copywriter so I imagine you are good at telling a story in a way that appeals to a specific audience. So think of your potential employer as the audience. What are their needs? What concerns or fears might they have? What will pique their interest? Then tell your story with this in mind.

(This doesn’t mean lying btw, just choosing what to highlight and how to frame something!)

Just had another email...this time from a marketing agency who'd posted on social media looking for a content writer to take up their overflow.

"Incredibly impressive portfolio, but I wonder if you're not over-qualified..."

Wtf?

It's content writing and they obviously don't pay very well but they could at least tell me their rates and let me decide!