Going back to work after almost 2 years...my cv sucks

[boredbuthappy]

It's not that i don't have good experience, I just cannot write this damned thing to include all of my talents without risking writing a book. I'm considering hiring a professional cv writer to do the job for me. Has anyone ever done this and actually had good results ie interviews and a job offer?!

You can do this yourself! Loads of templates etc on the web- try what colour is your parachute and many others. 2 page max. Depends on what you are applying for/ how old you are. Good luck

Ooh, twentyten - you need an overall cv first, which is as long as it needs to be: I see recommended limits on cv length all the time and they vary between 1-3 pages (I usually send 3). Boredbuthappy, don't worry about how long this one is: mine is currently about 7 pages (it could be longer since I'm ancient, but don't waste too much detail on anything further back than about 10 years), from which I do a tailored one to suit each job I'm applying for. That one needs to be shorter but, as long as it's all relevant (and it really must be very, very clearly relevant), the length doesn't matter of itself. I have heard of people getting work with an 11 page cv, but I personally think that's pushing your luck! The main thing is to capture the reader's interest on page 1 with how you fit the bill perfectly, then they'll read the supporting evidence for this. I tend to push all qualifications, professional memberships, etc to the back, so that I can present systems and career experience on the front along with my profile (which is where I say how I am perfect for the job). Works, honest!

You don't need a professional, some of them are very OTT anyway. Google for types of cv and examples of good cvs.

I had to write a CV a few weeks ago - covering nearly thirty years of work. I had pages of it , but then I tailored it to the job I was applying for - got it down to three and another page for relevant qualifications and references.- Got the job however !

When you have completed it and ready to send it off save it as a PDF document not Word. - then no formatting errors will occur when read on other operating systems etc.

Also use footer with page number and your name .