CVs For Military Looking Outside

[egbt]

And if sending an MS Word document by mail remember to check what it looks like if viewed “Final Showing Mark up” and “Original showing mark up”, I have received a few of those over the years where people had change tracking switched on and not cleared them. Can be good for a laugh.

[airborne_artist]

Also check the properties of the document - File -> Properties - I've seen some strange things there...

I prefer to send out documents like CVs as PDFs, which you can make easily by taking a .doc, opening it in OpenOffice (free download) and then exporting as a PDF.

[Len Ganley]

Gericault,
On the assumption that you probably know someone who has gone through CTW recently - lets face it, theres a lot of it about - have you asked any of them for advice. CTW thoughtfully provide a big book of different CV types and you can choose which one suits you best. I'll send you mine if you want. It worked for me.


Plinkton

Don't worry about those 'I took part in Operation Provide Comfort' -type certificates I used to see SNCO's waving around, (just before putting them into their 5+ page portfolio).

Could you have been any more patronising towards SNCOs. Obviously you aren't taking your own advice-

start thinking like a civilian, not like an Officer

Although, to be fair, most officers I know are aware of the level of qualification a lot of SNCOs hold. You, on the other hand, obviously think we all live in ditches sticking berries up our noses.

[Stretchwell]

From my experience as a pilot recruiter a single side of A4 is enough. Any more and the good bits are hidden and missed. Make it concise, relevant and DO NOT use all that military jargon that is the norm in the services but incomprehendable in the real world !!

Get it looked at by several people before you finalise it. Get your wife/girlfriend/partner to read it and if they are non-military they should understand all you have written easily.

Good luck !!

[Al R]

There seems to be almost an industry now, revolving around CV writing that sprang up 20 years ago. How on earth did we cope before that? I know this is all subjective, but don't be formulaic - don't start sweating if you HAVE to use 2 pages. Someone isn't going NOT to interview you simply because of the sole reason that you've used a couple of sides. A lot depends on the type of role you're after too. Something slightly arty will need more space than something more technical. I hired someone who filled almost half a page with a joke.

Whatever you do, don't lose your personality - let that show, its vital. Don't be flippant, but there is nothing more soul destroying than wading through swathes of paper and being frustrated (not by having to read 2 pages instead of one).. but the feeling that you are left with the impression that you're reading about the same dull, boring person who has read the same CV book and who is trying to play the game and ideally, pull the wool over your eyes at the same time. A CV never gets hired, its only a means to the end; a switched on employer will always know when they see the right person, even if it is from an average CV.

Employers know too, that a perfect CV doesn't always mean the perfect person. They pride themselves on not being suckered by someone conforming to 'the rules' and to many, hiring a new person is too big an business investment to jeapordise by simply pandering to pseudo management philosophy and throwing away all CVs written on two pieces pf paper and not one. Most employers rather like the idea of sifting through people's lives and most don't care about the niff naff that we are told is so important when writing a CV.

[airborne_artist]

I don't conform to the one page CV rule, but then again, I don't recruit pilots. Two pages ought to be right for most people who have had fifteen to twenty years of career progression, with the increasing responsibility and career development/training that goes with it.

[Milarity]

Time to get serious. Your CV is vitally important so put the work in and get it right. This is not a token gesture; it is your family's future, and those that bother to make the effort stand out a mile.

Not mentioned yet, but start your CV by deciphering the job advert. Every phrase is a clue to what they are looking for, so make sure that you have a strong example for every requirement.

This approach will result in a customised CV targeted precisely at one job. It really is worth the effort.

Next, you may have done lots of stuff, but who cares? The only stuff that matters is what your prospective employer is looking for. Talk military and he will be thinking 'so what? What value is this man to me?'
So tell him! But everything you write must be couched in terms of 'what value I can offer'.

Good Luck, I haven't looked back and can't believe how much better my quality of life is.

[effortless]

Had to read a bin load of CVs before Christmas, one or two RAF and Pongo types included. One page preferred, despite what it is called, we don't want a life story. Please check spelling and grammar.

[airborne_artist]

Not mentioned yet, but start your CV by deciphering the job advert. Every phrase is a clue to what they are looking for, so make sure that you have a strong example for every requirement.

This approach will result in a customised CV targeted precisely at one job. It really is worth the effort.

There's an argument that the CV should not be re-written each time a job-ad appears. The covering letter is the document to answer the questions posed by the advertisement- while the CV is a more generic brochure. If your CV finds it way into an organisation, a finely tuned version might be rejected as being too specialised, but a more generalised version may well be picked up and read through/handed around as being interesting, perhaps for a vacancy you did not know existed.

Which brings me on to marketing yourself. While it won't be possible to cover all companies/organisations, a full-time job hunter should be highly pro-active and be searching through places before the advertisement gets placed. It's a legal requirement to advertise internally, and government has to advertise externally for some posts, but companies don't have to advertise externally. Get in there before the ad gets placed.

[danieloakworth]

CV size depends what job you're going for. If you're going to be a commercial pilot then a single page should do it. If you're going for something else then you need to put a bit more effort in translating your skills into civ speak. I run a decent size consultancy and see loads of the buggers, always happy to give pointers if you need advice.

[Stretchwell]

For an airline job definately one side of A4. Any more and you going to lose the reader's attention. You don't need to include everything you've ever done - just the relevant stuff. Different tours on different squadrons mean nothing - it's the job they're interested in. Think about CRM, flight safety and combat survival courses - all good.

With some effort you can shrink the CV to one side and make it look good. Use any help you can get and as I said before: run it past lots of people to get their thoughts as you will definately get something wrong on your own.

[Ogre]

Having spent some considerable time applying for jobs not only with another company but in another country, I'd like to offer one word of advice. If you are applying for a job in a company remember the first person that reads the CV will probably be someone in HR that might not understand what you do for a living. Explain everything in terms the civvies will understand, if not your CV will end up in the wrong pile!

A lot of big companies just search for key words which is not necessarily the best idea. In my last job we were looking for someone who had experience of a software tool called DOORS, we got sent a cv by HR of some bloke who used to work for Chubb installing morice locks!

[Al R]

The Home Office Scientific Development Branch (creepy aim: to create a ‘safe, just and tolerant society’) is finalising tests which will allow plod to check people’s roadside ability to multi task. The Mail yesterday reported that elderly drivers will have to undergo a "cognitive" exam to measure ‘brain power’ which will include an IQ-style puzzle such as being asked to spot the odd one out from a series of shapes etc.

I can see the benefits of testing and smart profiling. Symptoms like short-term memory and attention loss, anxiety and panic reactions, loss of motor skills and dexterity, reduced reaction time, and lower abilities to perform skilled activities can be hazardous to human life if combined with potentially hazardous activities such as a stonking great car, and should be tested for.

Reasoning tests and spatial ability can be a useful surrogate variable for driving ability (not sure what tests are thrown at potential aircrew now) - it's a good step towards a fair and steady continual assessment type of system, eliminating the worst most dangerous drivers and without creating mile-long queues outside of backlogged test centres. But those symptoms are ganja side effects too, where will this g’ment be happy – when we all have to spend our days in bed?

But getting back on topic (where was I? Oh yes), what I do find worrying is this. One of the factors to be evaluated is one’s ability to remain focused and the duration of one's attention span. It’s not good if the people who hire airline pilots lose interest before the end of page 1!! I’m starting to ramble. I was going to say something else, but I’ve forgotten what it was. Ummm. Anyway.. so I’m going to go for a nice long drive instead. Yee ha.

[Wader2]

My sister-in-law went and got a professionally produced CV about 15 years ago. It cost and arm and a leg. A year or so on she asked me to udpate it as I had a computer.

It ran to more than 10 pages and came in a natty plastic folder. I think they had done 10 off for her.

She had worked in a solicitor's office, as a fish finger inspector, and was now a newly qualified nurse seeking a position (no jokes).

My first pass got it down to 4 pages. Next pass, after a nod, and it was down to one!

I used the template provided in by WordPerfect. Worked a treat. It starts with current at the start and in reverse chronological order. As your history recedes into the distant past so does the relevance of the early jobs and schooling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On RAFeese, we had a CV from someone (no names, no ranks) who 'thought' we could understand the RAF Qual codes. As I never understood them at the time he had zero chance with a CV written with all the Q-MTSS, Q-MTD etc

[teeteringhead]

Not really suitable for pilot jobs or for pre-emptive applications, but a good wheeze I heard was:

If applying in response to an advert, make sure the words they use in the ad - "thrusting", "intra-personal" or whatever figure verbatim on your CV. It is not unknown (allegedly) for electronically submitted CVs to be sifted electronically looking for key words........

[airborne_artist]

There is absolutely no point enclosing copies of your swimming certificate, letters that start "To whom it may concern - I have known Bloggs for XX years and his energy is only exceed by his ability to put his foot in his mouth" etc. with an initial application. Any sensible company will validate all that stuff after a couple of interviews.

[c130jbloke]

Got this tip from my CTW (cheers Jez):

When uploading an electronic CV, take a good look at the advert and pick out the key words within. Write just the words and any other adjectives you can think of, for example:

Decisive leadership manager experience excellence expertise specialist conversant understanding familiar sound knowledge responsibility conversant comfortable conducting bigbrains etc etc

Then reduce that paragraph to the smallest font you can and change the colour to white. That way, you cannot see it when the CV is printed and it does not bugger up the layout. However, if the employer is using keyword recognition software their IT will "see" the keywords and "accept" your CV. Also, your CV then stands out a little bit, "how did this CV get through if the "key" buzz words are not evident?

[noregrets]

Apologies if this has been said before, but it's worth remembering that the CV gets you the interview only, which in turn gets you the job. Don't try to sell yourself in the CV - you won't have enough space. Instead, you need a 'hook' in your CV - something that really grabs the attention and makes the recruiter want to interview you, if for no other reason than idle curiosity!

[Wader2]

"Ladies Officer at university" did it for Miss Wader. Got her the interview as you say 'out of curiosity', got her the job and she is now deep in HR.

[MrCup]

Some great advice here, I always found 2 pages to be a happy medium and never ever put the initials CV or Curic.... (whatever it is) on the top, just your name, at the top of every page. Two part documents might be a reasonable way of doing things as well, a short pithy 1 pager acting as a summary with a longer more detailed version acting as supplementary.

Photos are a a good idea but can be a double edged sword, depends what you look like, first appearances count, despite what anyone says otherwise.

Have both word and PDF versions (there are loads of online PDF converters online, no need to download any software, just do a google search)

Steer clear of colour because they get copied and colour docs when copied can look rubbish.

I have a neat and modern looking word CV template if anyone wants to PM me their email.