I need to vent! CV Rage!

[Wally Mk2]

.............."makes you look like a wally" and what's wrong looking like a wally 'remoak'?
It's amazing you can have all the right quals but if you don't please the guy going thru them all first up 'cause he believes Cv's ought to be a certain way then yr goose is cooked!:-(

Good advice though remoak


Wmk2:-)

[FL170]

Best piece of advice I've ever received when it comes to resume's;

Everything you say about yourself should be turned into a benefit for them. Don't tell them anything about yourself (in this brief CV) that can't be turned into a benefit. Leave out your school results and music accomplishments, remember they don't care.

Every C.V. should be tailor made for who you are applying for and do your homework. Find out if u need an MR licence to pick up pax in the company bus or if you just might need that forklift licence to shift loads in the hangar etc etc..

[Mr. Hat]

Simple 2 pages. First page is a brief letter the second page is the CV with personal details (DOB Birth place Marital Status Address Phone), licence/ratings hours (rounded), education, work history, referees.

The letter is very important. It needs to be brief and straight to the point. It needs to read well. Read it out lod to your flat mate over and over. They dont want your life hisotry just the crux.

The CV must be fit on one page only. I know people with heavy jet commands that easily do this so with 200 hours I doubt you need more than one page.

The less clutter the better. A clean tidy page is what they look for. Dont try and jam 10 pages worth on one page. KEEP IT SIMPLE.

[18-Wheeler]

Water Wings - I'm half-Kiwi and my Kiwi grandfather flew in WW1.
Can I have a job plz?
Kthxbi.

[Lodown]

Mr Hat: I'll strongly disagree with the DOB, birthplace and marital status. They aren't required until employment. You're just opening the door to identity theft and claims of discrimination.

[Mr. Hat]

Good point. Even better makes it even more minimalist!

Personally I'd put age

[VH-XXX]

It is the unfortunate reality that you may be discriminated against by a potential employer, be it race, weight, marital status, looks or something else superficial.

Putting the above said information in your CV including mugshot merely makes the rejection process happen much faster. If you get to the interview after travelling half way across the country you'll be more disappointed to find out that another guy who is better looking and weighs 20kg's less than you with the same experience got the job. This is called REALITY.

The interview happens when you meet the required criteria and the employer wants to know if you are an alright guy / gal.

[remoak]

what's wrong looking like a wally 'remoak'?

Hey... nothing wrong with looking like THE Wally...

I'll strongly disagree with the DOB, birthplace and marital status. They aren't required until employment. You're just opening the door to identity theft and claims of discrimination.

We always required that on the CV, as the DOB and birthplace are necessary for preliminary security and other necessary HR checks, and marital status has a direct connection with the ability to accept certain basings or types of flying. There is no real risk of identity theft, unless you believe that airlines engage in identity theft to boost revenues.

[Charlie Foxtrot India]

So sick of unsolicited resumes!

FWIW here are some DONT'S

If I want a resume, I will ask for one. If I haven't asked for one it will go in the "unsolicited junk mail" circular filing cabinet. Sorry.

Don't call me "Dear Sir" and don't ask for a position as a charter pilot. Do your research!

Don't come in without an appointment and expect me to drop everything, because you didn't have the good manners to ask in advance when would be a convenient time.

To date I have never employed anyone I didn't train myself or who didn't come with a verbal recommendation from a respected colleague.

[Under Dog]

I have found from my experience in the past that the "squeaky wheel gets the oil"


The Dog

[Mr. Hat]

To date I have never employed anyone I didn't train myself or who didn't come with a verbal recommendation from a respected colleague.

Yep - why I never bothered with an instructor rating or going out to the GAAPS. Packed the car and pointed it west. Didn't waste one minute trying to get a job close to home.

[tail wheel]

Simple 2 pages. First page is a brief letter the second page is the CV with personal details (DOB Birth place Marital Status Address Phone), licence/ratings hours (rounded), education, work history, referees.

If you include your DOB, Birth place and Marital Status I am not going to interview you. That only opens employers to potential litigation.

I am not interested in what you look like so don't include a photo.

I read the CV first. If that meets my criteria and interests me I may then skim your covering letter.

If I ask for specific skills or qualifications and you don't hold those skills and qualifications, I am not going to interview you.

If I want additional details I will ask for those at interview.

From my airline days, I wanted to see the following on a pilot resume:

• Name, address, contact details.
  
• Summary of aviation licenses and ratings.
  
• Summary of aeronautical experience hours.
  
• Summary of previous employers.

I'm yet to see an applicant give me a bad reference or referee. In general I am not interested in your referees; if I like your resume and I interview you, then I will check with your previous (not current) employers.

[remoak]

f you include your DOB, Birth place and Marital Status I am not going to interview you. That only opens employers to potential litigation.

What litigation would that be?

[kellykelpie]

Excellent post Water Wings - you may even get a job offer out of it

[*Lancer*]

remoak, it's actualy illegal to ask for that information. You may require an applicant to be above a certain age and to have Australian residency, but you are not entitled to the specifics.

Marital status is totally out! An applicant may or may not be able to accept a basing or certain type of flying, but that is all you can ask. You are not their marriage councellor.

The only exceptions that I have ever heard of are some jobs that have maximum age limits, some jobs that require citizenship, and jobs that require top-secret level security clearances.

You may be sued if any of those questions are asked and the applicant is subsequently not employed.

[remoak]

Ah OK must be an Aussie thing... the rest of the world has more sense!

I cant see why there should be an issue if the information is volunteered.

Certainly not the case in Europe.

[training wheels]

Originally Posted by tail wheel

If you include your DOB, Birth place and Marital Status I am not going to interview you. That only opens employers to potential litigation.

I'm pretty sure the Qantaslink online application form asks for your date of birth. Does Qantas mainline ask for this as well? How about the other majors?

And if they do, then are you saying it's actually illegal to ask for it?

[johnriketes]

remoak

All good stuff you wrote on cv's etc, and on binning.

Let me pose a question to you. Did you reply or acknowledge to all CV submitting hopefuls, whether it be the standard letter of rejection or at the very least an automated response on receipt of CV? An honest reply will tell me a lot about the company you worked for and possibly a bit about yourself.

On a lighter note I did hear a story about a stressed CP who saw a stack of CV's on his desk. He grabbed half of them and threw them into the bin and was heard to say, "the last thing I need is a load of unlucky pilots".

[Ozzie Mozzie]

A very helpful thread. I have bookmarked this one for future reference .

Is there a preferred computer programme format for resumes (ie .doc, .pdf, presumably .docx is out)

Would a current first aid certificate be relevant?

Presumably resumes with any colours apart from black and white on them go straight into the circular filing cabinet?

[Mach E Avelli]

• Name, address, email and phone numbers - right at the top in bold type so my old eyes can easily find what I need if the rest tickles my fancy enough to want to contact you. But not such big font that it takes up a whole cover sheet because that shows an irresponsible disregard for our forests and for all you know I may be a rabid greenie. Ditto putting it all in a plastic folder - I may want the petroleum product for my old ute.
• Licence type and number, expiry date of instrument rating and medical - so I can tell whether you are instantly employable or whether one of us is going to spend money to get you up to scratch. Who spends that money will depend on how good the rest of you is.
• Significant endorsements e.g. if you have Metro or Dash 8 you don't have to also mention turbine or pressurization or retractable gear. Takes up space on the one page that I will read before deciding whether to bother with page two (and I never read page three, so heed the advice from others here about keeping it concise).
• Hours total and hours broken down by type and position - if you have only flown the TU-144 in Siberia as F/O, DO NOT WANK and say 'total jet' to give the impression that you have command time on it.
• Do not use the title 'Captain' as a title in the header - unless you are currently serving in the military and hold that rank. Even then it's a bit of a toss because I don't care if you are currently a Rear Admiral - the job on offer is for a F/O, charter pilot or whatever, not skipper of the Ark Royal. It's OK to say you are/were a captain on a significant (i.e. multi-crew) type if you are/were really appointed to the position.
• Anything you claim in your c.v. re types and employment history needs to gel with your logbooks - they WILL be scrutinised.
• Aviation employment AS A PILOT. I don't need to know that you were head barperson at the Hotel California in 1963. Exceptionally, if you were an aircraft engineer before you became a pilot, I will find it of interest because that shows technical aptitude. Describing periods of unemployment as 'aviation consultant' makes me wary, unless you can produce some accreditation. If you do claim to be an aviation consultant and you get invited for an interview, I will ask for samples of your work in that field. It better not be plagiarised.
• If a photo, please make it a standard passport pic and spare me the 4 gold bars, or the pose leaning against the Porsche with the blonde sitting on your face. Has 'ego' written all over it; the Porsche shows an impractical streak and the blonde will only make me insanely jealous.
• Brief covering letter outlining why you want the job and availability to commence employment.