Would you put PPL on your CV??

[High Wing Drifter]

Paul,

It's not just me that will look for a strong academic background. Anybody recruiting in the software development \ research fields will generally require strong academia. If you are going for a part time job at Tescos then that PHD is probably not quite so important...

Risk of being a tad too OT but...not so. I've worked (and still do) for a variety of the largest IT and defence contractors in the world, not just the UK, as a developer, architect and consultant (all as a permie). I don't even have a Maths 'O' Level, although I have attained chartered status through the experience route! Most of my peers have degrees and doctorates but I am not alone.

However, the financial institutions are possibly more concerned about what degree you have and what university you went too. A completely misplaced concern IMHO.

I've not been to a single interview where I was asked my hobbies, neither am I interested when hiring. Track record and experience are all I'm interested in on a CV

[IO540]

Beagle

I would employ the one with the best figure but who is just bright enough to do the job,.

That's what Richard Branson does, with only the occassional lapse, and he wouldn't get a job working for anybody else if he tried.

And if there are multiple candidates even then I would pick the one who is older so more mature and less likely to get pregnant.

Nowadays, airline travel is deadly tedious and frustrating, with so many people on the verge of giving up altogether if only they had the option. Anything to differentiate one's service!

[PompeyPaul]

HighWingDrifter:

Anybody recruiting in the software development \ research fields will [b]generally[b] require strong academia

I'm not saying that in every case every time, garaunteed. With so many jobs and so many people it's a guiding principle. Out of 150 odd software developers, 95% are educated to at least degree level.

There are some that come through other routes, there are some that are great at their job, their are some that suck.

Still the common theme is, most IT look for a degree, and most of the people I know that recruit in IT also look for hobbies and interests.

That's not to say though, every single person who ever did an interview looked for precisely the same skills!

I guess if we all liked the same thing, and all wanted the sme thing, we'd all get killed in the stampede!

[Wessex Boy]

I've always had it on my CV, in the early years it gives the interviewer something to talk about, now it often leads to the 'off the record' chats after an interview, that is when you leave the final impression...got me my current contract!

[Saab Dastard]

Originally Posted by Hooloovoo

Would you employ someone who couldn't spell guaranteed correctly?

yes I'm definately planning on putting PPL on my CV.

Pot - kettle - black?

Since we are on the subject, actually not as bad as gcolyer in post #4:

I personaly put all nationaly or international recognised qualifications on my CV. It also strengthens your "hobbies and about me" section of your CV.

PPL on your CV demonstrates your ability of confidence, indapendance, trustworthyness, thouroughness and dedication.

I will imagine you will get 2 types of response to this question.

1) along the lines of my response
2) Nay sayers and the "do you wear wings and epaluetts when flying" brigade.

I particularly enjoyed "thouroughness" - under the circumstances!

SD

[PompeyPaul]

I said earlier...

Software R&D - Rigid Body Simulations, Neural Networks that sort of thing...

Although maybe this is drifting slightly OT ?

[gcolyer]

Originally Posted by Saab Dastard

I particularly enjoyed "thouroughness" - under the circumstances!

SD

Git

Thank god there is not a CAA spelling test.

[Saab Dastard]

Git

gcolyer, don't be too hard on yourself - we're not all natural born spellers.

SD

[SkyHawk-N]

most IT look for a degree

PompeyPaul, I totally disagree and I work as a contractor in very large computer development teams for financial, insurance and banking blue chips. It maybe the case in smaller companies, with say 150 programmers If a company needs an effective C#/Java/SQL/whatever developer they aren't going to base their decision on whether the guy has a degree (even one in computers including experience in programming assembler, ada or pascal ), or whether the guy likes to sail at the weekend. Remind me never to work for your company, and yes I do have a degree.

[Blues&twos]

I work in software development. I have a degree. I fly for fun when I can afford it. And I sail at the weekend.

Does this make me
a) eminently employable, or
b) a hopeless case destined for cardboard city?

[stickandrudderman]

Warning: Thread drift!

If you fly and sail you might recognise this:
If I find myself flying over the solent looking down at the yachts I can't help thinking, "I wish I was down there", and then when I'm on a yacht looking up at a light aircraft I can't help thinking, "I wish I was up there!"

I also happen to have some race car experience so the same Dilemma applies over Silverstone!

As you can imagine, it puzzles me when some people win the lottery and their lives don't change much!
I could spend the lot in no time!

In fact, this is such a serios thread drift that I think I'd better go off and start a new thread with it.

I'll call it the "No longer a thread drift thread".

[Tim Dawson]

Software development is one of the areas where academic qualifications are often not held, or are poorly held, by some of the best candidates. I spent a few years interviewing candidates for software development positions, at the time being in a senior such position myself. Qualifications meant nothing to me, the experience and passion of the candidates was far more than important.

There are some industries where the kind of person you want will often not be traditionally academically minded. Those kids who stayed in their parents basements perfecting their hobby programs instead of studying in history class and going to uni? They can probably out-code most graduates, and with only a little moulding will accelerate way past them in no time in the workplace.

[FREDAcheck]

Thank god there is not a CAA spelling test

Too right, or most pilots would be grounded. But who needs to spell when flying? However, people I recruit need to write reports that influence people, and good use of English is a must. PPL on the CV is a plus, as it means there'll be something else to chat about if I recruit the person. As others have said, skills directly related to the task are what count most. Hobbies and interests might be tie-breakers with two otherwise equal candidates.

Funny that there's a strong division between those that rate academic qualifications as important, and those that rate them virtually insignificant. Could it be that we tend to rate our own backgrounds and qualifications as the relevant ones for the job?

[kiwi chick]

I absolutely couldn't agree more - put it on your CV.

It shows that you have some attributes that might not be clear or apparant from any other work history or information on your CV, and it is always a good ice breaker at an interview. IMHO most people I have met find it interesting, and something a little different.

It's always got me jobs in the past 'cos I have no other skills.

[PompeyPaul]

Yeah I deleted it whilst you must have still been writing a reply. I thought it was probably more useful to discuss flying on a flying website than having long drawn out discussions about IT recrutiment.

[liteboy]

As someone who often has to read CV's, I would definitely put down ppl. Anything is better than reading, swimming, socialising, etc.
It will make you stand out and you will have a good chance of being interviewed out of curiosity if nothing else, it also shows a level of responsibility and an ability to learn what is to most people, harder than passing your driving test.
As to academic qualifications, I hava standard question I ask most prospective employees with a degree:
Why did you do your degree?

Get the usual answers, employment prospects, qualifications, etc.

I have yet to have someone give what I believe would be a good answer: TO GET AN EDUCATION!

[mattkcraven]

I put down my PPL on an application for an engineering placement year away from uni, and spent the whole interview discussing flying in california with the interviewer......nice and easy......and naturally got the job (which was v hotly contested by over 100 students). Just had to answer the question "so any thoughts on flying commercially in the future?" sensibly enough.

Naturally also ended up hating my time there, but thats another story, experience all the same!!!

Anyway, back at uni now and into the easy life once again.

p.s. studying aeronautical engineering before I get any flack Hooloovoo, haha, a bit useful than the all time great course of "wildlife conservation"

[Whirlygig]

Interesting to note that there are very few voices of dissent; however, I'm still not putting any hobbies or interests on my CV!

I think age and experience make a difference; if you're fresh from college or have not had many jobs, a PPL may be a factor in making your CV stand out from the others. However, once you get to a certain level, managers initially look for experience and qualification ( in the broadest sense), not hobbies. Honestly.

If I apply for a job as Finance Director, all the board are interested in is my previous experience (the qualification is a given). If I get to second interview stage, then interests may be the sort of thing to talk about.

A CV sould be no more than 2 sides of neatly typed A4; when you are of a certain age, there's no need for padding!!!

Cheers

Whirls

[S-Works]

I have stayed quiet thus far....

However as a person that owns a recruitment agency and one that does a considerable amount of recruiting for projects I have only one word... SADDO.

What are you thinking, what next, I like to kill fluffy animals with a shot gun, I base jump, I like to boogy to acid music (or whatever they call it), I fly kites (I do actually kite surf...).

A PPL does nothing towards you recruitment prospects, putting it on your CV just makes you out as a nerd. I assume wearing gold bars on the epaulettes to the interview or a flying suit will help further?

[IRRenewal]

PPL on your CV demonstrates your ability of confidence, indapendance, trustworthyness, thouroughness and dedication.

I thought it was probably more useful to discuss flying on a flying website than having long drawn out discussions about IT recrutiment.

I guess those IT recruiters also chuck out any CV with spulling erors.

Winkers.