>Cymric
Excellent post, says it as it should be.
As for my 2 (Euro) Cents:
A CV is all marketing, you have to think what they are looking for and produce it. Just don't lie, and as Cymeric say negative things are *forbidden*.
You sound like a geek, OK with 5000+ posts here you are a geek. That probably means you will find marketing difficult.
But, You can spin anything...
>I'm not really well suited to exaggerating my abilities, which are
>very few but very specialised.
That means you are probably very good at them.
Specialisation is not necessarily bad, it can earn you a heap of money.
>I don't work well in a team and can't pretend I do.
That means you are "independant and self motivated" (direct quote from my CV).
>None of my interests or hobbies (which I don't have much of) will cast
>a very positive light on me, in fact they'll probably stereotype me.
Everyone is different, what are they?
>If I wrote everything I learned, the CV would be 10 pages long.
But it's a good start from which you can cut things down.
>I've done almost nothing outside education that would be of
>possible interest to an employer.
You'd be surprised, actually I think you can tell a lot from peoples interests. They tell things about you.
You obviously are an Amiga fan, thats says something as well.
You are _still_ an Amiga fan which means persistence and fighting against adversity.
>I don't think "Has more comments on Amiga.org than anyone else"
"I am a highly active participant in on-line discussion boards"
"Well developed writing and debating skills"
Do you help people with problems? What do you discuss?
>Being 26 when most over graduates are 22, that has to be a very,
>very good trick.
What were you doing?
>HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF?
Hmm, I hate those as well...
What are your dreams? your ambitions?
>Asperger's isn't universally accepted by psychologists.
If you know that it says something, Do you like to learn, like to read?
They're both good.
>I guess it is just my fault for being such a negative assh*le and I
>really am unemployable.
You sound negative, You certainly lack confidence.
You may even be depressed (yes, really).
Get some "St Johns Wort" it's a mild anti-depressant, works wonders if you have the blues.
You really have to work on your confidence though, if you have a degree that alone means you have achieved something (I don't have any degree). If it's with honours it means you have done better than most people.
>References
Friends of the family, especially in high positions or officialdom (police etc).
Find a book on CVs and Interviews, they'll give you some pointers.
There is no right way or wrong way, so yes they all disagree.
