Writing a CV/Resumé

[smithy]

Now go call your lecturer(s) and ask them nicely!  Get someone you know, anyone, aunt, uncle, whomever to write a personal reference for you

There is no need to put references on your CV.  References are usually (if ever) taken up after a successful interview and aren't used to determine whether to interview someone.  A company that's recruiting doesn't spend more than 30 seconds scanning a CV, and couldn't even dial your reference up in that time!  If they want references, they'll ask for them.

Many companies now refuse to ask or give references - the business of references has opened up a whole new legal minefield - for example, companies giving useless staff excelletn references to get rid of them and vice versa.

[Tigger]

But seriously, I don't want any job that will force me to be near or to work with neds.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean here, but pretty sure it won't get you an interview.   I'm not sure if you meant nerd and mispelled it, in which case I have to point out chem majors are nerds, and not even cool nerds.   Or really meant neds which the Oxford dictionary defines as a stupid or loutish boy or man (and which is currently a term for young people in scotland without lots of formal education according to the BBC).  In that case there is no way for you to find a job like that.   They'll be a secretary, a personal assistant, a temp, part of the cleaning crew, part of the maintence crew, etc.   Your job is going to take up 1/3 of your life for the next 30+ years, you dont have to have a big career plan but you need to think a little about it. I think I want a well paying job that doesnt involve moving, or working with groups and has no neds working at the same location or working near it, is pretty much like saying you'd like to work on the moon in your own private moonbase or a racist wanting me to move him because he can't work "with them colored people".  He works at McD's these days, "those colored people" as he called them still work for me.
      -Tig

[KennyR]

Tigger wrote:
I'm not sure exactly what you mean here, but pretty sure it won't get you an interview. I'm not sure if you meant nerd and mispelled it, in which case I have to point out chem majors are nerds, and not even cool nerds. Or really meant neds which the Oxford dictionary defines as a stupid or loutish boy or man (and which is currently a term for young people in scotland without lots of formal education according to the BBC).

The dictionary is half-right. There's no real way for me to explain what neds/charvers are: they have no American counterpart (plus point for America). Basically they're people who have chosen a very antisocial way of life. It's not really a matter of education or income. It's definitely not one of race or class. They just...are neds. They respect nothing and the only reward you'll get for being near them is abuse, intimidation, and derision.

Ah...you'd have to meet them and be annoyed or threatened by them before you could understand fully. But you are right - it's hard going to get away from them without moving. Even harder to find a well paid job without moving. But there are certain jobs that will put me right in their way (a prime example is teaching), and those are the types I wish to avoid. They destroy people's self-esteem and they're not doing it to mine.

[bloodline]

neds/charvers  

As I understand it, they are what we called peasants, proles and commoners.

[KennyR]

As I understand it, they are what we called peasants, proles and commoners.

No, I'm a peasant. I come from a working class family with the same income as most as them. The difference is I don't form into gangs to break into people's sheds to get money for dope, or spit out of buses, or shout at people on the street for no reason. They took that choice, and the least we can do is give them a label for it, no?

Edit: or they do this. This man probably made the mistake of answering back their shouting.

[smithy]

The dictionary is half-right. There's no real way for me to explain what neds/charvers are:

I thought the word 'charver' was unique to Geordieland.  In Leeds they call them (I think) 'doods'.

Anyway, it's easy to recognise them:

Hair:
Male: Far too much hair gel, always combed foreward, the fringe is almost glued to the forward.
Female:  lots of hairspray, and a razor-sharp-sticking-out fringe.  Often died blonde or highlights.

Clothes:
Both:  Bomber jackets, usually made by Kappa.  These are huge puffy jackets, often bright red, or navy blue.

Sports shops such as JD Sports are the main source of charver clothes.  Things like stripey jumpers and quite often coodiroy pants - you'll know what I mean if you look in JD sports.  Oh - and the old man flat cap is quite popular in charver males too.

Jewellery:  MASSES of it, in male and females.  Gold soverign rings for both sexes.  Females will have plenty of tacky ear rings.

Accents:  This may be another north-east thing, but charvers don't use the local (Geordie) accent!  They have a strange kind of twisted-words voice that's difficult to explain.

[minator]

KennyR wrote:

I didn't live at uni, or experience any part of uni life outside lessons (thankfully - I'm not into drink, whoring or getting stoned). I went to lectures, then went home afterwards. That's how it was.

You sound so much like me it's scary.  I did the same at Uniy but I travelled 3 hours a day and eventually dropped out.  Totally missed the real Uniy experience.

I didn't have my first "proper" job until I was 28.  before that I sat at home writing software hoping to sell it, Commodore going bust pretty much killed that off, moving to BeOS didn't exactly help.

Then I got a job in Holland, I didn't really want to move at first but it was good money so I went.  It takes months to really learn if you like it in a foreign country or not, as for family, there's always the phone and plane flights are cheap these days.  Actually being away from home makes you communicate _more_.  Working in an office with other people will make you open up, I don't want to go back to working alone ever again.

I've been through a few jobs and did well in some, badly in others.  It's all part of the process of life, you learn a lot of skills you need this way.  I also started going out, and you get to speak to people that way, even if it's just the bar staff!

They destroy people's self-esteem and they're not doing it to mine.

Quite honestly, from what I've been reading you don't appear to have any to destroy!

As for your "Neds", everywhere has them - in Northern Ireland we'd call them "hoods" (the nasty ones anyway) they actually look up to the terrorists, and sometimes join them...

[sumner7]

Don't worry. I'm also crap at writing CVs :-D

[Mike_Amiga]

BTW KennyR that CV company just took my friends CV and redid it, so yes they will just make up the lies or highlight your strengths (depends how you se it) for you.

MY PERSONAL PROFILE

I consider myself to be a well adjusted individual with a friendly and helpful personality. Able to work to set targets and deadlines using my own initiative or within a team. Capable of communicating creative ideas to others, reliable, self-motivated and proficient in the use of many desktop publishing, word processing and graphics packages.

(I'm doomed!)

[KennyR]

Wow, finally I got something together. Most of it I was able to cobble together using advice in this thread and example CVs. I finally got the glazing by having it taken to a professional and written up, although most of the text is still mine! My lying gland is still hurting from overuse. ;-)

Again big thanks to everyone who contributed. For the morbidly curious, you can see it here. You may have to shift-click. Note that you'll need a way of reading RTF - not a problem on a PC or Linux, and I suggest EvenMore on Amiga/MOS.

[mikeymike]

Whoever admins that server seriously needs to learn how to configure a http server properly :-)

about the CV - overuse of italics don't you think?  I'd at least make something not italic :-)

[KennyR]

mikeymike wrote:
Whoever admins that server seriously needs to learn how to configure a http server properly

Mea culpa. Its my webspace but I have a htdaccess file to configure it. Downloading rtf as octet streams should work now (fingers crossed).

about the CV - overuse of italics don't you think? I'd at least make something not italic

I thought so too, actually. I think it makes it hard to read, especially on-screen.

But it was a pro who wrote it up, and she's done hundreds if not thousands of CVs. I think I'll leave it alone for now...