C.v. help please

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
1

Can anyone show me roughly what a driver’s c.v. should look like please?

I’ve always been quite good with c.v’s but I’m a bit stumped with this!

Most of my past is irrelevent really;

I didn’t do too bad at school,

then I qualified quite highly as a mechanic and did that for a few years,

I got fed up with that and tried a couple of other trades which included window fitter/glazer, powder coater and welder / fabricator before finally settling on this “career”

Doesen’t really seem to matter how I put it or how much I waffle, what they’re looking for seems a bit thin on the ground - even if I think I’m good at what I do, I can’t seem to show it in my c.v. so any help would be much appreciated…

2

This is good advice from the engine room. Unless you have had 97 jobs in 18 months, the only ones related to the one you want really matter, but a company do not want to see unexplained gaps when you were in prison etc :stuck_out_tongue:

caledoniandream:
Don’t make you CV to long; we understand you finished nursery and primary if you have a degree.
Leave irrelevant information out of it, I want to know if you have experience for example on the continent, but I don’t want to know every country or village you have been.

Never put “I try" in your CV, Companies are looking for “do ers” not “try ers” (Annoys the hell out of me if people do it in an interview, and say on every question “I will try")

Read always your CV on the day after you made it and look for silly things, and remember you are trying to sell yourself (or your services) Look if you read your own CV, if you would invite yourself for an interview. (Be really honest and not to quick satisfied)

Yes we want to know if you have a degree, even irrelevant, shows that you have some brains.

Have the gaps in your CV very well covered, Gaps is not a problem as long as you and we understand that in that time you did something to move forwards. (Always a bad plan to write that you sponsored the local pub daily)

If you change a lot from jobs, explain, and name agencies where you worked for.

1-2 references will do, we prefer TM’s rather than owners (if the TM is the owner so it is) and explain the situation with your current employer, any decent company will understand, and will not make any enquire until a position is offered.

Please put contact details, address, and D.O.B., marital status, kids etc. In your CV very important, and work down from your current situation to your school years, so that the most important information is on the first page.

Put any relevant hobbies in your CV, but be careful with information like I have a year ticket for Premier League team such and such, and I like my holidays 5x a year, this makes you look very un-flexible, and if you support the wrong team you could miss some brownie points.

AND PLEASE USE A SPELL CHECKER, and stop using standard “jobcentre” CV’s with the standard text “I am a good Team player and also be able to work on my own"

Good Luck

3

darkseeker:
Can anyone show me roughly what a driver’s c.v. should look like please?

I’ve always been quite good with c.v’s but I’m a bit stumped with this!

Most of my past is irrelevent really;

I didn’t do too bad at school,

then I qualified quite highly as a mechanic and did that for a few years,

I got fed up with that and tried a couple of other trades which included window fitter/glazer, powder coater and welder / fabricator before finally settling on this “career”

Doesen’t really seem to matter how I put it or how much I waffle, what they’re looking for seems a bit thin on the ground - even if I think I’m good at what I do, I can’t seem to show it in my c.v. so any help would be much appreciated…

That’s just what they don’t want. As CD says keep it to relevant facts.

If you have a letter of reference from your previous employer, attach that.

4

use key words like enthusiastic, keen ,passionate when describing your work history or your hobbies. Check your spelling, don’t give any negative reasons for leaving a past employer. try to sound keen to work, try to ound like someone YOUI would employ!

5

Sound advice guys but you’re missing the point slightly;

If I were to only put strictly relevent info my c.v. would include;

Name
Address
Marital status
Contact details
The fact I’m a qualified mechanic with listed credits, distinctions etc
my g.c.s.e’s
My 2 and a half years class 2 work for agencies with a list of roughly what I’ve done
i.e. palletised, caged, steelwork, r.d.c’s, shops, building sites (no cscs) animal feeds to farms and full loads of full i.b.c’s. curtain siders, drop siders and fridges.

The last 3 lines are the only bit I can see them being all that interested in, yes - the other bits show I’m not daft and if I include a paragraph about me (personality, aims, passtimes etc) they’ll know a bit about what I’m like before they even meet me but, personally, I’d get to the end of it and think “well there’s not much worth seeing there” and it’d be in the bin - hence the concern.

6

darkseeker:
Sound advice guys but you’re missing the point slightly;

If I were to only put strictly relevent info my c.v. would include;

Name
Address
Marital status
Contact details
The fact I’m a qualified mechanic with listed credits, distinctions etc
my g.c.s.e’s
My 2 and a half years class 2 work for agencies with a list of roughly what I’ve done
i.e. palletised, caged, steelwork, r.d.c’s, shops, building sites (no cscs) animal feeds to farms and full loads of full i.b.c’s. curtain siders, drop siders and fridges.

The last 3 lines are the only bit I can see them being all that interested in, yes - the other bits show I’m not daft and if I include a paragraph about me (personality, aims, passtimes etc) they’ll know a bit about what I’m like before they even meet me but, personally, I’d get to the end of it and think “well there’s not much worth seeing there” and it’d be in the bin - hence the concern.

Stop being so negative, it comes across in your mannerism. :unamused:
Why wouldn’t they give you an interview after reading your CV, seems interesting to me.
Any company in mind?

7

There is no harm in putting down all your work experience.Let the employer decide what is relevant.Do you not think that if you went after a job delivering plumbing supplies,the fact that you know a bit about plumbing may be an advantage? What about an engineering company,fabricators,steel supplies,don’t you think a knowledge of welding might give you an edge ? If you can demonstrate an understanding of various industries it is always going to help.Try not to get too bogged down in jargon,not everyone will understand it.If you can take criticism,post it on here for everyone to look at.

8

CV & Interview tips
hope it helps

9

Darkseeker, you have a PM :wink:

10

Haven’t really got a company in mind at the moment except possibly widdowson’s, I’m going to go all out trying to find work once i’ve got my class 1 though (first week of august hopefuly) as I’m well and truely sick of agencies at the moment.

I’ll get to work on it later, I’ve been up since 01:20 so ready for some kip but I’ll post it when I’m done; I’ve no problem with criticism as long as it’s kept constructive. There are flaws in it that can’t really be rectified, for example gaps in my employment history where I was out of work for 6-8 months on two occasions but that’s nothing serious really.

I try to keep it slightly different though as I tried it once and had several employers who said they liked it because it wasn’t exactly the same format as everyone else’s. You’ll see what I mean when I put it on here though.

11

d/s. You ask for advice. Then when Wheelnut points you in the direction of caledoniandream, who goes on to spell out ,as clearly as possible what it is that he, as an employer wants to see in a cv; You come back with the same negative response.

You said that you were overdue a kip. Hopefully you are now up, and mentally refreshed. Read those responses again.

I now see that your troubles could well be over. :unamused: That pm from the man who has had 4 jobs in the last year, should sort out all of your problems with that cv. He might even loan you his lucky Nobby Dingledangle outfit that he has kept, ready for when they invite him back into their employment. :laughing: :laughing:

:bulb: :bulb: Have you ever considered going on the buses. :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: Was that a dummy that just flew past my ear. :laughing: :laughing: I,ll get me coat, and head for the pub . :wink:

12

Buycrider:
d/s. You ask for advice. Then when Wheelnut points you in the direction of caledoniandream, who goes on to spell out ,as clearly as possible what it is that he, as an employer wants to see in a cv; You come back with the same negative response.

You said that you were overdue a kip. Hopefully you are now up, and mentally refreshed. Read those responses again.

I now see that your troubles could well be over. :unamused: That pm from the man who has had 4 jobs in the last year, should sort out all of your problems with that cv. He might even loan you his lucky Nobby Dingledangle outfit that he has kept, ready for when they invite him back into their employment. :laughing: :laughing:

:bulb: :bulb: Have you ever considered going on the buses. :sunglasses: :sunglasses:

:open_mouth: :open_mouth: Was that a dummy that just flew past my ear. :laughing: :laughing: I,ll get me coat, and head for the pub . :wink:

Errrrrrrrrrrrrrr :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

13

Buycrider:
d/s. You ask for advice. Then when Wheelnut points you in the direction of caledoniandream, who goes on to spell out ,as clearly as possible what it is that he, as an employer wants to see in a cv; You come back with the same negative response.

You said that you were overdue a kip. Hopefully you are now up, and mentally refreshed. Read those responses again.

I cannot see where he gave a negative response but perhaps I have to read it again… :confused:

14

darkseeker:
but, personally, I’d get to the end of it and think “well there’s not much worth seeing there” and it’d be in the bin - hence the concern

Rog. With all due respect. darkseeker is undoubtedly well qualified, keen , and is trying to get on. But he insists on selling himself short. That is what I saw as him being negative. He should have more confidence in his own abilities. He should take on board the advice which Wheelnut-caledoniandream-and others have posted- get that cv written and get it posted. “He who hesitates--------------”.

Get your finger out darkseeker. Get that cv written. get it posted. EOS. Good Luck.

15

Buycrider:
Rog. With all due respect. darkseeker is undoubtedly well qualified, keen , and is trying to get on. But he insists on selling himself short. That is what I saw as him being negative.

I see what you mean -
@DS - do your best - it will be good enough as it is all anyone can ask of you - including yourself :slight_smile:

16

Having just re-written my CV and done it in a different style to I would normally have, I shall wait and see if it gets me anywhere. Hopefully it will work :slight_smile:

17

Buycrider, I wasn’t being negative as such. I know what people are looking for, wheelnut’s quote confirmed that and gave me a few ideas but the point I’ve been trying to make is that my c.v’s generally aren’t bad - but for my new line of work it just seems a little lacking. I.e. there’s only so much you can write about the last couple of years.

Rog’s right though, all I can do really is do my best - I just need to make as big a deal of the last couple of years as I can I suppose (without obviously waffling).

I’ll get some form of first draft typed up and see what’s said about it anyway. Thanks for the help sofar guys :slight_smile:

18

ereyar then, as said it’s only a first draft so plenty to be going on with. Please try to keep it constructive guys, as I’m sure you can see - self esteem’s not really a strong point.

Contact details:

Qualifications to date:
(Oldest first)
G.c.s.e:

English (language): D
Maths: D
Technology (Resistant materials): D
Science (double award): CC
French: E
English literature: F

N.v.q: (Work based training, Day release)
Level 1 motor vehicle technician, service & inspection: Pass
Level 2 motor vehicle technician, service & replacement: Near completion.

Whilst working towards the above, I taught myself to m.i.g. and arc Weld outside work and college and was also trained to operate a counter balance forklift truck.

B.T.e.c: (Full time college course)
Motor vehicle technician progression award level 1: passed with credits and distinctions.
Motor vehicle technician progression award level 2: passed with credits and distinctions.

As part of the above course, I also completed over a year of training in the college’s engineering section, which included work with various precision engineering machines, hand machining processes and work with technical drawings where I learned to not only interpret and work from them but to draw them as well.

Experience:

Since leaving school, I have mainly worked as a vehicle technician. I would be confident that most of my previous employers and tutors at college would be happy to give me a good reference though I’ve had no contact with any of them for some time now.

I’m currently working as a class 2 driver for several agencies and on a large variety of contracts. In the two and a half years since I passed my cat. C test I’ve driven;

Curtain sided vehicles, delivering anything from animal feeds to plaster board and has also included full loads of full i.b.c’s.
Fridge work carrying eggs, cages of supermarket stock and chilled and frozen foods for pub’s hotels and restaurants.
I’ve occasionally carried steelwork and I’m happy to do nights out as I don’t currently have any commitments.

I’ve also attempted to gain my class 1 license two years ago but unfortunately failed; I’ve now booked another course of training and a test and hope for better luck this time. My license is currently clean.

My most recent employer was:

Ermine engineering;

Having decided to try a new trade, and trying a couple of others for a short while I started working for this company in August 2007 as a labourer and van driver, My experience as a mechanic and practical approach helped immensely and I started to advance many skills that I’d “picked up along the way” and thoroughly enjoyed this.

It was here where I found how much I enjoyed driving for a living. I was delivering steelwork, mostly in and around central London, most days of the week in a transit drop-sided vehicle — I can’t say I was keen on the style of London’s drivers however. I moved onto h.g.v’s (class 2) and eventually left to pursue my new career around eighteen months after I first started working there.

A little about the sort of person I am:
I’m an easy going person who I would best describe as being very placid and of very even temperament. I’m open-minded and enjoy learning new skills and give everything my best and enjoy the challenge.

My interests and hobbies:
Outside work, I try to live an active and varied lifestyle, I have lots of different interests and hobbies, and these often include:
Target shooting; I used to spend all my spare time on the range or working to better my physical fitness. I got to such a high level; I was shooting for the county team and was also training with the national squad, took part in two overseas tours and shot in four international matches. I don’t do so much target shooting now, though I do still like to go when I can.

I’m also interested in many outdoor activities. Including; camping, fishing, off road driving and rough shooting.

19

I’m happy to do nights out as I don’t currently have any commitments.

Hmmm… so when you do have commitments you will tell us to sod off when you are asked to do a night out ■■?

Your CV should fit on one side of a piece of A4 size paper and in big enough font to be easily read and be nicely spread out so as not to look like a ‘sea of text’

PS - don’t forget a short covering letter which includes why you want to work for THEIR company

20

Fair enough, would you remove that bit altogether or do I turn it around a bit.

“I don’t currently have any commitments and would be happy to relocate if needs be”

and somewhere else;

“I enjoy nights out and am more than happy to be out several, if not all, nights in a week”

It’s not untrue, I may feel differently when I have got wife, kids etc but who knows.