Thursday February 17, 2005

CV's and how to apply for jobs..

Every year we contact universities about one year placements we have in the UK. We describe the job and what skills we want the students to have prior to working with us. Linux or Unix. We also ask for a covering letter asking them to tell us how their current skills would make them good candidates and also why they want to work for Sun.

It is a REAL shame as we get some responses that fall short of what we want. I do not know if it is the students or the work experience folks at their universities who are to blame.

Here are some points that stop us considering candidates any further..

Linux or Unix is mandatory - so why apply if you do not mention it in your CV.

No covering letter- when one is requested

The candidates just state Linux in the CV without expanding in any way their knowledge of it. A computer company that has a Unix operating environment as ones of its foundations is clearly going to be interested in how much you know on the subject..

The letter or the CV has typos in it.

The CV is either too long, too short or short on content

It is a sad fact of life but we get fifty to eighty CV's for six positions so a CV has to catch our eye for further consideration. For a student the CV should be two sides no more. The front page has to sell you to us. All the salient details on the front page please. The fact you can drive can wait till page two.

On the covering letter - always do one. Show some interest in the company. Try and find out their latest product releases. Try and find out about the part of the company you are applying to work for. In our case Sunservices. Look at your CV and tailor it for the job/company. Get someone who cares to double proof read it and do not trust spellcheckers. Spellcheckers won't spot mouse against mousse.

I applied for a job many many years ago. I did not get past the first interview. I was shown my application form and I got some very forthright feedback on its content. I looked at it and realised they were right, it was down right shoddy. You have one chance to make an impact do not waste it.

I am writing the above as an example. It is just some ideas on how to approach applying for work from someone who sees CVs'...

Da Vinci book and film

I have just finished reading The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown . I enjoyed the book and it is light reading and would make a good holday read I think. The story is about an American ( Robert Langdon) who gets caught up in a tale of intrigue mostly set in Paris and with help from a French crptologist follows an ever increasingly complicated trail of clues which may or may not lead to the ultimate religous artifact. He also is being pursued by the French police for attempted (framed) murder.

Dan Brown has other books in print and the next one I will get also has Robert Langdon in it which is called Angels and Demons. The Da Vinci book is to be filmed with Tom Hanks who will play Langdon I guess.