Do employers read skills-based CVs?
I will be graduating soon with likely a high 2.2 in Chemical Engineering with no relevant experience and not a single extracurricular activity. I have no excuses so I won't say any more about that. Clearly, a standard CV would not work for me. After frantically searching on the web for a remedy to my situation, I stumbled across a template for a skills-based CV which is perfect because I can draw from a wide range of experiences in how they have helped to develop my transferable skills, regardless of how relevant those experiences are.
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
Original post by chillimanners
I will be graduating soon with likely a high 2.2 in Chemical Engineering with no relevant experience and not a single extracurricular activity. I have no excuses so I won't say any more about that. Clearly, a standard CV would not work for me. After frantically searching on the web for a remedy to my situation, I stumbled across a template for a skills-based CV which is perfect because I can draw from a wide range of experiences in how they have helped to develop my transferable skills, regardless of how relevant those experiences are.
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
What kind of experience do you have at the moment - where would you be drawing your "skills" examples from?
And what kind career(s) or jobs are you looking at?
Original post by chillimanners
I will be graduating soon with likely a high 2.2 in Chemical Engineering with no relevant experience and not a single extracurricular activity. I have no excuses so I won't say any more about that. Clearly, a standard CV would not work for me. After frantically searching on the web for a remedy to my situation, I stumbled across a template for a skills-based CV which is perfect because I can draw from a wide range of experiences in how they have helped to develop my transferable skills, regardless of how relevant those experiences are.
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
My concern comes from the fact that a skills-based CV has quite a bit more words on it than a 'normal' CV does, which leads me to think that employers might simply take one look at it and then toss it in the bin because it would simply be a waste of their time to read a short essay when there are hundreds of other CVs that are much more concise waiting for them.
So, do employers actually read skills-based CVs?
If you've got evidence to make a skills based CV, you've got evidence to make a chronological CV. The bullet points are the same in both, it's just the structure that is different.
You use a Skills based CV pretty much only in a couple of circumstances - when you have a very patchy work history and you want to hide how much you have changed jobs and had gaps, or when you want to transfer skills into another sector, and there are negative associations with the sector you are moving from that you'd like to obscure. The example I use here is circus performer to primary teacher - lots of transferable skills, but you don't want the image of lycra, sequins and big tents to obscure them.
Employers don't like them much for two reasons. First, they are difficult to compare with the more common chronological format CVs, so you have to take longer and read in more depth (or just chuck them out on sight). Second, they strip out the context of where you demonstrated the relevant skill, ie the job you were in at the time, and that removes a layer of credibility to the CV.
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