Help With CV/Covering Letter

[cooper.s]

Hello all,
Basically, ive recently come to the end of my seasonal contract working as a general maintenance operative on a holiday park, but my main duties were plumbing jobs (running soil pipes, replacing taps, sinks, toilet pans etc.)

I completed the City & Guilds Technical Certificate 6129 in Basic Plumbing Studies in July this year and Ive been looking for a plumbing apprentice since I started the course in 2008 but havent had any luck.

Im wondering if its my CV/Cover letter or the work in generally dry out there at the moment.

I understand times are hard at the moment, but im quite happy to work for free untill I prove im worth a wage.

I have attached my cv below so If theres anything thats not doing me any favours or things I should change like my personal profile etc. Please let me know so I can change it and give myself a better chance.

Also what sort of thing should I write in my Cover letter? also is it worth me sending copies of my certificates with my CV and cover letter?

Any help would be much appriciated

Thanks
Sean
[DLMURL]http://i917.photobucket.com/albums/ad13/cooper01s/CVpg1.jpg[/DLMURL]
[DLMURL]http://i917.photobucket.com/albums/ad13/cooper01s/CVpg2.jpg[/DLMURL]

 

[fuzzy]

looks pretty good mate, problem is think what an employer wants to see, is a list of units necassary? isnt that a pre requisite?

 

[cooper.s]

looks pretty good mate, problem is think what an employer wants to see, is a list of units necassary? isnt that a pre requisite?

So Scrap the list of units?
Only reason i put that was to show what i can do but i see where your coming from.
Thanks for your reply.

 

[Dan]

A couple of improvement suggestions:-

Remove "I am 20 years old" and put your DOB in the top somewhere in a sort of 03/04/90 format which doesn't stand out as easy that you're young. And I'd remove the 'playing computer games' at the end and simply put 'working with computers' as it might be part of a role you're applying for.

I used to change my CV for every different job I applied for, and write a really convincing covering letter outlining the fact that the employer has said they want a person that can do A,B and C, and I'd point out that nearly every job I've had involved A,B, and C, so I'm perfect for the job, sort of thing.

The bits on the CV that's I'd change would be what I did at my previous jobs, and I wouldn't fake anything, I'd just concentrate more on telephone manor and mentioning the many calls I handled well, if the job I'm applying for was using the phone a lot. But I'd change it to 'customer service' related stuff (which is still on the phones, so same thing) if it was customer related that I'm applying for, and I'd change it to face-to-face dealings if it was a face-to-face type job that I was applying for, so dropping the phone thing alltogether but mentioning every area in my previous jobs (all of them) that I worked face to face.

You can get clever once you've got used to this and use the exact wording they've used in their ad or whatever. So if they say "we want a person who can do this at an advanced level, and this at an amature level as training will be given on in-house systems" then I'd say "and I am a quick learner and have always used in-house systems, I'm at an advanced level regarding 'this' too.

Sort of thing.

Get clever and do a few versions and see what gets you the most response.

Don't lie, just re-word it and spend time thinking about what they're looking for.

Clearly this will not always work if you're just sending the same thing out to loads of plumbers that haven't actually said they're looking for somebody. If this is the case, say in your covering letter that you'd love to sit on file for future positions, and if you don't get a letter or call back, call them and make sure they got it, and have it on file. An update every 6 months with these companies wouldn't go a miss.

Good luck mate. PM me if you think I can help more. We also have a HR manager that used to be HR for JCB on the tilersforums and she'd be the perfect person to help with your CV (and would too I think, as you're a fellow forum member - she's a mod on TF) though she's not a plumber so it might be difficult from that point of view.

Any references you have in writing, send a copy of those with a few and see if plumbers like to see those without asking for them. It's a bit too pushy with some (almost desperate) but others it would perhaps make them notice you a little easier than any others applying.

 

[fuzzy]

So Scrap the list of units?
Only reason i put that was to show what i can do but i see where your coming from.
Thanks for your reply.

i think putting down specifics makes you look a bit desperate, as if trying to spread out your cv because theres nothing to fill it. what do you offer an employer? id rather see things like, worked in a shop, worked with a plumber for free experience, worked weekend aas a builders mate whilst on a course, anything that shows commitment and realibility. say what you have done as opposed to what you can do, gives more confidence to possible employers