ADVICE - CONTRACTS & CV
Since April 2007, there have been only 3 options for contractors to operate under: PAYE, via an umbrella company or your own limited company. The most popular routes are either with your own company or through an umbrella company.
For further details on professional contracting and issues such as IR35, IR591 and legal advice, we would recommend the Professional Contractors Group.
Other useful sites of Software Testing related interest
www.sigist.org.uk - The Specialist Interest Group In Software Testing - With over 2000 members they are the largest independent team of testers in the UK! You can also register for their newsletter, The Tester.
For information on the ISEB training courses visit the British Computer Society's web site at www.bcs.org.uk
Your CV is the first stage within the recruitment process, it won't get you the job, but it could get you the interview! Take time in planning what you want to say and how you want to say it. Do not waffle, be precise and remember this is your initial chance to really sell yourself!
What information needs to be on your CV?
Every CV must contain a basic set of information -
- Name
- Home Address
- Contact numbers in Mobile, Day and Evening
- Email Address
- Date of birth
- Profile - An overview of your skills, experience and attributes. Remember, be specific, anyone can write that they are committed and hardworking!
- Career History - Start with most recent, include Dates, Company, Job Title, Technologies and a Job Description. Try to keep this to bullet points or 4 - 5 sentences.
- Education - Start with most recent first, include Dates, Places of Study, Qualification and Grade.
Do's and Don'ts
- Be precise and to the point. Don't waffle and try to keep the CV to between 2 - 3 pages.
- Always make sure your account for any gaps in your career or educational history, if you don't potential employers could question this.
- List all your technologies under each specific job, stating platforms, databases, languages, applications, test tools. Don't use slang or abbreviations. Go back to basics.
- Your profile is your opportunity to sell yourself. What are your specialist skills? What do you have most experience in? Why should you have that job?
- Make sure you read your CV numerous times, ask someone else to proof read it. There is nothing worse than a CV with lots of spelling or grammatical mistakes.
- Always try to send your CV in a Word document electronically. If you do send it by post keep it on bright white paper, CV's can get photocopied many times so fancy artwork or coloured paper can be pointless.
- Do state that you can provide references on request and remember to have them to hand when asked.