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18th April 2013, 08:19 PM
I suppose my problem is that apart from keeping a CPD log and upto date CV ( which lets be honest could be works of complete and utter fiction). I have nothing that confirms the skills and experience that I know I have. A lot of my spare time has been spent gaining skills that do not show up except in the kinds of projects people take me on for (employment record). Not having a set of formal qualifications actually undermines my own confidence in my abilities.
A skills passport is great for those starting out but Kevin is right there is going to have to be a high level of self certification for those of us who have already acquired the skills.
I want a proper profession with professional standards and qualifications in key areas of expertise with training providers who are skilled in exactly that, providing training. Too much archaeological training is done on site by someone who has learnt bad habits and isn't too hot on communicating.
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18th April 2013, 09:54 PM
I know it can't possibly be applied across the board, but I like the approach that English Heritage take with job applications where CVs are not accepted, but there is an online application form that asks the appropriate questions and prompts you account for your experience etc etc. Perhaps what would compliment the Skills Passport would be a standardised archaeological CV pro-forma. Personally think that would benefit employers (no more wading through pages of CV about 'what I did in my gap year') and applicants (focussing their attention on detailing skills employers are seeking). It could also contain a section (for the benefit of those in the same position as Wax) to outline skills picked up through experience, rather than qualification.
Afterthought: Await the day when the first RAO puts out a job advert that says 'Just send us a copy of your CPD log and details of your availability'....
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19th April 2013, 07:42 AM
(This post was last modified: 19th April 2013, 07:44 AM by Wax.)
Careful with those on line applications a lot of them have a first sort done by automated software that looks for key words and phrases ( these are usuallly easily to spot as they will be in the person description and essential skills list). I am afraid it is relatively easy to crack the code and complete the application form using them. If you don't understand that you will not get past the first stage. I have filled in quite a few of these and can list you the key phrases and words.
With CVs everything the prospective employer needs to know should be one one page. That is all they are going to read.
There is a very fine art to job applications and if you have learnt it you will most likely get to interview. Even interviews are often now done using pre set questions and a scoring system, again I can now list the questions. Depressing really. I do have employment at the moment and can usually find work when contracts end I often wonder is this because I am good at what I do or because I have cracked the application system?
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19th April 2013, 07:54 AM
Wax Wrote:I often wonder is this because I am good at what I do or because I have cracked the application system?
Both. There are lots of good people out there who cannot get themselves accross at interview.
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19th April 2013, 06:47 PM
Wax Wrote:With CVs everything the prospective employer needs to know should be one one page.
Can us who are longer-in-the-tooth (those that are left anyway - went to dentist earlier...) stretch that a little? - just checked and that leaves me lost somewhere back in the '80s (so nothing new)...that's just unit/site/position, at 8-point...actually after a quick tot-up I'd need a whole page at that point size just to list all employers just by name...or could I get away with 'lots of digging'?
Tried filling in an English Heritage application form (paper) several years ago and it was never going to work so ended up just sticking in my current post and previous jobs I'd done for
them, wasn't space for anything else
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19th April 2013, 07:10 PM
Dinosaur, employment history on your CV should be listed with the most recent first. Or if you don't have it already, a skills-based CV with only a summary of employment history rather than a long list of previous jobs may be more appropriate. I've taken this approach recently with my IT work and it's been far more effective (it's eye-catching and says far more about me and my abilities), but of course it may be received better in that industry.
On application forms, I only ever fill in current/most recent and any particularly relevant positions I've held in the past.
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19th April 2013, 08:03 PM
"my" ( gawd.. that sounds wrong as there are many people who have helped...
) passport scheme works on a simple principal of this... and it takes 3 years from start to acceptance to actually work fully... if you as a person sign off a nother as understanding a principal and they turn out to be duff... then it is you that suffers and thus anyone else you validate... thus others will be wary of being validated.. as they don't want to be validated by a person who is barely competant themselves. ( and yes admit it... you know whhen you are crap at something -- I know in my heart when I am! ) it stems from something that happened when I was about 20 .. and we ( as a team ) confirmed how good a person was... lets call him Eddie ( fast Eddie ) and he was able to get a job with another unit.... much rejoicing as he was pretty useless and we were glad to be rid............. imagine if the comeback was on us ... ? ah... might be a bit more careful.
next is to accept there is no such thing as perfect but there is a need to start... from this... better things can grow.
call this a seed if you will. that can be nurtured and grown into a proper scheme. Remember BAJR is one person and I have limits ( no really ) so this has to be a case of create with help and pass on...
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22nd April 2013, 08:09 AM
pdurdin Wrote:Dinosaur, employment history on your CV should be listed with the most recent first. Or if you don't have it already, a skills-based CV with only a summary of employment history rather than a long list of previous jobs may be more appropriate.
I agree with you on the brevity. The only people who are interested in your complete back history are the IfA (who tallied up mine to the nearest day when I first applied for full membership and turned me down for being a month short of the minimum required), and some contractors who like to see if you've worked with/for someone they don't like.
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22nd April 2013, 06:37 PM
Thankfully I doubt I'll ever need my CV again, unless I decide to change careers. and no one outside archaaeology would understand any of it anyway, skills like being able to walk onto a site and spot a previously overlooked barrow or fish a sword out of a machine-bucket aren't really transferable. Certainly don't bother updating it (apart from once-in-a-blue-moon publications)
