Well just got an e-mail from Yummy Jobs telling me I'm not suitable........ .............. here's my cv and cover letter, could you guys tell me where I went wrong please!! CHRISTOPHER STEPHEN FARMAN ** Hessle East Yorkshire HU13 0LE Tel: ** Mobile: ** E-mail: ** SKILLS PROFILE • A well educated enthusiastic individual currently gaining experience as an accounts clerk at a financial services company and as a sports coach working with children at a secondary school. • Responsible for data input, company formations and dealing with customer queries and complaints, at the financial services company, and the supervision and teaching of children between the ages of 14 and 15, at the secondary school. • Further experiences include working for the successful Young Enterprise team ‘Write-On!’ as Marketing Director and leading my school’s rugby team as captain and vice-captain. • An outgoing and effective team player with communication and customer care skills and able to work within demanding environments. • Ideally seeking a position as a Cultural Representative at Walt Disney World where above skills and experiences could be drawn upon and further developed. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY 2004-Present     Accounts Clerk                 Harrison Webster Associates Limited, Leeds, West Yorkshire                 Responsible for data input onto such computing programs as Sage and                 Microsoft Office, dealing with any customer queries and complaints                          in an efficient and appropriate manner and the formation of                 companies at Companies House. Other tasks require working on own                 initiative or working as a team. 2005-Present     Sports Coach                 Hymers College, Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire                 Responsible for teaching children at the under 15 age group.                 Careful planning of each coaching session to match the needs of the children. Take                 control of any problems that could arise including discipline and team                 selection issues. EDUCATION 1997 - 2004 Hymers College, Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire General Studies A2 Grade A Geography A2 Grade B Economics A2 Grade C Certificate in Enterprise (Young Enterprise) NQF Level 2 Grade Distinction Business Studies GCSE Grade A* Mathematics GCSE Grade A Physics GCSE Grade A French GCSE Grade A Geography GCSE Grade A Physical Education GCSE Grade A English Language GCSE Grade B English Literature GCSE Grade B Biology GCSE Grade B Chemistry GCSE Grade B ACHIEVEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING EXPERIENCE AAT Accounting Course Gold Award Mathematics Challenge Hymers College Sportsman of the Year Young Enterprise Yorkshire Finalist (Young Enterprise Presentation Yorkshire Winner) LEISURE INTERESTS Enjoy playing cricket for East Yorkshire club North Ferriby. Travel the country to support Hull City Football Club. Keeping fit by jogging and attending the local health club. References are available upon request ** Jenny Brough Lane Hessle East Yorkshire HU13 0LE Yummy Jobs Limited The Georgian Village Unit 5, 100 Wood Street London, E17 3HX 16th August 2005 Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Cultural Representative at Walt Disney World I am writing to express my strong interest in employment as a Cultural Representative at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. I have enclosed a complete curriculum vitae outlining my qualifications and experience for your review and consideration. After numerous visits to Walt Disney World, I would love the opportunity to experience the magic of being a cast member and meeting new and exciting people in the process. I see this as a perfect opportunity for me to further develop my professional and personal skills and represent my country in the World Showcase at Epcot. I spent seven years studying at Hymers College in Kingston upon Hull gaining 10 GCSEs, 3 ‘A’ levels and a distinction in NQF level 2 Certificate in Enterprise (Young Enterprise). I gained valuable team work and leadership skills whilst captaining my school rugby team throughout my time at Hymers College and leading them to the Yorkshire Cup in 2001. During 2002 and 2003, I took part in the Young Enterprise competition as part of the successful company ‘Write-On!’. In my position of Marketing Director I was put under great pressure to meet deadlines and work with other members of the company. I was also part of our company’s presentation team which was awarded ‘Best Presentation’ at the Yorkshire final. I am currently working at an accountancy practice in Leeds as an accounts clerk and at Hymers College in Kingston upon Hull as a sports coach. At the accountancy practice in Leeds, I am responsible for data input onto computer programs such as Sage and Microsoft Office, dealing with any customer queries and complaints, which have provided me with valuable communication and customer care skills, and the formation of companies for clients. At Hymers College in Kingston upon Hull, I am responsible for the teaching and supervision of children at the under 15 age group and currently spend approximately 5 hours coaching the children each week. The role also involves the careful planning of each training session and taking control of any problems that could arise including disciplinary and team selection issues. I would be available to work from the beginning of September 2005 and look forward to hearing from you in the near future. Yours Sincerely, Christopher Farman
Well I've had a think about it.......... It's very difficult not feeling very disappointed particularly when you feel so passionate about Disney World and in the e-mail that I got from Yummy says...'Unfortunately, due to the extremely high volume of applications we are currently handling, it is not feasible for us to offer individual feedback.'.....grrrr!!lol Anyways, I've had a thought about what I may be missing.... CV 1. I don't have the experience required e.g. experience at a restaurant perhaps?!; 2. Grades are not good enough; 3. My leisure interests are not what they're looking for; 4. Didn't go to University?! Also other things that could have not gone my way....I live in Kingston upon Hull (apparently the worst place in England), I was educated at a private school and accounting is apparently the most boring job with the most boring people ...... (I think I'd be slightly disappointed if they did take these points into account but it's certainly been done before and I think it's shocking!!) Cover Letter 1. Didn't show my passion for Disney (showing how much you love Disney World and the knowledge that you possess is fairly difficult in a cover letter); 2. Repeated myself too much?! Anyways....I've had my rant and any help you guys could give me would be greatly appreciated!!!
Hi Chris, I was in your shoes a few months back, being really excited about applying and then got not just one letter but two letters telling me i am unsuitable, so i called yummy jobs and they told me my cv didn't show any experience of hospitality, it just had office work, so what i did was go and get myself a part time job in a restaurant and re-sent my letter and cv, and today got an email telling me my telephone interview will be on Friday. If i were you i wouldn't give up it just shows determination when you keep trying Hope this helps H
First of all I'm sorry if I have miss read anything in your CV feel free to kick me if I have. I think your problem may be a lack of experiance shops, restaurants or the like. From what other people have said, and thinking of the type of work you would be doing, I would think this is high on the list of requirements. I can't really see that it could be anything else. Your grades kick my grades' butts, I didn't go to uni either, but I've worked as a waitress, behind bars, in hotels, in shops.... You get the picture. I very much doubt where you live has anything to do with it, they want diversity, and your leisure interests are vailid... Cricket needs team work, sports coaching is dealing with people. Short of getting a part time job in one of these areas I don't know what you can do to remedy this. Hope wha I've said is ofsome help...
I might be able to shed some light on this. Apart from (and I mean no harm, only help) the layout of the CV, there was nothing I didn't like about your application. I suggest putting 'skills profile' after education and work, preferably education first. With the skills part- drop the Disney bit, and also anything else that isn't necessary with shorter sentences. Correct me if I am wrong- but do you not end a covering letter with 'Yours Truly' if you address 'Dear Sir/Madam' and 'Sincerely' when you know the persons name? I may be wrong, but it's worth checking out. However, as can be seen from my first post, I had to contact Yummy Jobs before I made an application because I am disabled. Anyway, we spoke at great length on the phone and I was told that what tends to get you a place more than anything isn't experience in hospitality per se; but showing the commitment for a career in hospitality. The exact words were: 'if we get lots of applications, we are more likely to give the place to someone who is, for example studying to, achieve a future in hospitality.' I know that many people are in the programme without this, but when there are a high volume of people applying, this is wht they look for first. Then perhaps experience in hospitality if there is not enough candidates from the above category. Again, I suggest some hospitality work and/or a course in hospitality or related field. I don't think it has anything to do with where you live- and from one privte school kid to another-we all know the 'old school tie' theory works wonders. I hope that helps.
I thought your cv looked fine... however, I think given the high numbers that they receive, a lot of their interest would also be based on your cover letter. Remember: Your cover letter is your chance to make them want to look at your cv, but if you deal with hundreds of stock-standard cover letters every day, they would begin to all look the same.. and they would flick quickly through your cv. Try being unique in your cover letter, expressing a bit of your personality, making them think: "I'd like to talk to this guy" Perhaps by being original you could overcome the lack of hospitality experience.. make them want to give you a chance despite the lack of experience. Also, in your cover letter you mentioned Disney in the first line and then not again after. Perhaps you should make it evident in the rest of the letter that you have done some research into the potential role of a cast member. When you state your skills, state how you think you could use them at Disney. How they would benefit your role. Make them think "we need this guy" Whilst still keeping it brief.. In regard to your cv, to make it better than fine: Perhaps put a program or career objective into it, saying briefly your objective from the program... Also, make your cv specific to a Disney job, not the same cv you might send out to any job.. such as relevant things that make you the best guy for this particular job, data entry may be interesting to a business firm, but Disney may be more interested in the solving customer queries, problem solving part of it, making a customers day etc.. You also use a lot of very unspecific statements such as: "Other tasks require working on own initiative or working as a team" Perhaps a brief specific example would work better. A lot of things I have read say that recruiters want you to demonstrate the experience not just use *buzz* words. Perhaps you should have played up your role with children and dealing with customers rather than the business and formation of companies side. And also, be wary of a standard cv.. the chronological format is what they want sop don't change that, but make sure you make it a bit individual too. Looking at one hundred of the exact same font, style every day would be annoying. Stay within the guidelines but aim to stand out just a little too. Anyways I am sorry if this seems like I am being critical, I am just trying to offer my perspective. And I am not necessarily right... so only take it all as a one small opinion. I have not submitted a cv to the program yet, but at uni they say that these are the sort of things they say recruiters want.. Goodluck with your next go!! And perhaps grab a few shifts at your nearest bar for a few months
Thanks for all your help!! I don't mind criticism, I need to be criticised to improve!! Rightio.....time for another attempt....
Hey Chris I'm so sorry to hear you didnt get through to the next stage. I agree with what has been said before in that try and get some more experience in hospitality/customer service roles, i can't imangine that there would be any other reasons why you have not been successful! ??? Best of luck with your re-application and let us know how it goes.
hiya sorry to hear you didn't get the reply you wanted but heres a little advice. i don't really wanna say much but i noticed on your cover letter that its was more to do with what disney can do for you, i think you should also include what you can do for disney, play on the fact that u've had customer service skills in the coaching more then accountancy and again restate what you what in terms of the disney experince. anyway hope this helps jenine
Hi Chris! Sorry to hear you got that letter- it's really sucks! But, this time about 16 months ago, I was in the exact same position as you- and I'm going out there in (gulp) 2 days- so definitely don't think there's no chance! First of all- your grades (they're really good!), private school and not going to uni- no way that affected it! I think I'd really just echo what the others have said. Your cv shows a lack of hospitality based jobs, so working in a shop/restaurant or something would be really useful- might give you that edge over someone else who doesn't! Secondly- and I really apologise if you tried to do this- it looks really generic- like a cv you'd send out to loads of different companies. You might be able to tailor it a little more to what Disney want- emphasise your work with children- this is valuable stuff since so many visitors to Disney are kids! The office work is not so much what Disney are looking for. Also I'd probably take out the leisure interests- I don't think it really adds anything. If you can add in some hospitality work that would be great, the other thing might be to prune it a little- like people have said- they read loads of these every day- make your statements short and to the point! With your covering letter, emphasise what would make you a great cast member- why do you want to work for Disney?- why would you be better than someone else? Hope this might help a little- sorry if I just look like I slated it- I didn't mean to- I'm just trying to help! :-[ Best of luck! Charlotte x
Show them that accountants AREN'T boring!!! You are applying for a job at DISNEY...not at a bank, so make your application fun!!! Make your real personality shine through. Don't worry if it fits all the formats. You are more likely to be remembered if you DON'T follow the trends. It's a fun job, so send them a fun CV!!! Mine was not only colourful, but had little pics all over it and didn't use plain block fonts...just make sure you pick a font that most computers have or it'll come out all wacky. That's my thoughts on the subject. Shan
My cover letter was about 4 lines long I think.... I write a terrible 'correct' CV as well, so don't worry about getting it text book, sell yourself. I would still recomend some experiance in relevant fields though.
Herh, well pretty much what I was going to say has been said by others above. LOL But what I will say is don't give up and keep trying I always say, when there's a will, there is a way. Good luck re-applying! One thing which I don't think been mention in this post is that no matter what country your from, they will always look at your personality. Once you have the requirements to get into the interview, all you need then to be upbeat and smile alot at the interview. Gary
hey Chris, thats really rotten that you didn't even get an interview. I just skimmed the posts above so im sorry if its repetative. I think deff is the hospitality exp or commitment to learn in that area.As i have nothing else to shout about except im a bar manager. As for grades, that deff can't be the issue as i practically have nothing to shout about..... 8 standard grades, 2 highers and i dropped out of uni in the third year with only a first year certificate. I don't see anything majorly wrong with your cv as such. But i remeber from an earlier post of someones saying that they didn't pass the cv part because of a lack of hosp exp. and they were off to get hospitality exp as part time work. Stick at it though as that can only aid in your appeal
i think i must have got an iddentical letter to yours as the words u siad were the same as what was in mine! I agree with what everyone else says, i think that i might use some of the advice on the posts from here as well! Really useful stuff - thanx Guys! My CV was crap and i have really worked on it since i applied, and im trying to get a load of new fun stuff to add on to it. Im also going to do a cover letter this time - i applied on their website last time so i didnt do a cover letter - i think thats one of the main reasons i didnt get an interview.......so im not going to worry about it and as everyone on here knows - i now work for easyjet and am going to apply again when I have more experience behind me -and have actually done a covering letter!
