Overly honest CV's

The always appropriate PhD Comics...  He has just handed in.... 

I was looking for the "overly honest methods" article that I read once upon a time, but there are pages of "overly honest scientific methods" articles if you Google and I can't justify reading through them all now... no really, I can't!!! I frequently joke that I should be able to put "neat handwriting" on my CV, because, seriously, it's important - you want me to capture your data. This made me think there are probably pages of "overly honest CV" articles too - I wasn't disappointed, the internet is magical. Again, I really don't have time to actually read the articles, but if you find yourself WAB-ing, please send me the best one you find! (Yes, people keep asking me what I am doing with all my free time, and it turns out, I still don't have any - but I have had two gorgeous weekends off in a row and it has been heavenly despite still being too tired to really do anything!)

Obviously, I have been thinking about my CV a lot recently while I stare into the blinding barrenness of my future. (I thought I had actually written a blog about the CV writing tips I had from one of my departmental icons, but I can't find it so, I guess not?) When I previously handed in my PhD I sent my CV out to many places, and mostly didn't hear anything back (although I have a soft spot for BirdLife International for sending me the nicest rejection letter I have ever had). Occasionally, a company is nice enough to send you an acknowledgement of receipt and rejection, but mostly it feels a little like standing on Table Mountain and throwing paper airplanes of hope into the the void (this is an image from an advert for a product I can't remember that always makes me feel like that's just littering - it might actually be a music video but either way, what are the chances they picked up all the little pieces of paper?)



I have had three interviews, (two real ones and one telephonic - as a phone-phobe that was a nightmare) two of which I didn't hear anything further from. I think that is particularly rude since they have actually met you or spoken to you and given you hope and the added stress of preparing for an interview. Do they not realise that there are people out there (I presume it isn't just me) that will stress about an answer they stumbled for more than a year after the interview, and will wonder how they could have answered "how do you handle conflict" better. (That is one of my least favourite questions, because I honestly try avoid conflict and suspect I am a bit of a push over... although "what are your weaknesses/strengths" is another pothole for me, even though I know that they will ask it every time!!!) 

The thing is, that when they ask me what are my weaknesses, I want to answer that I hate talking to strangers on the phone, that I am terrible at lying, and not even lying, but not answering with anything less than the whole, unabridged truth. (I am not good at secrets, I can keep them, but I am not sure that any good comes of not just being completely honest about things). That I want a job that will allow me to actually have a life (but I will end up working harder than I need to because I have inherited my mom's need to give her whole heart to everything she does.) That I really don't take being moaned at well (I found this out when the minions were whining - but as a plus I didn't cry until after they left) and that I am just not sure I like having to moan at people (I have found this out with the minions too, they are adults - shouldn't they just do their job properly?).



So, just before I go do some unpaid over time, I was wondering how you answer those stock-standard interview questions. What are your weaknesses, strengths and how do you deal with conflict (etc etc)... Please feel free to leave comments :)