When you’re unemployed, there’s one word that you just can’t seem to shake from your head:
job.
It can seem like any time spent not
searching the internet for jobs is spent perfecting your CV for jobs, applying for jobs, talking about jobs, being interviewed for jobs and generally spending every waking (and sleeping hour) with the thought of jobs firmly lodged in your brain.
As important as it is to find a job, sometimes you just need a break to re-energise and get back on track. Job hunting itself can be a full-time job (as it were), but
all jobs require some respite.
Continue reading "Beat the boredom" »
Q. How do I succeed at interview?
I seem to keep letting myself down at interviews. I have had five interviews in four months – everywhere from the local council to recruitment agents – but all have been either been a straight
no or I haven’t heard from them since. I’ve listened to all the generic advice – prepare thoroughly, arrive on time, make eye contact, take copies of your CV etc – but frankly I need to know
exactly what I’m doing wrong.
G.D., Bristol
Continue reading "Issue 4 - How do I succeed at interview?" »
Whilst the market in 2009 has been more difficult to predict than a BBQ summer, there's no doubt that we've witnessed a gradual increase in certain roles (accountancy and finance, for example) over the last eight months. So with indications that recruitment will continue to grow as we head into the final third of the year, just how can you gear up for any market upswing?
Your most important step should be to dust off your CV – but be careful. Even though the market is starting to pick up, hiring firms still know they're very much in the driving seat and can cherry pick the best applicants. Even if you updated your profile just before the downturn, you'll need to revisit it again to make sure it reflects your expertise.
Continue reading "Get ahead of the rest" »
The internet has opened up the job market in ways that didn’t seem possible a few years back. These days you can enjoy access to jobsites filled with industry-specific roles (like
GAAPweb.com,
totallylegal.com and
secsinthecity.com), sites to help with your career management (like
Workthing+) as well as online access to recruitment agencies, newspaper adverts and headhunters. You can sign up for RSS feeds and get jobs delivered directly to your email inbox or mobile phone.
These methods allow you to access jobs that are advertised, but how exactly do you go about tapping into jobs that aren't advertised, or the hidden job market?
The hidden job market comprises jobs that are only advertised internally within companies, jobs that come out of speculative applications, and jobs that might not have previously existed until you sourced them. One of the online tools you can use to help you gain access to hidden jobs is the popular business networking site, LinkedIn.
Continue reading "Connect your way to your next career" »
Your CV is the first, and maybe the last, impression that a recruiter gets of you. And yet so many people get it so wrong. I get asked about CVs all the time – usually “why’s my CV getting ignored?” Luckily, most CV issues can be solved
really easily.
I recently got sent a bad example of a CV from a perfectly good candidate. I’ve cast my professional eye over it and used the Workthing+ CV Builder to give it a
complete makeover.
View the old version View the new version
Continue reading "Issue 3 - Is my CV letting me down?" »
Q. Have I missed the graduate boat?
At twenty-four years old, I think I might have missed the boat to get a place on a decent graduate scheme. I’ve got loads of friends who graduated with me in 2008 who managed to get a job (any job) despite the recession. I hung on for the ‘right’ job and it never came up.
Am I now too old to get a graduate job? How can I compete with the one or two years’ worth of ‘new’ grads? I don’t know what I want to do in the grand scheme of things, all I know is that I want a job now.
D.H., Worcestershire
Continue reading "Issue 2 - Have I missed the graduate boat?" »
Q. Am I making a mistake by changing careers?
I was recently made redundant from my long-standing role as New Business Director in a large City firm. I was working nightmarish hours, felt totally burned out, and was 'bringing my office home' with me every evening. I decided to totally change direction, so I applied for a job as a Fundraising Executive for a not-for-profit organisation. I'd be reporting to the Head of Fundraising who's more junior than me, but I think that over time, there could be opportunities to use the role as a bridge into other charity roles.
My dilemma is that, after the first interview, I realised I'll probably have to take a pay cut and work my way up again. I'm panicking that if I do get the offered the job, I won't be happy with my new much lower wage or my much more 'junior' position. Am I making a massive mistake? Should I just stick to what I'm good at and apply for roles I'm used to?
G.A, Windsor
Continue reading "Issue 1 - Crack your job search with insider tips" »
I often get asked by candidates whether they should make speculative applications to potential employers. There is no blanket answer to this question. However, the tips below should help you to decide if it’s worth applying speculatively and how to go about it in the right way.
- I don’t recommend that you mailshot hundreds of companies with your CV. Decide which companies you really want to work for and make a list of up to ten of these. Do your research and see what their application policies are. Some companies, like Shell, have a strict policy of not accepting speculative applications, whilst others such as Envirofone, Clark Willis and Reign On Records actively encourage this.
Continue reading "How to make a speculative application" »
The pivotal document in positioning you for the job you want is undoubtedly your CV.
Looking at your completed CV can evoke feelings of pride and accomplishment for all that you’ve achieved in your professional lifetime. In fact, the broad Latin translation of Curriculum Vitae is ‘course of life’.
For some people, a CV isn’t just a document that represents what you’ve done, it can feel like a document that represents who you are. Just remember that a CV is a factual document rather than a personal autobiography, so keep the tone and content relevant.
Writing a good CV takes time and effort, and once you’ve got it right it can be overwhelmingly tempting to send it out to as many people as you can. However, instead of blindly distributing your CV, you should try to identify where you’d like to send it. This might include generic recruiters and jobsites as well as niche ones, but attempting to send your CV to absolutely everyone in the recruitment industry is just a waste of your time.
Continue reading "Get your CV seen by the right people" »
