The Workthing+ blog

FREE online workshop - Mature jobseekers: how to use your experience to your advantage

Do you feel your years of experience are holding you back in your job search?

If so, don’t miss our next online career workshop where we’ll give practical advice on how to succeed in your job search including:

• Structuring your CV;
• The types of roles to consider;
• Keeping up-to-date with technology;
• Key interview tips.

Waffle-free CV #wfcv competition: The good, the bad and the ugly

My waffle-free CV competition has only been going for a few days, but so far there’s been a fantastic response.

Entries have ranged from concise, micro-CVs that put across real achievements within a very small space, to full 5-page CVs documents that have completely ignored the rules of the competition.

Remember, I want you to create your CV in 135 characters or less (including spaces). Here are some examples of excellent waffle-free CVs that deserve to win these people new jobs:

Issue 14 - Do you understand how recruitment consultants work?

I was looking over the debate raging on the Workthing+ blog – with some controversial opinions on which recruitment agents to trust. As I have said before, recruitment consultants are paid by employers, who hire them as agents to fill vacancies, so their allegiance is to employers, not to you.

"I want to look for a new and relevant career...what are my options?

Can you help? Leave your comments below.

"Don't your cover letter and personal statement do the same thing?"

Can you help? Leave your comments below.

Make your money work for you

Angela Eagle, Minister for Pensions, sets out the reasons why saving what you can when in work is the foundation for a more secure future when you retire.




Planning and saving for later life might not be top of your agenda, especially if you’re looking for work in the current economic climate. However, we are all living longer and most of us are likely to spend over 20 years in retirement, which is why thinking about your long-term financial future now, is essential. There might be many calls on your money and retirement might seem a long way off, but saving for the future is vital.

"How do I get agencies to be honest about rates?"

Can you help? Leave your comments below.

"Are agencies asking for personal information they have no business requesting?"

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Win a Flip UltraHD Video – tweet your CV in 140 characters or less

We hate CV waffle ... people have 2 pages to sell themselves to a potential employer ... and then waste time and space by including waffle like:

• "Motivated self-starter". No recruiter will ever search a CV database for this or similar variants. If it goes without saying, don’t say it!
• “Able to work alone or as a member of team”. If you have nothing better to put on your 2-page CV than this, then you should be worried.
• And “good timekeeper”, “dynamic and enthusiastic”, “enjoy spending time with my young family” and many more. 
• As a general rule: less adjectives, more facts.

To demonstrate the point, we want to prove that anyone can produce a CV in 140 characters or less (the Twitter posting limit).

So – the challenge is to create your own short CV and tweet it or email it to me, and I’ll let you know exactly what I think. View them as they come in @WorkthingPlus.

Issue 13 - Shhh...Insider Information from The Career Insider

Q.   

I work in a creative role, and was advised to make a video CV, because they show creativity and originality. I don’t know how to make a video CV, and am worried it won’t look professional. Do you know how to go about this?

P.F., London

Hot sectors: December 2009

Most people use the festive break as an opportunity to regroup and refocus on what they really want before putting 100 per cent into finding a job in the New Year.

During December, the number of managers and executives appointed into work was slow across most sectors. However, there was certainly still some activity, reflecting the upward swing in the job market highlighted in November’s Management Moves report.

This month’s report shows that there were still certain sectors that made some significant hires:

"I'm scared to go back on to the job market - help!"

Can you help? Leave your comments below.

"If you can't get past the job advert, what's the point?"

Can you help? Leave your comments below.

Online Career Workshop - How to successfully plan your career path

Thanks to everyone who attended our workshop today and special thanks to Laura and Emma for all of their help and advice. 

Many of you submitted questions that we didn't have time to answer so we will endeavour to provide you with some more answers on the blog tomorrow...watch this space!

In the meantime please feel free to give us your feedback by leaving a comment below.

If you missed the workshop and would like to view the recording please click here. 

Looking for a job? Make sure you are professionally represented online

A recent study by Harris Interactive shows that over 45% of employers use social networks in order to screen potential candidates. The reason for that is simple: it is both easier and faster to Google a candidate’s name than it is to start calling for references. In most cases, the information found within seconds online exceeds what can be derived from a phone conversation with a former employer. The same study also shows that over one third of the decision makers were influenced by what they had found online when deciding to pass on a candidate.

In a world where being called for a face-to-face interview depends on a review of a candidate’s Google CV, presenting yourself professionally on the web is an absolute necessity. Unless you have the exact same name as a well-known celebrity, it is entirely possible to rank on the first page of Google for your name. It does not take very long or cost a lot of money, it only requires dedication and a bit of planning.

Issue 12 - Executive jobsearch myths

Q.    Executive jobsearch myths

I'm being made redundant and considering uploading my CV to executive jobsites to help my career search, but a colleague has advised me that executive recruiters avoid CVs on these websites like the plague.

P.J., Staffs

How your CV can help you change careers

 

Making a major career change can be very tough, particularly in the current job market. Due to the large number of jobseekers, employers can afford to insist on only seeing candidates with previous experience in the same role.

However, if you are really set on making a major career change, it can be done. You might also feel that you have no other option, as being in a job that no longer gives you any satisfaction can be soul destroying. Of course the opposite is certainly true if you are fortunate to be doing a job that you love.

You won’t be able to start your job search without having a CV that is going to convince a potential employer to invite you for an interview despite your lack of previous experience.

So here are my Top Ten CV Tips to help you change careers: