Posts Tagged ‘useful’

The Perfect References

The backbone to any good CV is a strong reference list - your references are there to prove that you are as good as you’re claiming to be on your CV.  If you don’t do it properly you can really come unstuck with your references and that could totally sabotage the rest of the CV.

If you don’t want all the hard work you put into your CV to go to waste then make sure you follow our advice when sorting out your references - after all your references can either make you or break you.

Surprise

Make sure that your references aren’t surprised with a phone call from your potential employer - you don’t want your potential employer to ambush someone expecting to find out more about you and all they end up talking about is how they can’t believe they are your referral.

Before even thinking about handing in a CV with a reference list make sure you tell the referrals that they might be receiving a phone call and tell them what the job is about.  You should also give them a copy of your CV to look over so they can be sure that they can be familiar with your working past and hopefully be enthusiastic.

A Hard Choice

You should think about using different references for different job applications - references work in a similar way to a covering letter.  You shouldn’t hand out the same covering letter for bar work and copywriting work.  The same applies for your references.

Think about each reference carefully and choose the personal based on their qualities and characters in relation to the position.  You aren’t going to want someone who can’t explain themselves properly or who is no good over the phone.

Facebook

You should be careful about your social networking status when applying for a job - although it might not be the first thing you think about, a potential employer might take a step further than normal and seek you out online to see what kind of a person you are.

Employees have been known to be fired on the spot for their social networking activities and so it’s not hard to believe that a potential employee will skip past you if they don’t like the way you act online.

Be Clear

You don’t want your potential employer to have to scour through the Yellow Pages or the Internet looking for contact details for your references - they probably won’t bother and you won’t get the job.

Make sure all contact details are clear and correct - provide the name, telephone number and email address.  You could even note down the best time for contact, either the day or the evening or only after 6pm for example.  Show that you are willing to provide as much information as possible.

Getting Your References Right?

Are you struggling to get your references right?  Do you put much effort into your reference list?  Let us know…

Time On Your Hands

The unemployment rate is at the highest it’s been in a long time - the chances are you know someone who is out of a job.  The opportunities for the unemployed in Britain are not looking too good either and they will probably be out of work for some time.

But fear not - just because you don’t have a job doesn’t mean you have an excuse to laze around the house all day worrying…make the most of the time you’ve got on your hands…

Create Work

There are things that need to be done in your house all the time but because you aren’t in work at the moment you are probably finding it hard to motivate yourself - if you have something to do, like wash your windows, then make a job out of it!  Do this for all your chores and you’ll be giving yourself a useful purpose once again.

Spread Your Wings

If you are finding it difficult to get a job in the industry that you usually work in then don’t be afraid to spread your wings and try new things in new areas.  There may be something that you have always wanted to do but haven’t yet had the opportunity to do it because you’ve been stuck doing something you didn’t want to do - take the opportunity.

Re-evaluate The Way You Live Your Life

Having time off from work can be a great piece of time where you can re-evaluate your work/home balance.  You can take a closer look at the things you put on the backburner because work got in the way for example.

Go to the gym, eat right for a change, sleep right!  Do all the things you were failing to do when you were stuck in your job.

Languages

Now you have the time you should really think about spending around half an hour each day learning a new language - imagine the boost a new language will have for your CV!  It’s not like you don’t have the time anymore, so make the most of the time you have to add an impressive skill to your CV.

Furthermore, when you do get a job and the economy starts to perk up again, you will find that you’ll move up the ranks a lot faster because you will have shown you were willing to add to your skills.

Internship

If you have decided to take the opportunity to move from one career to another then you should take a look at the possibility of internships.  You will be putting yourself in a position to learn from an established company.

Although you’ll probably be in the position at a cut rate, you will still be earning money and making good steps into a new career that will probably suit you better.

Time To Tango?

Have you found yourself with too much time on your hands thanks to the recession?  Has our advice inspired you to do more with your time?  Let us know…

Top CV Issues You Can Overcome

Looking for a job can be a tough deal - we’re fighting our way through a recession as we speak and unemployment rates have shot through the sky.  You need an edge above everyone else and you aren’t going to get it with a CV full of issues.

If you have any of the issues listed below then don’t worry because we’re going to tell you how to overcome them and apply for a job without and worries or fretting!

Gaps

Gaps in your employment history can be a nightmare and can bring a world of worrying.  If this is something you have to deal with then try to use a CV format that looks more at your skills.  You can do this by making a strong summary of your skills followed by a brief list of your work.

A Lot Of Jobs

If you’ve been in a lot of positions through a very short time period then you should think about being completely honest.  Although tons of jobs in a short period of time can be a bit of a flag for some employers, it is a good policy to remain honest.

If you have good reasons for the amount of jobs then feel free to explain so in your CV - maybe you were searching for a better pay packet, the businesses you worked for crashed in the recession.

Only One Company

Working in only one company will obviously show off your loyalty to a potential employer, but it will also show that career growth wasn’t a big issue in your life which is not an attractive feature.

Highlight the different positions you’ve held, rather than simply the fact you were at the business for a long time.  A potential employer will pick up on the fact that you have been in a number of positions and gained skills.

Little Experience

You may have just graduated from university and you have little experience on your CV.  If this is the case you should make sure that you are adding any internship work, part-time work and volunteer work to beef up your CV.

Temping

If you have a lot of temporary work listed on your CV then you shouldn’t worry too much.  More than half of executives actually see temporary work in the same way as full-time work.

You should list the temp work in reverse chronological order in the same way you would with full time work - don’t forget to write that the employment was temporary so potential employers can be clear about your history.

CV Issues?

Have you had any CV issues?  Has our advice helped?  Are you feeling a little less worried about your CV thanks to our tips?  Leave us a comment and let us know…

CV Writing - What To Keep In Mind

It’s that time of the year once again when the University year comes to an end and poor old students are thrown out into the real world with the sole task of looking for a job - it’s not an easy time for everyone…

Recessions aren’t exactly the most exciting periods of time to start searching for a job - you’re up against tons of people for a tiny amount of positions.  Do the math…not everyone’s going to be successful.

CVs - They’re important in case you didn’t know…

So you need to work on your CV - your CV will be your way of getting your personality and experience through to the potential employee through a simple piece of paper.  You have to get it right if you want to be called in for an interview…

You have just a few seconds of browsing time to convince the employer that you’re the right person for the job - this is what you should be keeping in mind when writing your CV.

Be Basic

When you write your CV, the first piece of information on the piece of paper should be your details like your name, email address, phone number, etc…

Make sure you use a permanent address - straight out of university you can find that you will be moving around a lot trying to find affordable accommodation in new cities - use a stable address that you will always be able to get access to.

You should also make sure you don’t put ridiculous email address accounts on your CV - spank21@hotmail.com doesn’t really interest potential employers.  Keep it professional.

Objective

You should include a section devoted to your objectives and skills directly following your personal information.  Remember to keep your writing directly to the point and don’t blah your way through…this will just turn potential employers off…

Style

Choose a style and stick to it - there are three main styles: chronological, functional and combination.

Chronological - emphasis on work experience listed from most recent to least recent.
Functional - a more skills based style.
Combination - more useful for first-time job seekers where you can actually list both experiences and skills rather than choosing one or the other.

Experience

Remember that any experience you have gained over the years is important, no matter what it is.  It can be volunteer experience, academic experience or professional experience - it all shows that you are a hard worker looking for a chance…

These opportunities will also be a good way to highlight any skills that you might have in a sly way - this is a great way to show what you can do through real experiences.

First Job?

Are you looking for your first, real job?  Are you worried with regards to the economic climate?  Leave us a comment and let us know what you’re thinking…