What exactly is an entry-level job and should you consider taking one? Entry level careers were traditionally first jobs for new graduates or school leavers, giving them that all-important first step on the career ladder. But with so many people changing careers more often by choice or as a result of the uncertainty of today’s job market, entry-level careers are no longer just for the young. Whatever your age, an entry level position may not be what you had in mind, but it isn’t always as negative an option as you might think. Read More »

Use the Best Format for the Job

Traditionally, CVs were written in reverse chronological order.
This format is still useful if you have had few jobs, with no gaps and your work history shows steady progression.

Nowadays, many jobs involve short-term contracts and people often move to completely different fields, go back to college or return to work after raising a family.

In other words, their work history is interspersed with periods of study, unemployment or childcare. If your background fits one of these situations, the functional CV could be best.

A functional CV concentrates on your skills and achievements, listing these early in the CV, with a summary of work history and education at the end.

You’ll have headings for general skills, like:

Communication Skills

· Example 1

· Example 2

· Example 3

Teamwork Skills

· Example 1

· Example 2

· Example 3

A targeted CV is similar in style to the functional CV ie has the same headings, but is focused on the specific skills needed for a particular job. So, if you are a computer expert, for example, you might have the following headings:

Programming Skills

· Example 1

· Example 2

· Example 3

Webdesign Skills

· Example 1

· Example 2

· Example 3

Your resume or CV should be designed to ensure that the most important information related to the job you’re applying for is seen immediately

Be Bold!

Use either bold or capitals for your headings.Resumes must be easy to read and therefore you should avoid gimmicks. This means no fancy fonts, no boxes and
no colour and no italic or underlining.

Being bold also means highlighting your achievements and skills. Don’t be shy, if you:

• won a prize
• increased sales
• designed an innovative course
• created a website
• were nominated employee of the year

you should say so!

This isn’t bragging, it’s just stating the facts – showing your skills, experience and abilities, which is exactly what the employer wants to know. And he won’t know if you don’t tell him.

Everyone wants to know the secret, as can be seen by the massive success of the film of the same name. However, have you ever stopped to think exactly what a secret is? It’s only something you know that other people don’t – or vice versa!

How does this relate to your career? First of all, one of the biggest growth industries at the moment is Personal Development. Everyone wants to know the secret that will make them rich, thin, attractive, more intelligent, healthier and so on. Of course, there isn’t just one secret, there are many ways in which people can make lots of money or shed unwanted pounds, but if you have the knowledge and someone else wants it, your “secret” is valuable.

A couple of examples for you: a chef from mainland China told me the secret ingredient which makes sweet and sour sauce taste so good. One of the biggest secrets I know is how to fill in a supporting statement on a job application form.Of course, neither of these are secrets at all, but if you don’t know the “secret”, you won’t get the great dinner or the interview.

It’s easy to see how this can be applied to self-employment – you can create a product, such as an e-book or a video which teaches your target niche your particular secret and how to apply it in their lives. It could be a practical secret, like how to build a deck, or create a particular hairstyle or it could be how to fill in a tax return. Or how to set up a blog like this one!;

But can you also apply this technique to getting a job? Read More »

A CV or resume should be easy to read and
must be neatly set out. It is an important piece of
paper, as not only is it the document which could
get you an interview, it is also the first impression
you will make with your potential employer.
If you follow the tips below our CV will look
professional and will be easily scanned by
prospective employers.

Some basic rules:

Paper

• good quality white paper
• standard letter size
• always send a top copy, never a photocopy.

Length

• two pages for most CVs
• one page for school leavers
• longer only for academic CVs or
• very senior posts

Consistent layout

• double check your margins and tabs

• make sure everything is lined up properly.

Consistent font

• choose one font and stick to it throughout

Consistent headings

• use the same format for all your headings

If you need help with your resume, you’ll find all the information you need in Resumes which get Results.

It’s really important that you target your CV
or résumé to highlight the requirements of the job you are applying for.

When employers are scanning a batch of CVs – and remember they
may have to look at several hundred – they will spend 20-30 seconds
on each.

That means that you have 20-30 seconds to make an impression!

So, if you are applying for a job as a secretary, does the employer
want to know that you worked for 3 years in a factory? No!

Does the employer want to know that you are an accomplished
dressmaker? No!

Does the employer want to know that you got an A in Art? No!

Does he or she want to know that you can type 65 wpm? Yes!

Does he or she want to know that you can take shorthand at 120 wpm. Yes!

Does he or she want to know that you are proficient in Microsoft Office? Yes!

Whatever the employer wants, comes first. The rest can be included, but not highlighted. Whatever is related to the job should stand out, so that the employer sees it within that crucial 20-30 seconds.

It is usual, at least in the UK, to go back only 10 years on a CV, but it depends on the individual situation. In some cases it would be more appropriate to have a heading “Relevant Experience” under which you list the jobs which relate to your application, even if they aren’t in chronological order. Other jobs can be included briefly below these.

More tips soon – please subscribe if you’d like to be notified as soon as they are posted.

Your résumé is one of the key factors in the process of getting the job of your dreams. Its purpose is not to actually get you that job, but to make the employer want to interview you. I’m going to explain why you should write it yourself.

Most people hate writing résumés, I sympathize; it’s not my favourite activity either! But it’s important; so important that I’ve written an e-book about it. I did this because I’d worked with so many people who had no idea how to create a résumé (or CV as they are called here in the UK), let alone the covering letter which must always go with it.

A lot of people turn to the CV or résumé writing services which are springing up all over the place. If you choose wisely, you’ll find someone who knows what they are doing. So why am I telling you that you should write your own? Read More »