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Looking for work? Find advice, guidance and support on a range of topics. Click on the toolbar buttons above for information on finding and choosing jobs, interview skills, making applications, writing CVs and covering letters, using social media, and building confidence, motivation and momentum. There’s also a special section for graduates and students.
Spend some time each day doing something you love to do and surround yourself with people who'll support you with your job hunt.
Write a sentence or make a list of things you like about yourself and are proud of. Put the list somewhere that you'll see every day, like the fridge.
This article from Solve Your Problem could really help you get back on track if you feel your low confidence is getting in the way of looking for a job.It gives a number of ways round the problems of looking for work and lacking confidence, from simple changes of attitude to counselling, and has a good understanding of how it is easier for some to be confident on paper than in person.
Being fired is one of the facts of working life, and it can happen to any of us. If it happens to you, the first thing is to be sure of why. Was it a personality clash? Did you hate the job and show little enthusiasm for it? Were you just out of your depth? Reassuring yourself of the reasons and coming to terms with that is a key part of bouncing back.
One of the biggest challenges when it comes to a career change is giving your CV the punch it needs to make an impact in a new industry. You may think that little of what you have done before will count, but you'd be wrong. We all pick up and develop a wide range of skills that can be applied in many different roles.
What is a transferable skill?
As the name suggests, a transferable skill is something that can be taken with you and applied to any new job. These are core skills that all employers value, and include:
Making an impression at an interview is a great step towards getting a job, but first you have to make an impression with your CV. So if your CV is dull, full of mistakes or doesn’t tell a story about you, then you’ll be overlooked and won’t even get as far as an interview anyway.
What could possibly be the worst mistake you could make when it comes to your CV?
Not targeting it to the kind of job you’re looking for is a biggie. Leaving out keywords that a scanner can pick up is another no-no. So is failing to list your achievements in ways the reader will find meaningful.
But the biggest error of all in putting your CV together is simply this: being sloppy.
We have seen CVs over 30 pages long (true!) with photocopies certificates on top of that. This is not an autobiography you’re writing. It’s a curriculum vitae and it’s meant to be a lot shorter! A one-page CV if it is feasible is recommended – and some recruitment agencies, especially head-hunters, may insist on a one-page CV.
Make an effort to accommodate these five points when writing your CV and you’ll immediately be well above average.
