Five ways to tell if you need a new CV

Five ways to tell if you need a new CV by Amber Rolfe Has your CV reached its expiry date?Whilst you should always tailor your CV to every job you apply for, figuring out when you need to make a bigger change isn’t always easy. But in some situations, tailoring or even refreshing your CV might not be enough â€" and a total overhaul is key if you want to put your job search on the right track.To help you figure out if yours is out of date, here are five ways to tell if you need a new CV:  You’re not getting interviews So you’ve spent hours searching and applying for suitable roles, but you never hear anything back. Sound familiar?As red flags go, they might not come much clearer than this.Whilst your initial reaction may be to beat yourself up, accept defeat, or submit to life in a job you hate, you might find that revisiting your CV is all it takes to turn your job search around.After all, it’s the first thing a recruiter sees when reviewing applications, and most importantly, the primary deciding factor f or whether you’re a good fit â€" so regularly refreshing it is absolutely worth your time.Ask yourself: is my CV too long? Is the layout letting me down? Am I tailoring it to every job?You could also be guilty of a number of other CV faux pas without even realising it; from overlooking common grammar mistakes to overusing clichés.How to write a CVIs your CV sabotaging your career?  You’ve had it for a long timeIf you’ve had the same CV for a while, you should definitely reconsider its relevancy.After all, it might’ve worked great for the roles you were applying for seven years ago, and maybe it accurately represented your skills in the summer of 99’ â€" but will it still have the same effect years later?Chances are, probably not.Whether it’s that the layout is dated, your contact details are no longer accurate, or your skills aren’t relevant anymore, there are a number of aspects that could be in need of a refresh.Remember: your CV doesn’t effortlessly match with ev erything, it’s not always in fashion, and it will need tailoring to fit. It’s a job application, not your favourite denim jacket*.Five ways to refresh your CVYou’re changing careers If you’re looking for work in a new industry, your CV needs to look the part.Not only does this mean writing a new personal statement in line with your career goals, it also means adapting the focus of your entire CV.This could involve everything from placing an emphasis on your transferable skills or removing irrelevant skills and experience, to adjusting the order of your CV or adding more detail to your most applicable attributes.If in doubt, always use the job description as a guide.Not only will it give you a rundown of the skills you need to demonstrate, it’ll also cover the duties and responsibilities involved with the role â€" allowing you to provide relevant examples of your ability to carry them out.Changing careers: What you need to knowCareer change CV template  You’ve had a recen t success So you’ve taken a course, earned the certificate, and got the ‘I love spreadsheets’ T-shirt.You might have even started to apply your knowledge practically, which in turn is putting in the groundwork for future career progression. But have you told anyone yet? (N.B. your mum doesn’t count).OK, we get it; if you’re not actively searching for a role, adding your recent accomplishments to your CV might not be the first thing on your mind.But not only could keeping your details up-to-date save you time in the long run, it could also open you up to roles you might not even know existed.Whether it’s that your CV is on an online database or you feature it on social media â€" this is exactly where recruiters look when headhunting candidates. And your recent success could be just what they’re looking for.Get a better job in exchange for a five second CV update? It’s basically a no-brainer.How to complete your reed.co.uk profileHow to add courses to LinkedIn  You’r e returning from a career break So you’re ready to enter the world of work after traveling/raising a family/insert other reason for a career break here. Now what?First things first, you need to rewrite your CV.To make sure your time out of work isn’t taken the wrong way, it’s vital to not only explain the reason for the gap in your CV â€" but also to talk about the transferable skills you gained during your time out of work.For example, you may have done some volunteer work while on a gap year, taken a course after a redundancy, or demonstrated a whole other host of skills through raising a family or looking after a family member.Just remember: there is such a thing as TMI. Talking about how traveling taught you a flexible work ethic is great, but anything to do with stroking tigers is probably best left out.How to explain a gap in your CVCareer break CV templateNeed more CV advice?It takes an employer just seven seconds to save or reject a job applicant’s CV. This means cre ating a succinct CV is absolutely vital if you want to land that all-important interview. To find out how to make your CV stand out from the crowd, buy James Reed’s new book: The 7 Second CV: How to Land the Interview. If you need a new CV but aren’t sure where to start, take a look at our free CV templates now.  *If denim jackets aren’t in fashion at time of reading, please update reference accordingly  Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs now  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the CVs

Writing in Gaps in Resume

Writing in Gaps in ResumeWriting in gaps in resume is not a skill that is necessary for all people. It should be a learned skill for you to write in gaps in resume. Although in some cases writing in gaps in resume may be unavoidable, there are still many other times when it can be a wise decision on your part.It is a reality that gaps in resume are inevitable. There are times when we do not get the chance to review our resumes, we work on it until the day of the interview, then we cannot even view it because of the computer glitch. This is the reason why, for this reason, there are skills needed to be able to read resumes. A few of these skills include the following:Skills to be able to read a resume, what is it? The answer is very simple. Resumes are files that contain information about an individual. In order to read a resume, you must be able to understand and comprehend the subject.In essence, a resume is like a book that you must read through before you start the project. The fi rst thing you must do is to look at the language. You need to ensure that the resume is written with correct English language, the grammar must be correct, and the spelling must be correct.Good writing in resume has a good grammar, but it also helps the reader. You can teach a person to understand the English language better by reading through the resume.Reading resumes can be beneficial, because you are teaching yourself, by the time you finish reading a resume, you will already be able to construct the resume. You will not have to worry about the grammar, and you can devote more time to the contents.After finishing the resume, you must go back and check the spelling and the punctuation. If the resume is written in a wrong way, you can correct it by consulting the Internet.Writing in gaps in resume is not always necessary, but it is never an excuse for not doing it. You have to be able to take your time while looking through resumes, as well as preparing a resume properly so that y ou will be able to prove yourself in the interview.

Why failure can lead to success University of Manchester Careers Blog

Why failure can lead to success University of Manchester Careers Blog Last week wasn’t a great week for English or Spanish football fans as expectancy and in England’s case hope turned into disappointment. The expressions of Gerrard and co at the end of the Uruguay match were that of failure and of desperation. It might not have seemed like it at the time but failing isn’t the end of the world, instead it can actually be the first step on the road to success. Everybody experiences some form of failure in their life. For most it’s not crashing out of international tournament football, for me it was failing job interviews. I’m sure some of you will have also experienced this so I wanted to share my thoughts on how to turn this failure into success. It’s all about learning from experiences and taking the right steps to ensure success next time. Use these steps to turn failure in to success (are you’re reading Roy….?) Focus on the positives Just like Raheem Sterling’s man of the match performance against Italy positives can draw from any situation. The most important thing to remember is that even getting to the interview stage was a successâ€" you clearly demonstrated the right skills in your application. Even if you weren’t successful, going through the interview process once means that you’ll have a better understanding of what’s required next time. For example you might have more of an understanding about how to deal with nerves and the types of questions that might be asked. Listen to feedback As Roy Hodgson listened to pundits and played Rooney in a more central position against Uruguay, after an interview it’s important that you take on board the feedback given to you by employers. Getting feedback is a great way to learn from the experience enabling you to become better prepared for future interviews. When receiving feedback don’t be defensive, listen to what they are saying, take it onboard   and make a note of areas they feel you need to develop. Re-evaluate and get help I’m sure there is a lot of soul searching going on amongst the Spanish and England squads at the moment as they consider where to go from here. This is what you also need to do after a an interview. Review the feedback given to you by the employer and think about how you can address their concerns. For example if they say you lack relevant experience consider work shadowing/ volunteering in the area, if the employer raised issues about your performance during the interview booking an interview simulation with us will be a good idea. Move on (with hope in your heart!) Although the media may remind us on England’s performance for weeks to come it’s important not to dwell on your previous interviews.  You can’t change what has happened in the past but you can learn from events and use them to your advantage.I cant promise these steps will help England win the World Cup in 4 years time but they will   give you the best chance of interview sucess in the future. The Careers Service can help you in lots of way when preparing for interviews check out the information on our website and book an appointment to discuss or practice upcoming interviews. All Graduate

The UK Workforce as 100 People

The UK Workforce as 100 People Bringing benefits such as increased creativity, positive brand image, and a stronger connection with international markets, you would think diversity would be a priority to business owners. However, recent research has revealed that this isn’t the case for all companies. Groups from every corner of society are underrepresented, including gender, ethnicity, and religion. The research took a 100-employee snapshot of the UK’s workforce. Then, the research compared various group figures to highlight any misrepresentations or lack of diversity. This is important information as it provides useful stats for companies to compare their own diversity assessments too. Below are the comparisons between the UK’s population and workforce across gender, ethnicity, and religion, alongside advice for businesses looking to improve their diversity. Where are the imbalances? When looking at the UK population and workforce as 100 people, each person counts for 269,669 UK citizens. Gender Although a difference of four might not sound like much when you compare the two across gender, scaled up it shows an underrepresentation of over one million women in the workforce. This is a substantial imbalance and highlights how there are still currently more men working in UK industries. Ethnicity Ethnicity doesn’t highlight quite the same imbalance as gender, but people from Asian and mixed-race ethnic backgrounds are under-represented by roughly 800,000 people across the UK workforce. Religion Moving onto faith, those who do not identify with a religion are overrepresented in the UK workforce. Those from Christian, Muslim, and Hindu faith are underrepresented by four people. How to improve representation in the workplace? It’s beneficial for every business to create a balanced working environment. It reflects positively on your brand and further improves business processes by bringing new perspectives a problem. There are things you can do as a business owner to reduce diversity gaps. Diversity Assessment If you’re unsure where your organization currently stands when it comes to diversity, carrying out an internal assessment could provide you with clearer insight. This will include a short analysis of your staff’s make up based on the demographics mentioned in this study. Compare your company with the findings in the study to give you a clear picture of how your business compares to the rest of the UK workforce. If there are shortfalls, it will give you the base to address such issues. Provide the right environment for diversity Once you recognize a problem, consider if you have the means to solve it. To craft the right environment for a balanced workforce, you need to assess your business from the view of underrepresented groups. Religion is a good example of this; do you provide flexibility for them to accommodate both their religion and their job? Providing space to pray is a good place to start. If all your company socials involve alcohol, consider members of your team who don’t drink. Creating a positive atmosphere in the office for underrepresented groups is also important. Make sure there are no undercurrents of implicit bias, or it could put off potential employees.  An anonymous feedback system could be the solution for this, allowing employees to report issues. A team ethos that promotes inclusivity is key. Proactive recruitment Once your business is capable of accommodating diversity, you can start to think about your recruitment process. There are steps you can take in every stage of recruitment. Firstly, cater your job advertisement to all groups. Avoid gendered language as this can stop women from applying. Where you choose to advertise your job is also important. Women focus on digital job sites such as Indeed and Monster, while men choose to use LinkedIn listings. Make sure you advertise your jobs across different sites so it’s seen by a broader audience, increasing the diversity of your applicants. Following these steps will help you create a balanced working environment and a positive atmosphere for your staff. Reputation and positive brand image will quickly grow, and you will be better equipped to cater to an increasingly diverse market. About the author: Sam Cropper is a content creator for office supplier Viking Direct, specializing in HR and business and writing articles that offer expert advice for companies within this area.

There is No Try

There is No Try Yoda is a great career coach. In perhaps his most famous scene, he commands Luke Skywalker, fledgling Jedi, to raise a spaceship with his mind. Reluctantly, Luke agrees to “try.” “No,” interjects Yoda sternly. “Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-WqVdGPuRbJJN6rbPQfMrw',sig:'mf7vDow0i4MhYS3tWwGHdvTRXiv_gQmeZh-oVbaWaYU=',w:'445px',h:'296px',items:'451259424',caption: false ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); How many of us have been “trying” to change a bad habit? Eating better, moving more, getting to bed earlier â€" all good ideas you might have “tried” recently. There is no trying to get to bed earlier. You either turn off the TV or device at 10:00 and go to bed, or you don’t. You either go out for a walk after work or you don’t. “I’m trying to walk every day” really means “I’m failing.” We just feel better saying we tried rather than admitting we failed. I hear the same excuses when someone is stuck in a rut at work. “I try to get along with my difficult team member, but she’s impossible.” “I’m trying to get my reports done earlier, but things keep coming up at the last minute.” To say that we’re trying to do something is the way we prepare for failure. We’re making a small side bet that we won’t succeed so the world will judge us more kindly. We always knew it was a long shot I’m a firm believer that you can’t prepare for success and failure at the same time. Here’s how to transition from trying to doing. Break up a big important goal into tangible steps you can take right now. Instead of trying to eat healthy, turn down dessert today or pour yourself a big glass of water right now.  Instead of trying to walk every day, walk today. The same goes for relationships. Instead of trying to get along with a difficult team member, listen carefully to her point in this moment. Choose to smile and greet her warmly today. Offer your help on a project right now. Admit when you don’t want to do something and let it go. We worry about what people think of us, and we want to please them. That makes “no” hard to say. Instead of turning down invitations, we say we’ll “try to make it.” (Yoda shakes his head sadly in the background.) There is real freedom in knowing what you don’t want and having the courage to say it. Saying no to things that aren’t important or don’t bring you joy is like getting rid of clutter in your home. You create more space for things that do matter when you eliminate things that don’t. Believe you are already what you want to be. “I am” statements are powerful inspiration. I am successful. I am loved. I am surrounded by abundance. Believing was the first step for Luke to raise the spaceship, and your belief also clears the way for action and success. Trying is based on fear; doing is based on power. Trying feels safer; less risk, but less reward. Doing is audacious and full of risk. We might succeed brilliantly. Or we may fail miserably. Scary stuff. But real â€" unlike the lie we tell ourselves when we say we tried. What will you do today?

11 email hacks for busy people that actually work - Debut

11 email hacks for busy people that actually work - Debut Holy heck guys, how is it Monday already? If youre anything like us, you might still be dealing with the mountain of emails youve received over the weekend. Talk about the blues. Emails are a huge productivity killer, but lucky for you, weve come up with email hacks for busy people that actually work. Take a look: 1. Sort, sort, sort Labels and folders are great at compartmentalising your various work projects. When you get sent a new email thread or send out a new email, always make sure to label it with the correct project. This way, when youre tackling your emails, you can do it by project. Doing this allows for more focus you can bundle in checking your emails with other tasks connected to the project at hand. Different email clients use different methods of filing and labelling. So, its useful to just take a look at the Help section of your Gmail/Outlook/Yahoo Mail account to set your inbox up. 2. Mark messages you need to follow up on as unread Most email clients have a function where you can sort your inbox by unread emails first. These then go to the top of your inbox, with all your read emails at the bottom. Marking messages you need to follow-up with as unread are a great way to visually remind yourself of your outstanding email threads. If you dont need to answer an email immediately, use this trick so you can do it later. Our recommendation is to carve out time at the end of the day to clear those unread emails away, so you have a fresh inbox the next day. 3. Optimise your subject lines for searchability Instead of using vague subject lines (Tomorrows meeting, Notes from today, Quick catch-up etc.) always use clear, dated ones. This way, you wont be wasting time trying to use the search function to trawl through your inbox for relevant information. Try dating your emails (Marketing Meeting Minutes: 30th October 2016) or even group them by project (Social Media Campaign 6 | New Updates 30th October 2016). That way, anyone who receives these emails will also know exactly whats in them. Transparency and clarity for all! 4. Dont start your day by responding to emails Trust us when we say this: your weekend emails can wait a couple of hours. It is so easy to get sucked down the inbox rabbit hole, but dont let your emails get in the way with your to-do list. Try accomplishing one big task or two-three smaller tasks before you tackle your daily emails. Itll make you feel more productive, and if you do get stuck in your inbox, at least youve made a dent in your other work too. 5. If you can have a face-to-face or phone conversation, do so Theres nothing more vexing than waiting for a reply on something urgent. This may be difficult for bigger companies, however, the principle is still the same Phone calls or face-to-face conversations tend to bring both parties to the correct conclusion faster than email threads do. If youre keen on getting things done quickly and efficiently, sometimes old school is the best school. Besides that, it is  so  easy to misconstrue something in an email. For better, clearer communication, an actual conversation works best. Youll be less likely to misinterpret someones tone of voice, and can read facial expressions better. Just make sure to write or type out notes during or after so you dont forget what is said. 6. Go for a walk or a run and THEN go back to answer the non-urgent emails A brain break can be the energy boost you need to tackle your beastly inbox. Take a quick walk around your office building, have a coffee or simply go outside for some fresh air. Then come back into the office to answer your emails. A little bit of space between what you were doing previously and your emails will give you more clarity. 7. Block off time  in your calendar specifically to answer emails Put a clear appointment time in your calendar saying Do Not Disturb and try to take yourself out of the office. This way you can answer your emails uninterrupted, at around the same time every day. Establishing a routine could make answering emails less daunting. Also important: as soon as your appointment time finishes, stop doing emails and head back to your office! Otherwise youll be stuck answering emails forever. 8. Set up an out-of-office reply that works for you Now, this is a pretty extreme measure, so use this tactic with caution. Turn your out-of-office reply into a full-time email disclaimer! For example, you could say: Hi there! Thanks for your email. Your email is very important to me, however Im taking care of my mental health by only answering them once a day. This might mean any non-urgent enquiries might have a  delayed response. If you need to reach me urgently, you can ring the office with this number [xxx-xxx-xxx] or my direct line here [xxx-xxx-xxx]. This way, you manage peoples expectations and give yourself room to breathe at the same time. 9. Turn your push notifications off No more interruptions. But what if its urgent? you cry. Trust us, if its urgent, they wouldnt be using email to communicate with you. Taking back control of your emails means taking back control of when you look at them. Dont let that annoying tweeting sound rule your life. 10. Use Slack internally if you can Slack is a team messaging system that we use here at Debut HQ, and we find it incredibly useful. Its like a typical instant messaging system, but optimised for agile office teams. You can group conversations into permanent channels, group message, add attachments, and most importantly, send GIFs. Can your email do that? We dont think so. This will cut down your internal emails significantly (unfortunately external emails will still be inevitable.) Other email-killer alternatives include  Hipchat  (a messaging system), Basecamp or Asana, the latter two being task management systems. Tell us which one you like best! 11.  Accept that Inbox Zero may be nigh-on impossible There are two types of people. Type A frets over having  any unanswered emails, and tries, in vain, to get to inbox zero daily. Type B lets emails pile up, to disastrous levels (think tens of thousands of ignored emails.) Both situations can be overwhelming. There are tons of articles out there preaching the benefits of getting to inbox zero. However, the pursuit of perfection can sometimes be demoralising, even futile. Do your best by using the tips above, but dont stress if you dont clear your inbox fully. Youre only human. Feature image via Pexels Download the Debut app and get Talent-Spotted by amazing graduate employers! 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Thoughts on Gratitude - CareerEnlightenment.com

After reading this passage in Tonys book, I got this email from a client who recently purchased a profile picture retouch, lets call him Bob:Joshua’s book was so helpful, I have been very busy putting away all my job searching materials and preparing to start my new job tomorrow.   He can add me to his growing list of success stories! I solely followed the advice in his book and some from LinkedIn Premium.   My new job is a dream job for me in so many aspects, I just don’t know where to begin to tell you about it.I am very pleased with my new profile picture that you retouched or perhaps more importantly, the sheer good fortune to have taken Joshua’s book out of our public library six weeks ago.   My story is even more bizarre because the library didn’t have the book I wanted and I took out the Dummies book, just to start someplace. I figured it was better than nothing. I will never forget Joshua Waldman and how he changed my family’s life.When people ask me why I do what I do, its for this reasonto help people like Bob  find meaningful work. And Im grateful everyday to have the opportunity to do this.Bob went to his library, didnt find the book he wanted, and picked up my book  instead. He gratefully followed my instructions. When he found success, he shared his gratitude with me. Here is someone who cant be kept down. Hes got the right attitude to weather any storm in life.So with humility, I say this, it wasnt my advice as much as his perseverance that helped him get hired. It allowed him to take advantage of not just my advice, but my profile picture retouching service.FYI, all new members of Career Enlightenment can get their profile photo retouched for a ridiculously low price.So my challenge to you is this: find ways to apply gratitude to your life. Will it be a daily practice, like I do? Or will you just guide yourself to thoughts of gratitude when life throws you a curve ball?

My Newsweek Video Is Up! My Newsweek Video Is Up!

My Newsweek Video Is Up! My Newsweek Video Is Up! Holy crapballs, is this exciting. Maybe even more so because after the video was pushed back for the second time, I resigned myself to seeing it in March. Or May. Or 2011. But not before the week was over! Put Me In, Life Coach is a 5-minute video on Newsweek.com that profiles me as one of the 15,000 (!) life coaches out there. Youll hear how I found my way to coaching, how I got accredited, my definition of a life coach, even see me coaching a client hear her thoughts about being coached! I stand corrected: holy crapballs, this is super exciting. Oh, and if youve found your way here because of this super awesome video, Welcome! Click around stay for a while theres a ton of neat stuff both on my blog in my site. This is my home on the Interwebs, youre always welcome! Once more for good measure: holy crapballs.