11 January 2008 13:33

The explosion of job websites has meant that agencies and employers can receive countless CVs, especially in large companies. Make sure your CV has a chance of making it to the top of the pile. Here are a list of the top 10 complaints from employers and some advice for eliminating them from your CV:

1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar

To employers, this is an indicator of interest in the job, and the care you put into your work. Use spell check, but remember it won’t catch every mistake. Make sure your spell check is UK dictionary! Pay extra attention to the spelling of buzzwords relating to your field.

 

2. Generic CVs

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all CV to send to all employers, many will simply discard it. Personalising your CV for the role shows you care about this specific job; show how and why you fit the position in a specific organisation.

 

3. Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information

Be sure your CV has your correct, up-to-date contact information, including name, phone number (including mobile if possible), email address and postal address. Different employers will prefer to contact you in different ways and they will not take the time to look you up.

 

4. Inaccurate Dates or None at All

Missing dates, especially for long periods of time, will make employers suspicious. Employers want to know when you worked where. Include specific ranges in months and years for every position.

 

5. Long CVs and Long Paragraphs

Employers may only spend seconds reading a CV, stick to the point, every word counts! Focus on getting the key information on the front page – it might be the only one that is read.

 

6. Poor Formatting

Different fonts, colours and stylized boxes may look nice on paper, but if the CV needs to be scanned or faxed, they can be confusing. Many companies and agencies use auto-recognition software which adds you details to their database, often this software is confused by tables, headers and images. Keep your CV in plain text and a simple font, but avoid Times Roman.

 

7. Practical CVs

Try to keep your CV chronological (most recent job first) and focus on the skills and accomplishments that relate to the job you're seeking.

 

8. Leaving Off Important Information

Sometimes experiences from things like part-time work while you were a student can demonstrate soft skills (e.g., work ethic, time management) that employers may be looking for.

 

9. Unqualified Candidates

You may want a job, but if you don't have the skills and experience needed, employers will feel you're wasting their time. Look at the job description. Only apply if you have the essential skills they are looking for and be sure to make these skills obvious on the front page of your CV.

 

10. Personal Information Unrelated to the Job

Employers don’t need to know your age, height, weight, interests or favourite colour unless they're directly related to the work you want to do. Hobbies are great and can provide a talking point at interview, but think carefully how the recruiter will perceive you hobby – what does being a being a life member of “Star Wars” fan club say about you?!

11 January 2008 13:33

What is Stress?

The stress response is a human instinct designed to give us increased strength and sharpen reflexes to “fight or flight” in danger situations. This primitive reaction is redundant in modern life; faced with stressors like being stuck in a traffic jam; late for work; stuck on another automated call queue or while shopping, to flee or strike out wouldn’t help at all. Nonetheless adrenalin and cortisol is pumped into our bodies and we feel it’s effects of increased heart rate, hot flushes, irritability and sense of urgency.

Over time these chemicals degrade in our body and these ‘free radicals’ can have a long lasting and very often negative impact on us. In fact, high stress levels are often the source of many of today’s health issues.

Tips For a Stress Free Job Search

Job hunting is a daunting process to many people and can quite often cause a lot of stress, hence it is understandable that you might put this off. However, with the proper preparation, it can be a lot less stressful than you think!

The following are some useful tips to help you manage your stress during the job search process, we’ve compiled some tips.

Relax
Before you begin your search, take some time out to relax and get your mind into the right, balanced state for the search ahead. Spend some time in a quiet environment to gather your thoughts and once relaxed try to think of exactly what it is that you want to achieve.

Ask for help!
From a friend in the industry to advice centres or the vast array of information available on the internet, help is literally at your fingertips. Time spent on researching and pro-actively speaking to people in the know can pay off and reduce any time wasted or unnecessary stress later in this process.

Breathe …
It may sound obvious, but many of us are so busy juggling everything else that we don’t even notice the shallow and often frantic breathing pattern we have adopted over time. Gently and slowly breathe into the abdomen, exhaling a little longer each time. After a few minutes things should seem a lot more manageable.

Get enough sleep
When under stress, many people suffer from insomnia or are unable to sleep as well as they usually would. As the body repairs itself during sleep, in order to function properly the body needs proper rest. If this is an issue, do not ignore it and instead look at different ways of addressing it. From reduction of stimulants, to creating the right environment there are many solutions which are easy to implement. (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sleep/HQ01387 offers some tips)

Regular Exercise
In the past, it was the exercise following the fight or flight response that balanced the body stopping the build up of toxins. Exercise is still relevant and it is often the first thing we give up when busy or stressed and yet it is the best de-stressor of all. Exercise removes these toxins and stimulates our bodies systems, improving mental as well as physical wellbeing and can even make us feel happier thanks to the endorphins released in the process!

Eat a healthy balanced diet
High caffine and sugary snacks will give you a short lived ‘high’ or ‘boost’, but ultimately they will make you feel tired and irritable. Skipping meals only serves to confuse your body. Three healthy balanced meals daily will help your physical and mental health. (http://www.eatwell.gov.uk offers some useful advice)

Take some “you” time
Take time out to remember all the things that make you happy and set aside some time each week to enjoy these, and if busy plan ahead so that you do not miss out! Family and friends can provide vital support and encouragement and neglecting them can also lead to feelings of anxiety causing further stress.

Set Boundaries – learn to say ‘No’
Taking on more than you can handle will almost certainly result in exhaustion. Many people are unable, or afraid to say ‘no’, for fear of being dismissed as being unable to cope or seen as selfish. Your career is important! And setting aside plenty of time to devote to job seeking is necessary. Learn to be more assertive and know your boundaries.

Stay positive !
Focussing on all the things that makes us unhappy in life does little to improve our mood and motivation. Instead, focus on the positive and put plans in place to change those things that you are unhappy with. Keep your thoughts positive and who knows what good will come your way!

Facts & Figures
from http://www.workstress.net

• The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) claims that over 13 million days are lost each year due to work-related stress - and this costs UK businesses about £3.7 billion
• Almost 80% of illnesses are caused by stress
• Each year over 2 million people suffer from ill health which they think is work-related
• Around half a million people in Britain report work-related stress at a level they believe is making them ill
• Each case of stress related ill health leads to an average of 30 days off work
• A total of 10.5 million working days were lost in Britain in 2004/5 to work related stress

11 January 2008 13:17

Social Networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo are now so widely used they are part of our culture, especially among young professionals in the UK. Although most people are aware of the potential identity fraud issues associated with created publically accessable profiles, few people seem to be aware of the impact it could have on your career.

Whether you are applying for a new job, hoping for a promotion, or just keen to ensure your employer sees you in a good light, it is important to make sure that there is nothing available pubically that could jade an employer's perspective on you. Drunken photos, potentially offensive jokes or even just hidden truths about your feelings towards a job or employers, may seem like harmless fun between your mates, but could be taken out of context by a curious employer who finds you social networking profile online. Even if an employer does see the funny side, they may see the fact that you haven't hidden your details as an example of carelessness, and could worry that you will treat trade secrets with the same carelessness.

The following tips should hopefully avoid an embarrassing career slip:

• Most social networking sites have privacy settings, so only people who you agree to link with (your "friend list") can view your profile or certain parts of it. It is best to use this to keep your opinions safe from nosy employers.

• Remember that everything you say pubically will be viewed pubically, a superviser or recruiter is likely to find it if they look for you online. Make sure nothing you can say can be taken offensively by anyone, especially if seen out of context. Most sites have facilities for private messages as well as public communication.

• Although some personal details are harmless; your favourite novel or the name of your hamster; lude comments and dodgy pictures and videos may paint a negative image of your lifestyle that you'd prefer recruiters or employers didn't see and they probably don't want to know about. Be careful what you post.

• Many social networking profiles or even just videos and images can show up on search engine results for your name. Due to the host sites popularity, social networking, photo sharing and video sharing websites will gain high search engine rankings, your profile included.

• You don't need to hide altogether. Most sites will allow you to leave your basic information public so your friends and family will be able to find you, while you can still hide your sordid details.

• If you are connected with or "friends" with an employer or co-worker, be aware that they can see all your details - and often keep track of your activities while you are at work. Be careful what you do or say online, especially if it is on company time.

• Make sure if your work history is available online, that it matches your CV. You don't want to be seen as lying on your CV by potential employers.

• If your "friends list" is also available publically, be aware that it can hint at secrets of your past dealings you may not want people to know about. People who you would not like to be seen to be associated with, employers of jobs that didn't turn out how you'd like or collegues whom you'd like to forget you worked with.

• Be aware of identinty theft, ensure your date of birth and postal address is not visible on any public webpage. Using your date of birth and your friends list, an ID theif could potentially establish critical details like your mother's maiden name and town of birth - something that could get them through bank security procedures, not to mention many online password check systems.

• Business-orientated networking sites liked LinkedIn are now very popular with recruiters for sourcing or researching candidates. Keep your page up-to-date, you could be headhunted at any time, but never publicly admit to jobseeking if your current employer is unaware.