The tyranny of the two-page CV
For as long as I've had to produce a CV for myself, it's been drummed into me that it should never be more than two pages, often with the implication being that submitting anything longer would equate...
View ArticleQuantity Has a Quality All of Its Own
I thought I’d shoot one of job hunting’s sacred cows today.  I like doing that.  It’s my contribution to the Big Society. Recruiters, HR people, and others who like to peddle...
View ArticleLevelling to the task
A few weeks ago on these very pages, David exhorted job hunters to apply "till your fingers bleed" ( "Quantity Has a Quality All of its Own" ).  For the serious job hunter, and especially if...
View ArticleWhat we have we hold
Someone I know quite well who is a regular reader of this column asked me a few weeks ago if we had deliberately made it “edgyâ€.  The answer is a qualified no.  We very...
View ArticleA good day to bury bad news
There are few of us who get through life without there being something we’ve done that gives us pause, something which we prefer not to be reminded of, prefer not to discuss.  For most of...
View ArticleWhat's in a name?
I've never cared much for job titles. In some of the places I’ve worked, they’ve counted for very little; in others, they have counted but I couldn’t get precious about it, often...
View ArticleWould you blog your CV?
Whether we like it or not, the wonderful world of Web 2.0 has changed the way we use the web to communicate. Where we were once limited to viewing content that was posted there by companies,...
View ArticleOurselves Alone?
Oh, the fragility of dreams.  It’s late January and already I am have to assume many of the good intentions and resolutions of our readership have boiled away.  The weight stays...
View ArticleThe chore of application forms
“I don’t know why you all groan when I mention that you apply by application form.†Those words came from a careers advisor at my university, more than 15 years ago now.  I can tell you...
View ArticleTakin' it to the bank
Bit of a special, exceptional posting today.  I’m lucky enough to be a Trustee of Red Kite Learning, a registered charity and social enterprise that believes in equipping people with the...
View ArticleOuch!
Short of writing your own wedding vows, there are few documents you yourself will produce which are so personal and will undergo the same level of public scrutiny as your CV.  The difference...
View ArticleI am the voice, I will remain
If the "worst" should happen you can pay an outplacement counsellor to discover what your skills are and what you should do with them in your life. Fees vary. In all truth the quality of these...
View ArticleHow do I keep my CV fresh if I'm not working?
Economic commentators seem roundly in agreement that 2011 will be a tough year. It is well documented that Government spending cuts will lead to public sector job losses. At the same time, how quickly...
View ArticleUp or out
We’re scared, aren’t we?  Let’s face it.  I know almost no-one who has not been affected by the recession already and with the first of four really big annual cuts in public...
View ArticleAnother way of working
The later months of 2010 introduced the whole country to "employee mutuals".  If you haven't been following the press, the Government is envisaging that the Post Office will become an...
View ArticleThe art of getting yourself noticed
Your CV is your calling card, the door-opener to securing a much sought-after position, the next step on your personal career ladder.  In an increasingly competitive market, the number of...
View ArticleEmigration and your CV
One of my grandparents was Irish and he came to England, as many of his countrymen did, to work.  That was in the early part of the last century and what few skills he had I am sure he just...
View ArticleMind the gap
Immigration is one of the most vexed political questions of our time. Britain has a long, proud history of welcoming people from overseas. While the resulting tensions have been well-documented, it...
View ArticleThe network and the damage done
Heidi has just written an excellent blog post on the importance of exploiting your networks in a job hunt. She’s right. It works for individuals. But what about the country? Let’s be honest.Â...
View ArticleAnd here's one for all our listeners
Nine weeks is far too early for back-slapping and champagne corks.  However, I've been bursting to issue some kind of public thanks to those of you who have been passing clients in our...
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