Darren’s story

Darren’s employer had had to make redundancies. And they had the very difficult choice to choose between two successful production managers. Luckily for Darren they had purchased an outplacement package for him with…

We might be working from home but we still need to know where you are

As the world has changed over the past year, and many more are working from home, there has been a growing trend to produce CVs that include no address details at all. You…

Your CV is your Passport to your next job.

Imagine being on immigration control at Heathrow airport, especially post Brexit. You will need to look at thousands of passports every day, quickly turn to the right page and work out who this…

Use the “In-laws” test on your CV

Your CV needs to be written in plain English, people need to be able to understand what you do and not misunderstand it. So quite a useful test (and I do realise I…

Blow your own trumpet, no one else will!

We speak to people from many industries. Jobseekers who are desperate to find their next role. People who have genuinely achieved and made a real difference during their career. But speak to them…

How transferable are my skills?

Anybody who suddenly finds themselves out of work will suffer a range of emotions. And one of them will almost certainly be panic, what can they do for the rest of their career?…

Unsolicited approaches in a difficult market

Writing to employers blind in the current market might seem like a waste of time. When they are not recruiting, why bother? Except that you might hit them at the right time, just…

Molly’s story

Molly approached us as a very successful marketing executive who had moved roles just as coronavirus struck. As a result the position she had accepted never materialised, and she had to start applying…

I’m out of work, I’m unemployable!

If you are unfortunate enough to be made redundant or find yourself without a job, a sense of panic can set in quite quickly. So many people feel that being out of work…

What are you trying to prove at interview?

Here is your problem. In the absence of any other strategy, people approach interviews trying to be likeable, trustworthy and passionate. Not bad as an aim in itself, except that employers see lots…

The best way to ensure you interview well?

Sometimes you have a final interview for the job of your dreams.  You can’t be certain you will get it, how do you give yourself the best chance? You’ve been out of work…

How much work do you put into your job search – really?

Finding your next role can be tricky. And you are bound to get rejected a lot of the time. But how much work have you put into it? We have all seen the…

Interview answers a bit like a shaggy dog story?

We speak to lots of jobseekers who we are supporting through outplacement. Quite often when we speak to them after an interview, they feel slightly frustrated by their performance. That they have not…

Adapt your personal profile

I see it many times.  People have put together their CV quite badly but they have spent ages agonising over their personal profile, before starting on the CV proper.  The profile is not…

You don’t have to show your age on your CV, but

Plenty of jobseekers do not show their age on their CV. And there is no reason for them to do so. So we looked through a CV a few weeks ago that was…

You don’t have to agree with everything they say

Look, I know that jobs are not to a penny at the moment. I know that the market is not flooded with opportunity. But nevertheless, some of you are so keen to get…

Learn to shine online

Or at least get your lighting right. Online interviews are becoming more common and more important. First impressions really count. So often I start online coaching with call from a dark murky figure…

Alex’s Story

Alex is a highly successful digital marketing specialist. He understands the environment, is extremely computer literate highly creative and knows how to put effective presentations together. He had applied all of this knowledge…

Simple words that strike terror into a recruitment agent

It is quite simple “I’m 99% certain I’ll accept the offer”. Having recruited for employers all over the world for many years, I can tell you that I know exactly what that phrase…

How honest should you be?

On your CV? Completely. (Though there are ways of telling the truth that are better than others) But when you’re dealing with third parties, especially agencies, then you do not need to share…

Why do some people interview so well?

The question I’m often asked – ”Why did they get the job when they’re nowhere near as good at it as me?” Because many people who are brilliant at their jobs are rubbish…

Why are online interviews so difficult?

On the one hand they aren’t really. If you know what you’re doing. But most of us are not broadcasters. And the only video calls we ever really make are with our mates,…

You can’t find a job. Is it the rest of the world or could it be you?

Of course I realise it’s a tough market, and of course there are millions of people looking for work. But we work with lots of people, and we know that many have poor…

What does your CV need to do? 

When you write your CV, or get an expert to do it for you, remember it needs to achieve just one thing – get you interviews.  Are you applying for roles that you…

Try not to Panic!

People who find themselves out of work tend to do one of two things in our experience. Either they refuse to look at anything even slightly below the job they have just come…

Gizza Job

Anybody remember Boys from the Black Stuff?  An early 80s Alan Bleasdale drama that dates anyone who watched it, it starred Bernard Hill as Yosser Hughes.  Yosser used the worst networking style you…

People are still being hired

Coronavirus has created an awful lot of redundancies, but people are still finding new jobs. It’s time to find out how you can do that too. This might be the worst slump we’ve…

CV Engine Optimisation (CEO?)

The Internet has changed everything. With one click of the mouse you can apply to hundreds of jobs, but so can everyone else. While it is easier to apply, it is much more…

Tell me about yourself

Apparently this is the most feared question in interviews, and features in more Internet searches than any other interview question. And it’s surprising really, because if you think about it it is the…

Never diss a previous employer

It is always tempting, you are desperate to justify yourself in an interview. And the best way to do that is to demonstrate what an idiot your previous boss was. Or how incompetent…

Unhappy because the world has changed?

The world of work has become quite a challenging place. Too busy for some, uncertainty and job losses for others. Times are difficult, especially for some sectors. And sometimes high performers get particularly…

Why do I need to make an instant impact?

Whether you are submitting a CV or attending an interview, the initial impact you make will broadly determine the outcome of the process. In fact it can be as little as five seconds…

The secret of a good cover letter

While the first secret of any covering letter, or in today’s market email, is that most of them don’t get read. However, there are one or two real essentials. Few of us are…

Is losing my job a problem?

Well of course, losing a job at any time is never ideal. And for you personally clearly it could present short and long-term problems. But the question is really aimed at jobseekers who…