BLOG UPDATE #2

Hello all! 

An update into the saga of jobhunting is most certainly needed in this time. I am now a  full-time worker in a cozy little office in my new home town. Yes, not only did I get a job, I also got my own house! (Well rented, but you know what the economy is like)

I have to thank the lonely nights writing to my blog that urged me to find a place where I could hone my skills, with a friendly team in tow. I have to admit, this is the best job I have ever had and that is saying a lot, although it doesn't sound like it.

I admit, getting temporary work DID help me. It put something on my CV that my current company found interesting, and I didn't lie on my CV either. It shocked me that people could lie so easily on their CV, ref: Apprentice UK! I was truthful, honest, professional. That all helped.

If you need help writing your CV, then please find my post regarding the matter. I have gone into great detail on how to write it, and if it got me a job, then hopefully it'll get you a job. Or at least, a chance at a job.

The other post I would direct you to would be the temporary work one. I feel that temporary work, although it has a somewhat bad reputation, could really help you in getting a job. As long as you are honest to employers that it was temporary work to fill the gaps in your CV, there should be no problems. I am aware that if you have reems of temporary work, they may not want to know, but one, two or three temp jobs could be the gateway to getting a permanent, full-time job where you are happy.

So this is the end of my update and I hope I get to talk to you again soon. I might upload some more blog posts regarding things to do while looking for a job, and then I'll post what you should and shouldn't do in an interview. The hardest, trickiest part to securing that job is most certainly the interview!

Keep calm and don't forget, you are a valued member of society and you will find a job.

Speak soon!        

HOW TO WRITE A CV: TIPS & TRICKS

Hello blog readers and people wanting to perfect their CV! 

Now, the CV debate is something that happens everywhere. And I mean everywhere. I can look up on the directgov website about how to write the perfect CV and even that won't tell me, and that's the government! You'd think that their CVs would have to be pretty perfect. 

So instead of my usual rant in a blog post, I am going to be far more organised in this one. I want to help people because that's what I enjoy doing the most and if I can help at least one person get a job (or even get one myself, who knows!) then I will think it mission achieved.

So, with that final thought, I say goodnight to you readers and I hope you find something in here helpful. If you want, leave me a comment or shoot me an e-mail, which is found on my profile.

Just remember that the mystery of the CV will always remain just that: a mystery.

TABLE OF CONTENTS: 

• What is a CV?
• Why is it helpful to me?
• How do I format this?
• Things to include in your CV
• Things to avoid including in your CV
• General tips and tricks about the CV
• ENTIRE CV AS A GIFT TO YOU [use as a template!]

1. What is a CV?

A CV is a curriculum vitae, a document of one to two pages long. It highlights your skills, education, something of your personality, interests and experience. This is the one thing that an employer will see before they see you. Think of it like having an interview through your CV, as this is how they get to know you.

But don't be fooled into thinking that an employer will spend hours reading your CV: they won't. They simply don't have the time and when faced with 60 CVs a day, you need to make sure yours is a stand alone CV. [See: formatting for tips on how to make it stand alone]

A CV is meant to contain a lot of buzz words. These are words or phrases like "hard working" or "motivated". These are often keyed in as specifications in the job description, but word is that there is a darker side to these buzz words. Computers are programmed to highlight those words in a CV and should there not be enough of them, or the correct ones, the CV is never even sent to the employer. [See: General tips and tricks for a list of buzz words]

This is generally what a CV is: an interview before an interview. Read on to find out more information about how to format and what buzz words to include. At the end there is a selection of tips, too, as we all need them. 

2. Why is it helpful to me?

As mentioned previously, this is the first thing an employer will see about you. They will see what experiences you have had, skills you have, personal achievements and a small paragraph about yourself normally of three of four lines. 

These are not always requested, however. In most online applications they will ask you to fill out an application form highlighting every detail and then ask for a CV as a supporting document. It is important to make sure that the CV is tailored to this job as sending a general CV would mean bad news. The company will not accept a general one, and will feel more likely to hire you if you tailor something to them. This doesn't mean name dropping, however (I tried that before and it didn't work, I promise)

Think of a CV as a stepping stone to an interview. If that stepping stone was gone, or sunk when you stood on it, you wouldn't ever be able to reach the interview, or the desired goal of getting a  job. It is a vital thing!

3. How do I format this?

Good question! How do people format their CVs and make them look good for a potential employer? 

As mentioned before, employers will only scan read these things and they certainly won't sit down with a cup of tea and read it as if they were reading a paper. Hand written CVs are, sadly, not accepted anymore. This means that a typed CV is the way to go, even if it is heart breaking for those who are a fan of the old pen and paper.

One tip I found interesting when researching what makes a good CV was that you should use a "friendly font" at size 10 or 12pt. Some of the fonts suggested were Arial or Times New Roman. Now, is it more or does 

Times New Roman look like a seething and spindly Grandfather who is secretly judging your every move? 

Those of you who have changed all fonts to one desired font on all your webpages won't get this section, but that sentence was typed in Times New Roman... A font I am not fond or nor do I think is friendly. But I digress. A nice font that you find preferable is the best way to go, just make sure it is readable because an employer won't waste time trying to read a CV sent to them in windings. 

Bullet points are your friend in this instance. Although some people don't like them for whatever reason, they will help you in this case. Below, I have written a paragraph about skills obtained and then for the second example, I have bullet pointed them. It's amazing to see the difference:

EXAMPLE #1: THE PARAGRAPH

I am a hard-working and efficient person. My time management skills are next to none. I will always regard people the same, no matter their race, colour or creed. Not only that, I am an excellent worker in teams. I get on well with people because I am friendly and like to keep positive. However, I can work well independantly, too, which is a skill I learnt while doing team management at college...

EXAMPLE #2: THE BULLETS 

• Hard-working 
• Efficient in all aspects
• Perfect time management skills
• Non-judgmental and friendly person
• Team player that can also work independantly

You see the difference between the two? While in the first there was room to go an waffle about things you did in college (wouldn't you like to know!), the second example has no room for that. The bullet points not only make it neater, but stop ranters like myself going on about everything and the kitchen sink. Wonderful!

As a side note, employment history, experience and education should all be put into a table and squished together as much as they can be. There is no room for fancy fonts and spaces in these sections because it will just take up space. 

If you are listing your qualifications and you have a bulk of them, format them as follows:

Grades obtained: English Language X, English Literature X, Maths X, Science X, Applied Science X, ICT X, Applied ICT X, Graphic design X, Art and Design X, Religious studies X

AWARDING BODY: YYYY

This is how compact it should be across all sections. Where the X is, that is where your grade should go. I haven't put a space between each subject studied and I haven't tabbed the grade away to another section of the page. This is all about making space for bigger and better things later on!

Employment history should be much the same: compact. If you keep reading, you will find out what to include in the employment history. This section is just for formatting! (That last sentence being mainly to me, because I love to type out more than I have to...) 

4. Things to include in your CV

As a general rule of thumb, there are things that should be included in your CV, such as telephone number, e-mail address, home address and your name (of course). There are things, however, that can be added should they be relevant to the job you are applying for. These could be:

A PROFILE: 

A profile is quite a handy thing to include in a CV. It is a three to four sentence paragraph that highlights, very quickly, your experience and suitability. The best place for this to go is at the very beginning of the CV after your personal details. This means that the employer will see it almost immediately and this could be how you sell yourself to them. 

An example of a good profile would be:

A dynamic and experienced Office administrator with proven abilities looking for work in a large firm in assisting with daily office tasks and assisting the team in work. Hard working, reliable and with the ability to work well in a pressurised environment.

In this, there are no mention of skills whatsoever. It is simple, straight to the point and avoids babble. This means that the employer will immediately see that you are experienced, and will be more likely to read on as you have perked their interest. A bad example would include listing off skills, being too long and boring to even contemplate reading and badly written. It needs to be neat and concise because otherwise, you'll get chucked in the bin. (Well, your CV will!)

A LIST OF SKILLS:

As mentioned in the formatting, skills are important. Instead of opting for paragraph, highlight your skills in a way that an employer can read quickly. This means that they will have more time to spend reading through the rest of your CV, as they have not had to wade through tons of information.

Now would be a good time to highlight any skills you have learnt on a course at college, or done in previous roles. Depending on what you're wanting to do with your life, this is the time to really sell yourself. As I want to work in an office as a personal assistant or what have you, mine are typing speeds, minute taking, business travel etc. The list would read as such:

• Typing speed of 65 wpm
• Minute taking skills
• Trained in planning business travel
• Hard-working
• Efficient
• Excellent time management skills
• Team player who can also work independently

Instantly, there is a list of skills and personal qualities that should leaver you into the the next section of life: the job interview.

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

Employment history can either include the last one, two or if properly formatted the last however many jobs you have had. In the section about formatting, I breifly mentioned squishing the whole thing together and not putting spaces everywhere. Although it might look neater, it will take up space.

In employment history, you should put: a job title, company you were employed with, date started and date finished (if applicable) and a list of duties/sentence about what you did. This shouldn't take up too much space on the CV, as you may have more than one to put on there.

An example of an employment record:

2009 - to date: NAMELESS COLLEGE, KENT

Office administrator and personal assistant to Dave Pierce

Voluntary position involving filing, photocopying and planning taster days for students interested in joining courses in the admin sector. Use of Sage software for updating accounts.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING:

As mentioned in the formatting section, education and training can be kept neat and tidy. However, it is important to highlight any education you have received as it may be the difference of getting the job and not. 

Include the date of receiving the qualification. It doesn't have to be day specific, and can just highlight the year. Another way of formatting your grades obtained would be to have the year and then group it so that it reads:

2009 High School, Kent

GCSE Levels: maths, english, science, ICT

This doesn't include the grade that was obtained, however, so this might be better for someone who has had a lot of work experience and isn't relying on their grades to get them a job (like certain people writing this!)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

A simple section at last! This is to highlight anything you feel is relevant to the position that you've not mentioned or something that you feel might boost your chances, such as having a driving license and your own car.

HOBBIES & INTERESTS:

It's not all doom and gloom! This section should be short an sweet, but it will give you a chance to show more of your personality than the rest of your CV. An example of a hobbies and interests section would read:

Arts, crafts, working out at the gym, writing, blogging, working on website design and taking the dog for a walk

It's very simple and easy and really shows who you are as a person as much as it can. Try to avoid putting negative things on there, though, as this is a selling point and if the employer managed to read this far, you won't want to muck it up!

5. THINGS TO AVOID INCLUDING IN YOUR CV

There is a short list of things you won't want to include in your CV. Avoid putting your date of birth, marital status, nationality, bank details, national insurance number and the personal details of your references. In case of references, simply put "references as requested". All this helps to combat inequality in the workplace and as CVs are simply thrown away or maybe shredded, personal details of importance being taken by unlawful people. 

It's also best if you don't use a comical or stupid e-mail address. If you have to, make a new one with your name and just use that one as a work e-mail address, which is what I do. Some people put sexxiixoxobabexoxo@hotmail.co.uk as their contact e-mail and it really gives off the wrong message, don't you think?

6. GENERAL TIPS AND TRICKS ABOUT THE CV

Horray! We made it to the last leg of the battle with the CV. I tell you, it couldn't have come soon enough because I do want that cup of tea now. 

BUZZ WORDS:

You can type "action words", "buzz words" or "positive job words" into Google and find a number of different ones. A few of these could be:

Acted, Influenced, Recommended, Supplied, Supported, Clarified, Introduced, Volunteered, Set criteria, Enabled, Guided, Handled, Skilled, Solved, Economically, Willingly, Designed, Increased... 

Etc. Etc. ETC.

If you are applying online, they will generally have the "buzz words" in the description of the job. They will be disguised, but I'm sure with some prodding you will be able to find them. Phrases such as "independent worker essential for this role" would mean that you need to have independent worker SOMEWHERE on your CV-- but now I've gone through it all, I'm sure you know where! [Hint: skills]

One thing to remember is that the top half of the CV is everything that will be read, so make sure that that bit is the most interesting and packed with your skills and your profile. Of course, the way I've suggested it to you is just a suggestion and you can remodel it, but this CV layout is the best for any type of work.

And as an added gift to you, below is a special example of an ENTIRE CV, copied and pasted together from the information I have provided to you in here. I hope it helps you and I'll be posting up some more blogs tomorrow. I enjoy doing life updates for you!

7. ENTIRE CV AS A GIFT TO YOU

GEORGINA BENNETT

123 FAKE STREET, FAKE TOWN, FAKE COUNTY

MOBILE: 0384950607 HOME TELEPHONE: 013934 34345

E-MAIL ADDRESS: GEORGINABENNETT1993@HOTMAIL.CO.UK

Profile and skills: A dynamic and experienced Office administrator with proven abilities looking for work in a large firm in assisting with daily office tasks and assisting the team in work. Hard working, reliable and with the ability to work well in a pressurised environment.

• Typing speed of 65 wpm
• Minute taking skills
• Trained in planning business travel
• Hard-working
• Efficient
• Excellent time management skills
• Team player who can also work independently

Experience: 2009 - to date: NAMELESS COLLEGE, KENT

Office administrator and personal assistant to Dave Pierce

Voluntary position involving filing, photocopying and planning taster days for students interested in joining courses in the admin sector. Use of Sage software for updating accounts.

Education: 2004 - 2009 HIGH SCHOOL, KENT

Grades obtained: English Language X, English Literature X, Maths X, Science X, Applied Science X, ICT X, Applied ICT X, Graphic design X, Art and Design X, Religious studies X

AWARDING BODY: YYYY

Additional information: Full, clean driving license since 2004

Hobbies: Arts, crafts, working out at the gym, writing, blogging, working on website design and taking the dog for a walk

REFERENCES AS REQUESTED

BLOG UPDATE #1

Hello blog readers!

Just a quick update for today. First, I hope you like the new layout! I found it fitting that this blog should have a clunky, old and very outdated look about it because being without a career is, as they say, very out of Vogue.

Secondly, life is progressing as normal. I've been applying for a couple of jobs by sending off my CV and getting the typical "your application has been recieved, we will review it and get back to your promptly". We all know that this chain e-mail is sent to hundreds of thousands of people a day but it, for some odd reason, makes hunting for a job better. At least there is a computer out there who wants to acknowledge you.

Thirdly, I want to apologise to the lady who works at Gentle dental care. I sent her an e-mail asking her what was wrong with my application compared to the other applications she recieved (note: I got rejected for this job because my application wasn't up to scratch) and upon reading it back I feel a bit rude. I didn't mean to come off as snippy, but as you know, job hunting is tiring sometimes!

Maybe tomorrow will be better, who knows? I'm going to visit some estate agents about moving out so that's interesting. Hopefully a ray of sunshine comes from that visit. 

As a side note, I'm going to be uploading a talk about CVs and the like. That's one thing I had such a problem with when I was first looking for a job two years ago, and since going back to college, have reviewed about one hundred times. I've come to the conclusion that there is no 'right' way to write a CV, but let's explore the avenues together! I might even start writing that now seeing as I jolly well can't get to sleep!

See you in another post, readers. Have a good morning, night or moon-howling for wherever you are in the world! 

MOVING: FLATS, HOUSES AND TEARS

Morning blog readers and job searchers! (Either that or you're the lucky one who has a career, which makes me question why you would be reading this? Career change? I might be able to help you with that!)

I'm not really sure what today is going to be about. I've looked for a job this morning but of course, who posts about needing people on a Sunday? Some people, I found, but not many. I'm going to have to back track my course of action and see if there are any websites I've missed.

There is always one. Always.

Anyway, I'm currently looking to move out of my current residence. Debating about it hasn't got me very far because each time I think about it I'm blocked by visions of granduer. I want that house on the other side of town, more in the countryside, that costs £2.2 million. Visions of the beautiful and wonderful garden, large kitchen for those naughty nightcaps and whatever else they want to show me to try and get me to dribble over myself. The reality is a lot more stark, however. At the current rate I'm going I would be lucky to afford a bedsit in a council estate. 

Some flats I've looked at are wonderful. £475 a month, in this area, seems to be the average. Although it could be cheaper-- it is elsewhere and don't I know that-- it could be more expensive. So I figure, nothing wrong with looking at something in that range. Quite a lot of studios... A lot of studios, actually. Not many one bedroom flats for that price.

So, being ever curious, I decide to look at the difference between a one bedroom house and a two/three bedroom house. Today, funnily enough, the Daily Mail posted an article online about the difference of a two bedroom house and a three bedroom house to rent. Apparently, the difference is £132. I think I wanted to weep. When I read it though, it became clear that it was in the posher end of the world and most likely London. 

After doing my own research, there is quite a stark difference between one bedroom and two. Personally, if it really came to it, I could make a one bedroom house into two (with some clever moving around and refurnishing). My mother made a two bedroom house into a three, although she did have to sacrifice the dining room.

With the figure of £475 set firmly in my mind, I'm going to ring some estate agents on Tuesday to see how it goes. I really do need to look at these properties... They could make them look wonderful, but really, it's a shed in someone's garden and they want nearly £500 for it. 

I do have a motive, however. After renting and saving, getting myself a job and becoming someone other than a blogger and a bum drinking beer on a bench, I do aim to buy a property before I get too old and too bogged into life to even think about it. I don't have the luck and fortune of a silver spoon, however, so I'm going to have to budget for everything. It's going to be tough, but reader, I'm going to make it out alive on the other side!

DRUG TRIALS OR OFFICE WORK?

This is a question I have been pondering for a while, or at least all morning.

Last night I went mad with searching for a job while I was posting on my blog. I didn't realise it at the time but my laptop suddenly became the shining beacon of adverts. I really need to download AdBlock, but maybe I want to see these awful adverts. Lord knows they make me laugh.

Now, without even trying, I look at a website and suddenly I'm confronted with twenty different jobs I can apply for! This is along with the twenty other adverts that are trying to get me to buy miracle wrinkle cream or lose weight in seven days and suddenly look like a model.
Great, I thought, that will really help me-- but the jobs look interesting enough so hopefully something will be a hidden gem. 
It can give me a whole insight into places I wouldn't have even thought to look for a job. Wonderful!

Of course, it's too good to be true. I decided to test one of these adverts after seeing the thousandth one and suddenly I was on the shortlist for viagra trials. Now I know I'm looking for a job but I really don't think I'm the person to be testing viagra on. 

Maybe I should consider some scientific experiements as a job? I see adverts for drug trials all the time, offering something amazing. I don't really know if I want to offer myself to science though, much as it interests me. A nice, down to earth office job sounds wonderful (and slightly more realistic I think!)

Hopefully tomorrow is a better day, you never know in the world of job hunting and considering yourself for viagra treatment just to earn enough money to go out once a year.

DEALING WITH BEING UNEMPLOYED

There is something about the word 'unemployed' that really sets something off inside of me. I don't know quite why I get images of myself sprawled out on a park bench with beer stains on a white vest when I think of myself as 'unemployed'. I know I am: I don't have a job, I have no income. I live day to day looking on voucher websites to get a sniff of normality, and most of my recent purchases are from the likes of eBay. But I don't let that phase me, eventually I will have an income. A job. A career. A life!

As I have been one of those "bum people that do nothing..." (quote from someone on an online forum post talking about being unemployed and good places to look for work) for three months now, I feel that the word unemployed in itself is wrong, it's a word that shouldn't be used when talking to us who are looking for work. And here's why.

Like I previous mentioned, when I think of myself as unemployed, I make a stereotype about myself. I know, I know, it was a bit silly and massively far fetched but that is how I feel. 

I've talked to multiple people about how they feel when they think of the word unemployed, and what type of people would be unemployed, and it's never anything positive. What we have done is taken that word and added some beer cans and a sweaty vest. We don't think of a person, handing out their CV or e-mailing people at all times in the morning and the night to get a job. Nor do we think about someone who sits there redoing their CV twenty times for twenty jobs because they all have slightly different needs from their employees and nobody wants to read a CV full of buzz words for their rival company.

What we need to do is either take that word back from it's squalor or coin a new one. Even a new phrase would be better. It might begin to motivate people. Instead of saying, "hey that guy is unemployed, he won't ever amount to much more that stella", which is negative at best, say something along the lines of "oh that chap really is down on his luck being an active job seeker, I'm sure with dedication he will find something new!"

Doesn't it just sound so much more positive? It means that people might begin to motivate themselves and stop labeling themselves ridiculous things. Being unemployed is not a reason for being unemployed. Rethinking how you think is the key to confidence, which in turn is the key to success!

Being the unemployed lout that I am, I need to find a way of dealing with this. Although it is a depressing and awful time in my life where I want to middle finger the world and it's muse, I won't. I will simply continue on my hunt for the perfect job (if there is such a thing?) and hope that at the end of it, they take me on.

For me, it's not depressing applying for jobs, it's the fact that I normally never get a reply back telling me "you don't have the job". I don't even need a reason although I might be a little put off by such an abrupt reply but at least someone took the time to tell me that I didn't get it. IF they don't, I spend hours waiting for them to contact me and tell me I'm successful. My whole life stops every single time because I don't want to miss that all important phone call that I presume will tell me "you've got the job!" (Or, inevitably, say "you don't got the job").

I can appreciate that companies are busy people. They have other things to be doing. Yes, they may have 600 applicants in one go, but that's what mail merge and CC is for: a big sweep. If I work in an office, eventually there will be time where I say to myself, "I have done all my work" in which case I could e-mail a couple of people telling them that they have been unsuccessful and then, if they pester, block their e-mail address.
How simple is that? I sure do hope I get a job so that I can block people and their e-mail addresses!

Although that beer sure is looking tasty, and why not do it out on the street, then everyone can join the "I'm a bum on a park bench" party! 

IT BEGINS (or it did three months ago)!

When I came fresh out of college like a summer daisy, I had the thought that finding work would be an easy and relaxing experience. I didn't take into consideration the dismal state of Britain, oh no, I simply wafted out on my own cloud of naivety. 

A year prior to me going back to college (for the second time!), I had tried to look for work. It was unsuccessful until I got offered a job in a chain coffee shop franchise five minutes from where I live. High on the feeling of getting a job, I made sure I was the model employee. I listened to all commands, I memorised the different types of coffee, the different handles, the amount of coffee needed and, most importantly, how to up sale. 

My worst nightmare had indeed come true.

About an eternity into this job (or was that a week?), I decided that it was time to kick start a new career path. 

I had been told by multiple people that my skills with computers, and people, could be put to better use in the offices of the world. An administrator, they said, would be something I would be good at. I would feel positive about this new job, I would really blossom as a person, plus the pay packet would be miles better than what the chain from hell was going to ever offer me.

After applying for various jobs, and failing at all attempts, it became clear to us all that I would have to go back to college to study how to photocopy and how to write a letter. Luckily, my local college offered a Personal Assistant and Event Administrator course. It boasted colourful and wonderful skills you would learn, and then there was the hint at the end. The hint about working in a real place, not just one made up by them to get you interested.

A real company... It was almost as if it were a dream.

Well, since finishing that course in July, I have yet to find that magical company that would offer me a job. Maybe it really was a dream? There is no such wonderful place where you simply float in on your naive little cloud. I long since shook my cloud away and I'm now facing the depressing state of being unemployed.

This little blog is going to be a journey of trying to find myself, and my career. I thought that some other people who are just like me, may benefit from what they read here. You never know. There's always someone looking for work and I see that every single time I have to step inside the job centre, but that is a whole different blog post my darling reader. A whole different one that probably won't appear on this blog.

Go and open the DailyMail, they normally have some snide comment to make about us unemployed individuals!