The three key elements when writing your CV

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, thousands of people are looking for jobs. For some people, this might be the first time they are job-seeking in many years, and therefore it might feel like you have to start again from scratch.

Actually, whisper it – starting from scratch isn’t a bad thing, especially if it has been a while since you last updated your CV. It may be quicker, easier and more effective to start with a fresh sheet of paper; recruiters and advisers can tell if you have just tried to update your old CV!

We will cover what to put in your CV in the next few blog posts – but for now, let’s discuss some of the basics.

It doesn’t matter if you are applying for a job in retail, a role as a teacher or an engineer; your CV will comprise of three elements:

  1. Visual: does it look appropriate for its target audience?
  2. Structure: is everything in the right place, and easy to find?
  3. Content: this is the most important, but unless you get the first two elements correct, no-one is going to find the good content!

Let’s start with the visual: before you start typing, stop and think. What is going to look appropriate for the type of job that you want? Think about who is going to read this: a retail manager probably wants a simple summary of your experience and skills; an art director will want to see your design and creative skills; the head of a construction firm might not be impressed with splashes of colour. Do you need one page or two? If you are not sure what is appropriate, then ask someone – speak to a recruiter or get in touch and we can point you in the right direction.

Next, structure: this breaks into two key elements – can you find what you need, and is it in the best place? Use simple, clear headings for each section e.g. “Employment”, “Qualifications”, “Key Skills”. Remember that we read from top-to-bottom, so if you want them to see it, put it high up on the page.

Finally for now, content: we are going to write more about this in the next few weeks, but it is really important to think about the words and phrases that you use. Positive language is important! Also, if there are any technical phrases you need, then make sure that you include them; some employers use automated screening software that will be looking for key words. Mention any industry-specific skills e.g. use of software or equipment, and use industry-appropriate language.

We will be writing more about CVs, and what to include over the next few weeks. In the meantime, this video from The Guardian may give you some food for thought:

[Cover photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels]

Top tips to look after yourself during a pandemic

At the time of writing, it is a year since we first heard about the Covid-19 pandemic that was starting to spread across the world. This has impacted our lives in ways that we could not have imagined, with job losses, furlough, and terrible impacts on our physical and mental health.

There are plenty of people offering hints and tips to help you cope with the mental and emotional impact of the pandemic, but this blog from the World Economic Forum stood out; partly because it is a legitimate source, but also because the advice within is pretty universal, and we can all take steps to adopt these strategies.

It is worth noting that these are not things that you can “complete”: some people are exercise junkies, others prefer a more gentle pace; not everyone is always sociable, but the occasional text or phone call will work for some people. Just do what you can! Even small steps in the right direction will eventually take you where you want to go.

This takes us to the world of preferences: these are really important in many things that we do, and can be vital when you are thinking about what to do next. If you have been made redundant, then you probably don’t feel like you have much choice – you need a job now! However, do consider your preferences; if you respond well to structure, then a job in a supermarket might not suit you as it will probably be on a shift basis and can get a bit chaotic. However, a data entry role or working in a warehouse might be more appropriate, as it is more likely to involve defined tasks and targets.

If you are considering your career preferences, then there are some useful resources to help you. This could be a job match software package, but you can also use career-focused personality inventories such as iCould’s Buzz Quiz. Don’t take the results too literally though! These are simply tools to help you choose possible next steps; if in doubt then get in touch with us and we can help you make sense of your results.

[Cover photo by Samuel Silitonga from Pexels]

Three reasons why imposter syndrome takes hold

Have you heard the phrase “imposter syndrome”? It affects a lot of people in their work and personal lives. It effectively refers to the idea that you are not as good as you are, and one day you will be found out:

“Have you ever found yourself in a personal or professional situation where a feeling of `What the heck am I doing here? This is not my place, I will just make a fool of myself!` suddenly crept up?” (Andreia Corlade)

Professionally, some studies have shown that this can affect people in range of types of job, including those in managerial roles and senior leadership positions such as chief executives, company directors and even doctors and lawyers.

From a careers viewpoint, there are three common situations where we might find ourselves suffering from imposter syndrome (and even as an experienced careers practitioner, I have suffered from all three of these myself):

  1. You are looking for work but don’t think you will get the job: Have you ever thought about applying for a job, but decided not to because “they won’t be looking for someone like me” or “I don’t have enough experience?”. My advice is to try and ignore the dissenting voices – if you like the look of the job, then go for it and you may be pleasantly surprised how much they like you. Recruiters often suggest that it is worth applying for the job if you meet 70% of the job requirements.
  2. You are in a job but are worried that you are not good enough to do it: This is often felt by people who are in managerial or professional roles, carrying the fear that one day they will be “found out”. To combat this, try and have regular meetings with your managers and colleagues, which can remind you of the skills and expertise you have, and also remind you of the things you enjoy about your job.
  3. You have an idea but come up with reasons why it won’t work: Many freelancers and entrepreneurs hit the wall for this reason – it could be an idea for a new product, a marketing campaign or if you are thinking of starting your own business. I would recommend that you write down a list of pros and cons; think about how much time, money and effort is likely to be involved, and balance that with the potential rewards. This is how I started Karuna CV!

If you would like to discuss your situation, and how imposter syndrome might be affecting your career, then get in touch for a free initial consultation.

Defining your career ambitions

Your career ambitions are personal to you, but are bound to be influenced by what you see and hear around you – hence the stereotype of wanting to be footballers, rock stars, influencers or astronauts.

Who influences us?

In many cases, the first influences will have come from our immediate family (I personally decided that I definitely did not want to do the same type of work as my parents!), but as we grow up we also absorb ideas from our teachers, family friends and the things we see in the news, sport or popular culture.

What about indirect influences?

The wonderful journalist and writer Daisy Buchanan wrote this piece for Noteworthy, and although it is over a year old, it rings as true now as it did then. Daisy powerfully makes the case that career ambitions are also defined by accident of birth – when were you born, and into which generation?

Our [Millennial] generation were promised every opportunity by our Boomer parents but being average was never an option… There is no point of our professional lives in which we will feel as though we have reached the summit.

Of course every generation will feel as though they have experienced their own advantages and problems, but many of you reading this blog will fall into Generation X or the Millennial Generation, both of whom have experienced a number of recessions and major economic and industrial changes during their working lives. On the positive side, we have outstanding technology making it possible to be connected most of the time; however, the nature of the UK economy has changed, meaning that working lives are often more transitory and require greater flexibility.

What does this mean for you?

With so many influences around us, it is easy to get overwhelmed. There are a number of online activities that are freely available, which can direct you towards some career ideas. The Buzz Quiz is a little quirky and only takes a few minutes, and although it will suggest some job types, don’t worry too much about that – focus upon what it tells you about your preferences, values and the types of things you enjoy doing.

If you need a hand after that, then get in touch and we can have an initial chat – it won’t cost you anything and we can hopefully get you moving in the right direction.

How to deal with career anxiety: three top tips

You know that feeling. The knot in the stomach, the lump in the throat, the slowly creeping panic.

We have all been there haven’t we? The above quote is from a blog post by Rose Watson at University of Worcester, and shares some excellent tips to help you overcome your anxiety.

Of course, if you are at university, there are support mechanisms in place, to help with health, wellbeing and your career development. If you are a current student or recent graduate, then do contact your University’s student support teams, who can direct you to appropriate resources.

What if you are not at university or college? Obviously, we can help, and we specialise in CVs and job applications – do get in touch for a free chat to get you pointed in the right direction.

When do people get anxious about their career?

In our experience, there are three main sources of career anxiety:

  1. You are out of work and looking for a job: This is always a difficult situation, and never more so than during the current pandemic. Don’t forget to check out our top tips for job seekers.
  2. You are in a job you don’t like: It can be so demoralising when you are working, day after day, in a job you just don’t care for, or where you have hit a wall. Try not to forget the positives: it is usually better to be in a job than unemployed, and the reference from your current employer could come in very useful.
  3. You don’t know what you really want to do: A lot of people feel this way, even those who seem to be well-established in their careers! Some people never settle on one type of work, others may already be in work but suffering from imposter syndrome – we will have more about this in a future blog post.

Top tips to help you deal with your career anxiety:

  1. A little preparation can help a lot: Plan your next steps, and write down what you plan to do. You may even want to set yourself some reminders on your phone to review your progress. If you are looking for a job, then check out our three top tips for job seekers.
  2. Don’t panic: Whatever your circumstances, remember that you are not the only one feeling the way you do. There are sources of support out there, and it doesn’t cost anything to ask a question.
  3. Remember to keep things manageable: One of my favourite quotations is commonly known as the Serenity Prayer; this is often referred to in coaching, religion and recovery programmes, but it doesn’t have to refer to any of those. This is basically a reminder that you cannot control everything – so focus upon the things you can control, and be prepared to respond to external factors.

Top tips for job seekers

If you are out of work, it can be very easy to get demoralised, and looking for a job can be physically and emotionally draining. It might feel impossible at times, but one of the best tips we can offer is to try and get organised.

Why is this important?

As mentioned in one of our previous blogposts, it is really important to be prepared and ready for any opportunities that may come your way. If you are methodical and organised, you will find it much easier to act when you see a job advertised.

There are lots of job sites out there offering advice, and we liked the “plan your day” suggestions from Bubble Jobs. However, not everyone will be able to plan their day so methodically, as we know that many people have other responsibilities, such as family, part-time work or volunteering.

Top tips

Let’s break it down and give you our top three tips for getting organised as a job seeker:

  1. Pen and paper: Writing things down is not everyone’s cup of tea, and you might prefer to use spreadsheets, voice memos or notes on your phone. However, it is strongly recommended to keep a note of everything you do – if you send an email, make a phone call or apply for a job, then record what you did, who you contacted, and the date and time. That way, you can easily make a follow-up enquiry e.g. “further to my phone call with Emma in your HR team on the 21st August, I am writing to follow-up about the possibility of working with you”.
  • Target your enquiries: You shouldn’t necessarily apply for every job you see! To quote the old cliché, “work smarter, not harder”. It is usually far more effective to send three or four tailored enquiries or applications, than adopt a scattergun approach of just sending your CV to ten, twenty or more companies. Treat your CV as the basis for your applications, rather than the finished package.
  • Set yourself reminders: It is important to follow-up, whether you have sent a formal job application or just made a speculative enquiry about a possible opportunity. With formal job applications, they may let you know when they plan to interview, or for the job to start, so keep a note! Otherwise, set yourself a reminder (in your diary, computer or phone) to get in touch with people after you have had an initial conversation or sent them an email – two weeks is usually a good bet.

If you are not feeling confident about applying for jobs, or making speculative applications, then do get in touch. We have a range of packages that can help you, but we won’t charge you for your initial enquiry – there is no such thing as a silly question!

Will Covid-19 change the way we work?

My previous blogpost explored the impact of Coronavirus on the world of work, and shared some tips for job seekers to try and get back into work, despite the current difficulties.

Even those of us who are still working may have noticed changes. If you are doing an office job, then you might be working from home; shifts in retail, logistics and warehousing may have been affected by health and safety requirements; anyone working in education will have been overwhelmed with the need to support students, a rapid shift to online delivery, and planning for next year.

One of the most interesting conversations has been whether we will see longer-term changes in the way in which we work. This article on the Penguin blog suggests that alternative ways of working may become more desirable – the shift to home working in many professions arguably lends itself well to more flexible working patterns (and of course, you will be aware of the need to be flexible if you are home-schooling or have caring responsibilities).

Just as intriguing to me is the idea that we could see a change to our working patterns; the Penguin blog mentions the idea of a four-day week, and anyone who listens to BBC Radio 1 or BBC local radio will know that they moved to fewer shows, with presenters on rotation. Could this be a model for the future – perhaps more jobs could be created, but the pay-off is that we all work fewer hours?

To me, this seems desirable, but as with anything it would come at a cost – human beings are the biggest single cost to any organisation, and these different working patterns would be complicated to implement in many workplaces.

What do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts, feel free to share with me via email.

Three top tips to find work during the Coronavirus pandemic

When I had the idea of setting up Karuna CV, no-one had even heard of Coronavirus. Things in the UK changed drastically in March 2020, particularly when lockdown hit and businesses shut – some temporarily, but with other companies shedding jobs.

Much was made at the time about the furlough scheme, and (at the time of writing) this will shortly be ending, which will unfortunately lead to more people facing unemployment. Here are a few quick thoughts for how this may affect you:

  • There are still opportunities out there! However, the job market is currently very congested and you may need to be flexible, as your ideal job might not be available right now. If you are currently out of work, the most likely sectors are retail, warehousing and logistics and customer service (although many areas are also recruiting for Covid testers at the moment). The Job Help website is a good source of initial information.
  • Job security is hard to find right now: At the risk of doom and gloom, pretty much all businesses and organisations are suffering economically. This means that a lot of people currently in work are feeling vulnerable, and if you are a job seeker, you may struggle to find jobs advertised as full-time and/or permanent contracts. If you can get by on part-time hours and pay, then this may be worth considering.
  • If you are struggling to find work: Looking and applying for jobs is tiring and emotionally draining for many people. Try and maintain a balance if you can; obviously for many people family life will be important, others take solace in exercise or leisure, but some people have spent time on freelance projects – Etsy shops saw an upturn in business during lockdown!

What does this mean? At the risk of resorting to cliché, job seekers need to be agile, flexible and ready to seize opportunities as they arise. Let’s put that into plain English with my top tips:

  1. Keep your CV and LinkedIn profiles up-to-date, as well as any other relevant platforms such as Instagram, Twitter and The Dots (if you use these for your professional profile). If you are not confident with writing your CV or cover letter, then we can help.
  2. Explore a wide range of job opportunities: Don’t just rely on one website to look for jobs, but maybe set up email alerts from a range of sites. Job search sites such as Indeed are really good, but it is worth using a variety of sources to help you find the opportunity you need.
  3. You’re not alone! Get help and advice where you can; if you’re lucky, you will have friends or family who can support you, but there are a number of sources of help, including right here – feel free to drop us a line, as there is no such thing as a stupid question!

If you are out of work at the moment, and not sure where to turn, then get in touch and we can get you pointed in the right direction – the initial email won’t cost you anything and we are confident that we can help.

Rish Baruah: Founder, Karuna CV