our LinkedIn profile can be an invaluable tool for your career development. It is your showcase to the professional world. Imagine LinkedIn as a huge virtual directory of everyone in your field – your LinkedIn Profile is your directory entry.
Professional
Your CV – Responsibilities and Achievements
When talking about your responsibilities and achievements you need to be more creative (and I don’t mean lying!). You need to tailor this section to each job you apply for. This is the most difficult part of your CV to write because your sections on education and the list of…>
Match Your Skills to the Person Specification
Completing job application forms can be a long and boring process, especially if you are applying for several jobs at once. However, it is vital that you use the application form and covering letter to show that you are the ideal person for the job. One way to do this…>
Writing a Personal Profile for your CV
What is a ‘Personal Profile’? A Personal Profile (or ‘Career Profile’) is an introductory paragraph at the beginning of your CV containing a short summary of your background and career plans. The Profile is the written equivalent of an ‘elevator pitch’ designed to capture the employer’s interest quickly so that…>
Employability: What Are Employers Looking For?
What is employability? There’s a lot of talk about employability in the recruitment community as competition for jobs in all sectors intensifies. But what does it mean? The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES)[1] gives the simplest and most accessible definition of employability in terms of skills: ‘the skills…>
CV Writing: Which Words Will Open Doors on a CV?
This article focuses on CV writing and the use of language in a CV and how best to ensure you select those words which will open doors, rather than have them slammed shut after the first line. CVs should rarely be more than two sides long; for some occupations and…>
Your CV: Additional Information and References
This article will explore the important additional information that you will need to make your CV even more attractive to employers – and address some of the common pitfalls to avoid. Additional Information: Should you include details about your hobbies or clubs you belong to? It is a controversial area…>
Classic CV Guidelines
Classic CV Guidelines: The Do’s and Don’ts Either of the two formats outlined below can be used for any application for many jobs including managerial, professional, administration and any other non-academic job. In general, the skills format tends to be used by new graduates or those with less work experience…>
Top Questions To Ask Your Mentor
Why have a mentor? Wherever you are on your career journey, from starting a PhD to your first permanent academic post or to taking those initial tentative steps as a manager, other people have been there before and are often willing to share their valuable advice and insight. They understand…>
Interview question: What’s your biggest weakness?
It’s an old classic and a question that seems to have had plenty of interviewees struggling, but should the question ‘What’s your biggest weakness?’ cause so much worry? Well, today we’re going to have a look at the different types of answers and offer some useful tips to help you…>