One of my pet hates when helping clients in their job search is the distinct lack of transparency regarding salaries.  Job advertisements invariably invite you to click the "Apply Now" button and you're expected to upload a targeted CV, cover letter and perhaps answer detailed competency questions - all before you even know whether the job is in your salary range.

Another of my pet hates is when employers ask you to specify your salary expectations.  Why?  Is it so that they can save money if your expectation is lower than theirs?

To compound it further, candidates then expend considerable effort preparing for interviews where they are still kept in the dark on salary level.  Certainly in the UK, it's not considered de rigueur to raise the important issue of salary during the first interview; it's something you discuss at second interview or, worse, you wait until they make an offer.  So you could go to a huge amount of time and effort only to learn, ultimately, that the salary is not even in your ball park.

In my opinion, this lack of transparency contributes to pay inequality - especially since there is a general consensus that women often underestimate their value and ask for less than men. 

So, instead of the government pushing for audits to establish disparities in remuneration, why don't they push for transparency in job advertisements with salary levels being disclosed at all levels?  If they could just do this simple thing, which would take no effort at all, it would save candidates, recruiters and employers from wasting time reviewing applications and conducting interviews when they're all on different pages anyway.

Salary transparency... let's have more of it please.

Barbara Patrick, Professional CV Writer and Career Coach
Compelling CVs, Berkshire, UK
Tel: 0118 988 7628

Always happy to talk.

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From a professional standpoint, Facebook can leave many job applicants vulnerable to unwelcome scrutiny from prospective and current employers, unless they lock down their privacy settings and tagging features.  Yes, I realise that it's none of their business and employers shouldn't be checking up on their staff and potential employees, but many of them do!  And the last thing you want them to stumble upon is indiscreet photos, bigoted posts, naughty jokes or bad language.  Have fun by all means, but keep it private.  When writing status updates ask yourself, "Would I want my employer to see this?"

Why not make today, Facebook's 10th birthday, the day that you lock down your Facebook privacy settings and disable tagging features.  And if you have time, perhaps you could disengage or "unfriend" the hundreds of "friends" you no longer know or even recognise.

This means you need to take stock of your current position, decide where you want to be, then create some goals and milestones to help you achieve your aim.

Carrying forward old and irrelevant job history usually won't bring success.  Instead, take a blank sheet of paper and start brainstorming about where you are today in terms of knowledge and skills, and where you where to be.

Working from scratch, list all your hard and soft skills.  Then list your achievements and the value you have delivered in previous roles.  This could include increased efficiencies, profits, sales, brand awareness, functionality, etc.  If you're short on ideas, browse LinkedIn for job vacancies and member profiles, which will help give you some inspiration about skills, terminology and how to present your achievements.  You're not just trying to create a list of duties; you want to create a list of value-added achievements.  Employers need to know what makes you better than the other candidates; why they should employ you.

Be honest with yourself.  It's no good saying you've got excellent interpersonal skills if no-one in your office enjoys working with you or if you don't enjoy working as part of a team.  If you're a square peg, you'll never fit into a round hole, however much you kid yourself.

This process will almost always identify skills gaps.  These could be technical or perhaps lack of knowledge about team leadership or business methods.  Whatever gaps you identify, try to plug them.  Research the internet for training courses - many of which are free or very cheap - then sign up.  Don't overdo it and take too much on at once.  Bite-sized training over a period of time will deliver better results.

A word of warning...

Don't quit until you've got all your ducks in a row.  You're always more employable when you're in work.  So stay focussed on your existing job while you get your career move in place, and make sure you leave on good terms and with a glowing references and testimonials.

We're always happy to chat and we're around over much of the Christmas break, so give us a call if you need help.

Whether you're a business owner or a manager, it's never easy to have to let your staff go.  It's even more difficult if they've been loyal and hardworking members of your team and you've grown to like and respect them.  They may even have become family friends.

But there is something you CAN do to ease the situation and to help them prepare for their job search in what is currently an extremely difficult job market... 

You can provide them with Outplacement Support.

Staff will undoubtedly be anxious about losing their jobs.  They may be angry or shocked at the prospect of being out of work, they may think it's a personal (as opposed to a business) decision and their self-esteem may hit an all-time low.

They may feel aggrieved because they perceive the "survivors" as being less experienced or less competent and therefore feel that they have been unfairly singled out for redundancy.

They'll very likely be extremely worried about how they can meet their financial commitments and support their families.

If they've been in work or in the same job for some time, they may be completely out of touch with today's job market and not know how to go about updating their CVs, write cover letters or cope with the online recruitment revolution.

Whilst employees may be highly adept within their existing role, they may have developed skills gaps which will further hinder their progress in the job market. 

The last thing you want is for your former employees to feel overwhelmed and worthless which could result in depression and poor health.

If you keep sending off the same CV for every job advertisement, you're unlikely to meet with success.

Read and analyse the job advertisement, see what key skills and experience they are seeking, and make sure that your CV is a good match - not just through interpretation but in exact words and phrases.

Although your CV still needs to make sense and read well, it needs to be specifically targetted to match each job vacancy advertisement.

If the job ad specifies Advanced Excel, make sure you include those exact words in your CV - remember you need to actually be advanced in Excel - no BS please...

If the advertisement specifies that they want someone with excellent organisational skills, then include those skills on your CV.

Prioritise your skills on your CV to match the priorities of the job advertisement.

Start off with one good CV.  Save this as the Master.  Then copy, edit and save each adaptation under a new file name.  This takes a little time  but it really pays dividends.

The same applies to cover letters.  These should "match" the job advertisement.  Don't just rehash your CV, address the advertisement - identify with their requirements - be the perfect match.  Tell them what excites you about the role, why you're interested, what you could bring to the role but make sure you're letter isn't all "me, me, me".  Talk about the company and how you think you would fit in and contribute to their goals.  It helps to check out their website and to read the advertisement fully before responding.

Good luck with your job search!  Get in touch if you need help.

Last year, when my daughter was still at university, she took on 2 weeks unpaid work experience in digital marketing.  It wasn't the most exciting of jobs but she did it to the best of her ability.  Consequently, the company paid her to stay on longer.  (Incidentally, this work experience was obtained via a post on LinkedIn - a powerful platform for job seekers.)

This year, following completion of her degree, the same company offered her a permanent employment contract.  The work this year is more interesting, carries more responsibility and is giving her a good grounding in digital marketing, PPC and SEO.

Clear evidence that unpaid work experience can lead to paid employment!

All forms of work experience have value but it helps if you can gain "relevant" experience in the field that you ultimately wish to work in.  If you want to work in marketing, then try to get work experience in marketing.  Likewise, accounting and so forth.  Relevant experience will count for more. - not always but usually.

I'm not saying that car washing, leaflet dropping and other forms of casual work are worthless... they're not.  They demonstrate a sound work ethic which is highly sought after in the job market.  But if you can combine your work ethic with relevant experience, you will likely gain more relevant skills and knowledge and enjoy greater success.

Work experience can also include volunteering.  Whilst the latter is generally perceived as supporting worthwhile causes, most charities have accounting, marketing and administration functions so can still provide you with "relevant" skills.

Good luck!
 
Give us a call if you need help with your CV or any other aspect of your job search.

If you thought it was difficult condensing your CV into 2 pages, how about condensing it into 140 characters?  Impossible, you might think, but the recent phenomenon of #twesume might just be the answer you're seeking.

By posting your skills and availability on Twitter and including the hashtag #twesume, you may just attract employers and recruiters.  Basically, you post a short tweet about your availability and your skills, include a link to your LinkedIn profile or your online CV. You can even link it to a short video on YouTube or a short clip on Vine.  The options are endless.

You'll need to include the hashtag #twesume and, of course, you'll still need a strong CV and LinkedIn profile, but tweeting your resume certainly can't do any harm.

So log into Twitter today and check out #twesume. 

And don't forget to let us know if you'd like some help compiling your CV or LinkedIn profile.

Good luck in your job search!

by Barbara Patrick
Professional CV Writer
Compelling CVs
Reading, Berkshire

I had a long conversation recently with a chap who isn't happy in his current role and intends to quit his job - even though he doesn't have a new job to go to.  I urged him not to.

And earlier this year I had a CV client who is a shining star but wasn't enjoying their job and quit, without having anything else lined up.  They're currently unemployed.

As anyone will tell you, jobs are no longer two-a-penny.  So, unless you're extremely lucky and you're in the right place at the right time, it could take you some time to find something else.  We all have financial obligations to meet and it would be reckless to make yourself unemployed before you have something better to go to.

Furthermore, being unemployed can often put you in a weaker position when negotiating your salary package for your new role, with employers offering you a lower package than you could normally command.

If you're not happy in your current role, you'll need a career plan.

• Assess your current situation.  What is it that's irritating you?  Could anything be done to rectify it?  If it's a grievance with a colleague or boss, could it be addressed via your employer's grievance procedure? (All UK employers should have one)
  
• If it can't be sorted, try not to be emotional or to make knee-jerk decisions.  Your head must rule your heart.  Grit your teeth and continue to do what you're paid to do to the best of your ability.  At some stage you'll probably need a reference from your current employer, so bear that in mind.
• Try to stay cheerful. Don't let your mood or negativity come to the fore as it will affect your colleagues, create bad feelings around you and make the workplace unpleasant for everyone.
  
• Try to engage in pleasurable activities outside of work and perhaps during your lunch breaks. Reflecting on these during working hours will help keep you sane.
• Get your ducks in a row.  Decide on the type of role you want to apply for and start searching the market.
• Update your CV and LinkedIn Profile so you're ready to roll when you see the job of your dreams.  We'd be happy to help you with this.
• Don't jump out of the frying pan into the fire!  In your frustration, you may want to accept any old job just to get out of your current situation.  If you do this, you'll be back to square one in the very near future, so take your time and try to hold out for the right role.
• Don't confide your feelings to anyone at work and that includes clients and advisors.
• When it's time to move on, give full notice and stay committed to the job during your notice period.
• Always leave on good terms effecting a full handover to your successor and training them if necessary.

Give us a call if you want to have an informal chat about your future career.


Barbara Patrick
Professional CV Writer
Compelling CVs
Reading, Berkshire

I exhibited at Bracknell Careers Fair last week. It was hosted by Bracknell & Wokingham College and organised by Bracknell Job Centre.  The event was very well organised and promoted, and the college facilities were excellent.  I'd never been to the College before and I was really impressed.

Whilst I was hopeful that the event would be well attended, I was totally unprepared for the influx of visitors that rushed into the exhibition hall when the doors opened at 10am.  It almost seemed like the Harrods Sale with customers rushing in to grab the best bargains. Amazing.

From just a few minutes after 10am until after the exhibition officially ended at 4pm, I had a constant stream of job seekers all wanting their CVs reviewed.  Visitors waited patiently in the queue which at times was 8-10 deep.  It was relentless and way exceeded what I'd been expecting.

While the Government constantly talk about people who don't want to work, the people I spoke to all desperately wanted to get into work and they welcomed any advice I could give.  They came from a range of ages, backgrounds and disciplines, from school leavers to executives, and they all had a story to tell.  I just wish I'd had more time to spend with each of them.

Out of all the CVs I reviewed, however, only a small handful were reasonably well prepared.  So there's clearly a need out there for more education on employability and job seeking skills. 

I'm working on it!