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

It was National Careers Week a few weeks ago.  Considering that my business is careers-based, I would have expected a big push on Twitter and other forms of media but I didn't notice any particular song and dance.  What I did notice, however, was an article on how our National Careers Service, which was launched a year ago, is failing young people.  You can read the article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-21144825

I came across a short video yesterday about how to write your first CV, coincidentally produced by the National Careers Service.  I doubt that the advice given in the video, and the sample CV provided, will do little to help job seekers secure an interview.  The formatting is poor, there was no mention of targetting the CV, no section for skills and achievements and no mention of keyword matching and ATS. They advised that you include skills and achievements in the profile or in the hobbies/interests sections.  Nonsense!  They did, however, fare a little better on their cover letter advice.  You can watch the video here: http://vimeo.com/60555694 but I don't recommend you follow their advice, so do exercise caution!

From time to time I look at what other CV writers (my competitors) are offering and, while there are undoubtedly some good, professional providers out there, there are also some who should be given a wide berth.  But how can a jobseeker know who to trust or what to believe? 

Jobseekers are often vulnerable and they don't know whether they're getting good advice or bad.  It's certainly difficult.  But here's a brief list of things to look out for.

1. Avoid CV writers who don't talk with you before you commit. You need to talk with the CV writer who will actually be interviewing you and writing your CV.  You need to trust them to give you their time and attention, to ask lots of questions and to really take an interest in you - not just as another fee-paying client but as a real person with individual needs and aspirations.
2. Upload/download CV writing services can be risky.  If the content of your CV is poor, then reformatting is not going to improve your chances of success.  Your CV might look nicer, but the content will still be poor and will fail to get you interviews.  Unless you're absolutely certain that the content is good, then don't use a reformatting service.
3. Many companies offer to review your CV for free and then inevitably follow up with advice that you should pay them to rewrite your CV.  Effectively, you're being "baited" by the free offer and then they'll want you to sign up with them for a paid CV writing service.  There's nothing wrong with that in principle; it's how business is often done.  But when you reach the "lure" stage, follow my advice in "1" above.  You might also want to read my earlier blog on Free CV Reviews, which you can read by clicking this link: Compelling CV's Article on Free CV Reviews
4. You get what you pay for:  If someone is charging £15, £25, £35 for your CV then, really... what quality of service are you expecting?  Why do they put such a low value on their service?  At those prices, how can they make a living?  How much time will they spend interviewing you and writing your CV?  How many drafts/re-writes?  Or will they just be copying and pasting generic "fluff" into your new "templated" CV?  And speaking of templates, you can read our reasons for NOT using templates here: Why we don't use templates
   
5. Having your CV professionally written is an investment in your future. It will impact on your ability to get interviews and it will affect your earning power.  Therefore you shouldn't skimp on price where there's a risk of jeopardising quality.  If the CV writer doesn't place a realistic value on their service, I suggest you avoid them like the plague.
6. Are they interested in your aspirations?  Do they want to know what job you're applying for?  Have they asked to read the job advertisement?  If they don't know where you're headed, how can they help you to get there?
   
7. Many CV writing companies farm out your CV to freelancers.  Again, nothing wrong with that except you do need to speak to the actual writer and establish a rapport with them before you commit.
   
8. Avoid friends who offer to write your CV for you.  I heard recently of a friend's son being asked to help create a CV for someone, purely because he was good on a computer!
9. I'm personally suspicious of CV writers who only have a mobile telephone number.
   
10. Are the CV writer's testimonials genuine?  Anyone can write fabulous testimonials for their own website and I've seen one CV writer who offers financial incentives to gain testimonials, which rather undermines the process!  So, try to establish whether testimonials have been provided on an independent third-party site, where they are more likely to be genuine.
    

There are many pitfalls to seeking CV writing and advice.  So you need to exercise caution, ask lots of questions, be able to talk to the person who will write your CV (before you commit), bear in mind that you'll get what you pay for, and then trust your instinct. 

Good luck in your job search and don't hesitate to contact us.  We're always happy to talk.
<rel=author>
Barbara Patrick
Professional CV Writer
Compelling CVs
Tel: 0118 988 7628

Sometimes it's good to blow your own trumpet especially if you have something to celebrate.

FreeIndex, perhaps the UK's leading online business directory, has awarded us a "Highly Recommended" ribbon for our CV writing service and they're ranking us #6.  Quite an achievement.

We have received 30 customer testimonials and have scored full marks.  In fact, as we write this, we've just received our 31st testimonial, again scoring full marks and we know there are some more in the pipeline, based on feedback we're receiving from clients we're currently working with.

Anyone can write fictitious testimonials on their own website and I have to say I've sometimes seen testimonials that were so incredulous that they actually dissuaded me from using a supplier!  That's why I usually direct clients to a third-party, independent review site.  I feel it adds more credibility if they can say what they like.

All of the independent reviews can be seen on our testimonial page, together with additional testimonials that didn't come via the online directory site.

We're obviously getting it right so we'll continue the good work; doing the best for all of our clients and helping them achieve their goals.

Of course, none of this could have been achieved without the support of our lovely clients, so I'd like to extend to all of them a big THANK YOU.

Companies are increasingly using Skype to do business and that includes job interviews.  It's an efficient way to conduct first-round interviews, especially if candidates are geographically diverse.

I've yet to see anyone look good on Skype and I find that the quality of the call can detract from the process, so you'll need to do everything you can to get the best out of the experience.

Here are my tips for preparing for Skype interviews:

1. Treat a Skype interview like a real face-to-face interview.  This is not the same as talking with your pals.  It's a formal interview... your opportunity to make an impression and to shine.  Dress the part - top to toe.  Although the interviewer will only see your head and shoulders, dressing the part will put you in the right mindset and will come across in your demeanour.  As with any interview, your hair, teeth, fingernails, etc should all be squeaky clean.
2. Ensure that the space behind you is clutter free and there is no background noise.  Ideally the space behind you should be a blank wall with no distractions.  You should be in a quiet room totally free of noise and distractions.  That includes family, friends, children, pets, radio, TV and street noise.  Close the windows and doors.  Turn off all other programmes on your laptop or computer and make sure you turn off mobile phones too.  You don't want any distractions.  The interviewer should only be able to hear YOU - nothing else.
3. Make sure you've done your homework and researched the vacancy and the company.  Have a short list of questions ready to ask at the end of the interview, but don't ask questions if the subject has already been covered.  At this stage the questions should be about the role and the company - not about pay and benefits.
4. Re-read the job specification, your CV and your prepared questions before the interview commences, so it's all fresh in your mind.  Be prepared to answer questions about how you've handled a specific situation or how you would approach a problem.
5. Be ready about 10 minutes early.  Use the loo, make a drink (room temperature water is best), have paper and pencil ready, and keep the job specification, your CV and questions to hand.
   
6. The webcam and computer screen should be level with your face so you are not looking up or down at an angle.  There needs to be sufficient light so the interviewer can see you clearly.  You'll need to remember to look directly at the webcam itself during the interview - not at the screen.  Stay focussed and make "eye contact" with the camera.
7. Don't fidget during the interview.  No scratching your head, clicking pens, squeezing stress balls, bouncing or swivelling on your chair. Be natural but not too casual.
   
8. Answer the call professionally. When the Skype call comes through, take a deep breath, smile and answer the call professionally.  Stay positive and focussed and "engage" with the interviewer.  Listen carefully to the questions.  Answer comprehensively but keep your responses relevant... don't ramble off subject or give too much information.  Stick to the question.
   
9. End the call courteously.  At the end of the interview thank the interviewer for their time and for the opportunity.  It's ok to ask when you might expect to hear back from them.  Make sure you've definitely disconnected the call before you utter another word.
   

We offer interview skills training at Compelling CVS, so if you'd like a mock interview or a little more advice, please get in touch or click here to find out a little more about our Interview Skills Training Service.

Good luck!

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!

Companies are increasingly conducting the first round of interviews by telephone.  It makes sense... No-one needs to travel and it's easier to stay on track, time-wise.

This can present an ideal opportunity for you to shine, especially if you're not happy with your appearance.  It's a level playing field where appearance doesn't count.

But hold on...  Just because the interviewer can't see you, don't think you can attend the interview wearing your PJs or a scruffy old track suit; this is still a formal interview and you should prepare accordingly.

Before the interview

You must treat telephone interviews as you would any other interview.

If you're applying for a telephone sales, call centre or telephonist role, then you're in luck as you can use the telephone interview to demonstrate your excellent telephone manner.

Prepare for the interview by researching the company, its marketplace and the job itself.

Make sure you're available and ready at least 10 minutes before the telephone appointment - just in case the interviewer phones you a little earlier than planned.  And make sure that the phoneline is kept free for the call and, if possible, make sure they call you on a landline.  The call quality will be much clearer and hopefully there won't be any echo on the line.

Make sure you're somewhere quiet for the call with no background noise - that includes family, pets, TV, radio, washing machine, kettle, traffic, etc.  All noise will be amplified down the phone so it's really important that you are somewhere quiet without any interruptions or distractions.

It may sound obvious, but use the loo before the interview so you don't get caught short!  You might be on the phone for some time.

Dress for the interview as if it were a face-to-face meeting.  Although no-one will see you, it will help put you in the right mindset.

Have all your papers laid out before you - the job description, cover letter, CV and your list of questions (these are the questions you will have prepared when you did your research).  You'll also need a notepad and pen to jot down any information or questions. 

Keep some tissues handy and a glass of water to hand.  The tissues are in case you need to sneeze or blow your nose, by the way.... Not in case you burst into floods of tears during the interview!  The water should be at room temperature as cold water can play havoc with your vocal cords - especially if you're a little nervous.

When the phone rings, let it ring a couple of times before picking up. If you pick it up immediately, the caller may not have heard it ring which can throw them off guard and cause an awkward start to the interview.

During the interview

Take a deep breath, smile and pick up the phone.  Answer with a cheerful "Good morning, [James Watson] speaking".  Practice this until it feels natural.  You'll need to use this style when you start work so you ought to get used to it ASAP.

Sit up straight.  Or you can stand up during the call but don't pace about and don't be tempted to multi-task or check your emails.  Stay focussed.

Keep smiling!  It may sound a little ridiculous but smiling makes you sound brighter and more positive.  It comes across to the interviewer that you're a cheerful, positive person - exactly the sort of person they'd like to employ!

When the interview draws to a close, it's fine to ask what the next stage will be and when you can expect to hear from them.

Finish the call politely. "Goodbye, it's been a pleasure talking with you... learning about the role... hearing more about the project..."  Choose suitable words to match the situation.

Keep smiling and good luck!

I tweeted recently that if you play to your strengths, your weaknesses should pale into insignificance.  Someone responded that if you build on your weaknesses they will support your strengths.  So what should you do?  Play to your strengths or build on your weaknesses?

By "playing to your strengths" I mean that if you've never been good with numbers, that's unlikely to change.  Yes, you can (and should) work on your numeracy because it's a useful work and life skill.  But if numeracy is not your strength, then it probably never will be, so you should avoid jobs where strong numeracy skills are required.

Conversely, if you're great with numbers, then numeracy is a strength and it should feature highly in the type of job or career you are seeking.  You'd perhaps do well as an accountant, bookkeeper, investor or analyst.

If you're a people person who loves meeting new people, chatting with them and helping them, then people skills or interpersonal skills is one of your strengths.  If you aim for a job or career that centres around interacting with people, you'll likely do very well.

Are you passionate about travel?  Then something in the tourist or travel industry might suit you and your lack of numeracy skills will become less significant.

What I'm really saying is that you'll enjoy more success and probably be happier in your work if you play to your strengths.  Yes, work on your weaknesses but don't let them consume you.  Decide what you're really good at and then explore the type of jobs that would embrace your strengths.

When I consult with new clients I ask what they enjoy doing and what they're good at.  Successful people love what they do.  People who do what they enjoy doing, generally achieve more success.

No-one is great at everything but everyone is good at something. 

If you're not meeting with success in your career or job search, you perhaps ought to be asking... 

What are YOUR strengths?

When I write a CV or Cover Letter for a client, I generally like to see the job description or the type of job for which they're applying.  This is usually provided in the form of URL links to vacancies posted on online job boards.

More often than not, the job posting gives some details of the skills required and the type of person they are seeking but the location might simply state "London" (big place) and quite often there is often no indication of salary.   So for a fairly senior "sounding" job role, the salary cold be £15k or £45k - or some other figure.  You're basically left in the dark.  This is particularly prevalent when agencies have posted the job vacancies.

So, armed with this appalling lack of information, you are expected to take a leap of faith, click "Apply Now" and upload your CV and personal details into the ethernet, quite often applying for a job that doesn't meet your salary expectations or that has an impossible commute.  Worse, you may never receive an acknowledgement or find out who the employer is, and we often hear that the job vacancy don't even exist!

Why can't there be a "Full Details" button that actually states:

• the size of company - number of employees
• the type of company - industry sector, private, public, international, family business, etc
• a clearer indication of location - eg Camden, Hammersmith as opposed to "London" - so you can properly consider the commuting time and cost
• details of salary range - so you don't waste your time
  

I acknowledge that this doesn't apply to all job postings, but I do come across it far too often.

Does the "Apply Now" button fill you with despair?  Having to divulge so much personal information based on so little knowledge...  it's tough out there...

If you're spending endless days trawling the internet for fresh job vacancies, or if you're hoping to work in a specific role or a specific company, why not set up some Google Alerts?  Then any new vacancies with your chosen key words will be automatically notified via your email inbox.

You will need to set up an individual alert for each word search but it's really simple to do and worth the effort.

First, go to http://www.google.com/alerts   You'll see a window like this.

Enter your search query.  Where there are several words that belong together, eg "Service Desk Manager" or "Technical Support Manager", put quotation marks around the search.  If you don't do this, you'll be alerted for the individual words "service", "desk" and "manager" and, as you can imagine, you'll be totally inundated with alerts.  So group words together using quotation marks.

Then use the + and - sign to fine-tune your search.  If you only want to receive alerts for Service Desk Manager roles in Berkshire, use the search terms  "Service Desk Manager" +Berkshire.

If you don't want to receive results from a specific site, eg Twitter, you can put "Service Desk Manager" +Berkshire -site:Twitter  into the search (although some vacancies are actually posted on Twitter so be careful that you don't exclude too much).

The "Results Type" option allows you to select the type of results you want to see - blogs, news, books, etc.  And you can also select frequency and number of alerts.

You'll need to play around with this a little until you start receiving relevant notifications.  If your search term is too general, you'll receive too many alerts.  So set up quite a few variations and eventually you'll be able to determine what works best for you.

If you find a particular alert is not working well, you can discontinue it immediately and set up a revised alert.

When you do receive high quality alerts, don't waste a second.  Quickly target your CV and cover letter to the job alert and apply as soon as possible.  But make sure that you proofcheck everything.  Don't submit error-riddled applications in haste.

Setting up Google Alerts is very straightforward, so try it now, see how it works and how it can help you to get ahead of the game in your job search.

Please share this article if you think it's been useful.  Thanks and good luck!

When you've finished editing, remember to reinstate your activity broadcasts so that your connections can see your general updates and comments - which you should be making at least several times a week.

Perhaps now would be a good time to let everyone know that you've updated your profile and invite them to check it out.

Happy networking!

There is an abundance of free CV templates (aka Resume Templates) available online and many companies who sell templated CVs.

We never use CV templates because every client is unique and "one size" CV templates aren't suitable. 

Rather like the story of Cinderella, where all the ladies were trying to force their foot into the tiny glass slipper so that the prince would choose them, it simply doesn't work.  It's far better that the slipper is designed to fit the foot!

We firmly believe that it is the CONTENT of a CV that is important.  Whilst a CV template may provide some useful headings, you are still left with the problem of creating the content.

Whereas "Education" may feature highly on one client's CV, it may hardly feature at all on another's. This is because a client may have many years' experience where their education is totally irrelevant to the role or industry they are applying to.

Likewise, "Hobbies and Interests" may be totally irrelevant and omitted from one client's CV but included in another where they bring transferable skills such as leadership.

After content, keywords (to match Applicant Tracking Software Systems) and relevance are important too.  CV templates can't assist with these either, except by suggesting useful headings.

Because our clients all have different experiences, achievements, skills and personalities, we build their CVs from scratch, focussing on their individual strengths. This is much easier to achieve through avoiding the use of CV templates.

Ultimately, our CVs are beautifully formatted and you would be forgiven for thinking that we use CV templates; we do not.  What we do use is a particular "style" and "layout" that works extremely well for our clients, as our client testimonials bear out.

In today's madly competitive job market, it's a great achievement to secure an interview, but sadly you've only just cleared the first hurdle.  Now you have to shine at the interview and perhaps at 2nd and 3rd stage interviews, depending on the role and how thorough the recruitment process is.

If you asked for our 3 top tips for interview success the answer would be very simple...  Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Interviews are a two-way process.  Not only is the employer assessing you, but you are assessing them too!  So use the interview to glean as much information as possible.

• Read the company's website and their annual report.
• Read up on their marketplace and competition.
• Read the job description thoroughly.
• Use this information to generate informed conversation and to prepare some interesting questions to ask at interview.
• Stay off the alcohol the night before, and have a good night's sleep.
• Make sure you know EXACTLY where you are going for the interview.  Allow plenty of time.  Don't arrive late, but don't arrive too early either.
• Take a copy of your CV with you and don't be afraid to refer to it if you need to check dates, etc. It's worth taking a spare for the interviewer too.
• Take the job description and any other information with you. Read it en route and make a note of any questions you would like to ask.
• You may be asked to produce ID - passport or driver's licence.
  
• If you've been asked for any other documentation (qualification certificates, etc), remember to take them with you in a clean folder.
  
• Don't be afraid to take notes during the interview.
• Don't be negative about your present or past employers.
  
• If you are a smoker, don't smoke before-hand, however nervous you may feel. All business premises are non-smoking nowadays, and you will carry the smell of cigarettes into the interview with you - not attractive.
• Make sure you are presentable.  That includes hair, teeth, shoes, fingernails.  People notice the smallest things and you don't want to be remembered as the candidate with dirty fingernails.
• Turn off your mobile phone before you enter the business premises, and don't turn it back on again until you are well out of earshot.
• Stand up when you greet the interviewer and give a firm hand shake - not too limp and not too bone-crunching either.
• If you're offered a drink, stick to water.  Avoid coffee and biscuits - less potential for making a mess.
  
• Position yourself comfortably on the chair, not on the edge. Sit up straight and stay focussed.  Make lots of eye contact, but not so much that you freak out the interviewer! 
  
• Make sure you answer the actual questions.  Listen carefully, consider the question and then answer it directly and concisely.  Try not to answer "yes" or "no".  Expand a little, but don't waffle.  If you don't know the answer, don't lie; perhaps admit that you haven't come across that before but you'd be interested in learning more about it.
• Try to establish a rapport with the interviewer but don't be over-familiar; keep it professional.
• Be nice to the receptionist and/or secretary. They play a very important role within the company and could become your greatest ally.

We could give you many more interview tips but at the end of the day, the interview is a sales pitch.  You are selling yourself.  If the interviewer doesn't like what they see and hear, they won't buy.  It's as simple as that.

Interview preparation is key so remember our three top tips...  Prepare, Prepare, Prepare.

Good luck!

Visit our Tips & Advice page or sign up for more tips and advice

If you've read through our site you'll already know the importance of making an instant impression with your CV.  Recruiters spend very little time reading your CV (if they read it at all).  They need to pick up key points - fast - and that means scanning for keywords.

The Ladders recently undertook an eye tracking survey to see just how much time recruiters spent looking at your CV, and also detecting "hot" areas on the CVs.

After you've read it, you might want to get in touch with us for help with your CV and/or LinkedIn profile.  Our CV writing service includes the incorporation of key words to match the job description and person specification, together with clear formatting to make your CV attractive and easy to read.

There's an old saying... There's no such thing as a free lunch...

When I first started writing professional CVs some years ago, I noticed that many CV writers offered free CV reviews and I wondered whether I should be doing the same. 

Many friends and business associates suggested that if we offered free CV reviews, we could then entice clients to sign up to a fully paid CV writing service; therein lay my dilemma...

I didn't feel it was ethical to offer something for "free" when there was an underlying ulterior motive to up-sell.  OK, so they don't have to buy, but going on a fishing expedition to bait potential clients in the hope that they'll bite just isn't for me.

One of our early CV clients, a senior sales manager, submitted her "Compelling CV" to two well-established CV writing services for free CV reviews - simply to reassure herself that her CV was indeed compelling.  She received prompt feedback from both CV writing service providers, which she passed on to me. Here's what happened.

One made 2 modest recommendations for improvement (one of which was to remove an apostrophe from the abbreviation KPIs), and went on to offer to rewrite her CV for c£350. 

The other sent a detailed "report" which made many recommendations about layout, fonts, bullet points, etc - all of which we had already implemented!  Clearly they had not even read her CV, but had simply sent a standard response that unsurprisingly included an offer to rewrite her CV for a price in excess of £300. 

Happy with the CV that we had written for her, our client didn't avail herself of either offer.  She went on to secure a suitable role - a good outcome for both of us.

In fact Compelling CVs does offer a comprehensive CV review service but the reality is that we're running a business and providing a quality service.  So, yes, we really do read your CV and yes, we give honest and valuable feedback and suggestions on where it falls short and how it can be improved.  Occasionally, we've waived the cost and told clients that they have a very strong CV and don't need our help.  But when we do undertake a CV review, we feel it's only fair to charge for our service based both on quality and time spent.

If you'd like a little more information about our CV Review Service, please click here.

Whilst many hobbies are interesting, you need to assess whether your hobbies add to your character and/or provide added value for a potential employer.

If you are running the local kids football club, or you coach tennis at the weekends, volunteer as a leader for Duke of Edinburgh Awards or Chair the local Women's Institute, then you will probably have amassed a considerable number of transferable skills that you can apply in the workplace.

Let's look at running.  If you go for a quick run after work every evening, that shows a degree of commitment.  However, if you have a gruelling training schedule and you are planning to run the London and New York Marathons next year then, hey, that's really something special.  It illustrates commitment, ambition, determination and perseverance - which could all be valuable to a potential employer.  And if you are doing it to support a worthwhile cause, better still!

Coastal walking is another interesting one.  Do you just enjoy occasional walks at the seaside or are you executing a lifetime ambition to walk the entire UK coastline to raise funds for your favourite charity?

Do you attend personal fitness classes as a social activity or do you have a goal to lose 3 stones and climb Mt Kilimanjaro?

Think hard about your hobbies, how they affect your character and how they can translate into worthwhile attributes that will add to your employability.  If you have little or no work experience, then these transferable skills become even more important.

If your interests are solely partying and drinking to excess, then these are probably best left off your CV unless you are applying to become a holiday representative for the 18-30s club where the ability to party is a pre-requisite!

If you really can't see the value in your hobbies, then an employer is unlikely to see them either.  So perhaps you should leave them off your CV entirely.

This is an area which we always explore with our CV clients.  What we discover is often amazing and heart-lifting - which helps make what we do so worthwhile.

There's been a lot of debate in the media recently about UCAS personal statements, highlighting the disparity between the support that private school students receive when writing their UCAS statements, and the support (or lack of support) that state school students receive.

The research was commissioned by The Sutton Trust  and undertaken at the University of Manchester who compared UCAS Personal Statements of 309 applicants, all with identical grades.

Read the Times Higher Education article here

The gist of the article is that privately educated applicants apparently had statements that were well crafted and articulated, and they had better quality work experience that their "well placed" contacts had presumably facilitated for them.  Whereas state educated applicants had less well crafted statements, were less likely to have had help compiling them, had only experienced Saturday jobs, and had worse grammar and spelling than the "privileged" kids.

I'm not convinced - especially by the grammar element! These kids all had the same grades after all...

But is this really an issue of privilege?  The same information and advice is available to all - private and state school students, parents, teachers and careers advisors.

Why shouldn't - more importantly, why wouldn't - parents want to give their kids all the support they can?  This support should be forthcoming from parents regardless of wealth or education.

Private education is no longer the privilege of the wealthy.  I know lots of ordinary parents who are not big earners but who send their kids to private schools because they want their kids to have the best possible start in life and/or they feel that the state system is inadequate.  They want their kids to attend schools that maintain high standards both in teaching and in behaviour.  Schools where teaching staff are passionate about their subjects, are able to engage the children in learning, and can maintain discipline in the classroom.  Who wouldn't want that for their kids?

Conversely I know well-off people who've had to take their kids out of private school because of changes to their circumstances and some who are happy to use the state system where good state schools exists, eg Buckinghamshire and Berkshire.

On the subject of work experience, it's not solely down to "who you know".  Yes, there's a bit of that but it's often just about making the effort.  I secured 2 lots of work experience for an undergraduate earlier this year, just by tweeting.  How easy is that?  No favours.  No friends in high places.  Just a little effort.

Likewise I got fantastic work experience in a law firm some years ago for a GCSE student, just by picking up the phone and going through the solicitors on Yellow Pages.  Again, no favours, just a little effort.  This didn't involve privilege in any way, shape or form.  Anyone can access the yellow pages and start ringing around.

Yes, there will always be disparity and an element of privilege and I'm glad of it.  The world would be rather dull if we were all the same.  But this needn't impact on UCAS personal statements.

There is a wealth of information available about writing UCAS statements.  State educated kids and their parents and teachers all have access to the same information as the privately educated.  It's all on the UCAS website, on the internet generally, on individual university websites, in their prospectuses and in the libraries.  And I can tell you from personal experience, that kids and parents are totally bombarded with information from UCAS long before the application process starts.  There is absolutely no excuse for ignorance or for lack of preparation.

There's a typical example on our UCAS Personal Statements page of the sort of information that's freely available to all university applicants.  It's a short video that illustrates how to approach the UCAS statement and how to brainstorm your skills, achievements, motivations, etc.

Click this link to view the video: http://www.compellingcvs.co.uk/ucas-personal-statements.html

I disagree that good quality UCAS personal statements are the domain of the privileged few.  It's about effort and motivation and wanting your child to succeed (or, in the case of teachers, wanting your students to succeed).

On a final note, CompellingCVs provides support with UCAS Personal Statements for students from all walks of life and we'd be happy to help you or your child with their UCAS statement.

If you didn't read Part 1 of my blog on Video Interviews, you might want to read that article first...

• You must remember to talk directly into the webcam - maintaining eye contact as if you were talking directly to the interviewer.  It's often tempting to look at the screen or refer to notes... don't!
• When you are answering questions, try to inject some enthusiasm into your voice.  This can be difficult when you're talking to a camera, so you may need to practice this in a mirror.
• Maintain a good posture - don't slouch and don't wriggle - but don't be rigid either.  If your chair is a swivel type, lock it into the upright, static position.

It's a good idea to practice video interviewing with a friend - possibly recording the interview over Skype.  Enlist the help of someone you trust to give you positive, constructive feedback, and who will help you to identify problems and to improve your performance.

• Pay attention to body language, enthusiasm and eye contact (with the webcam), and then make adjustments to your performance, until it becomes more refined yet natural.
• During practice interviews, get into the mindset by dressing appropriately and creating the correct room-setting - so that you are in true interview mode, even though you're just rehearsing.

All recruiters will set different interview questions, so we cannot provide details of what you will be asked.  However, since video interviews are not interactive, questions will be static - totally

We recently conducted some video-interview skills training for a client, in preparation for a video-interview for a graduate training programme in London.

Video interviews are becoming increasing common as recruiters and hirers begin to recognise their value and convenience - especially during the early stages of the selection process.  They are especially useful where distance is a problem, for example where candidates are overseas.

Basically, video interviews are conducted via the candidate's own computer and webcam. Recruiters use specialised software into which any range of interview questions can be programmed, together with with variable timings for questions and answers. Each candidate is sent a link to the video interview with a specific time window during which they can log in and complete the video interview. 

When the interview starts, the candidate will see the first question on the screen.  The video recording commences and the candidate gives their response into the webcam.  Response time permitted for each question may vary and will be limited by the software programming.  Some questions might allow just 1 minute to answer, others 90 seconds or 2 minutes.  The recruiter decides.

The process repeats for each question.

Candidates should treat video interviews as they would any other formal interview, and should consider the following:

• The video interview should take place in private - away from interruptions from family, friends, pets or any other noise or disturbances.

I'm sure we've all heard of jobseekers who've sent off 100+ job applications and not received a single response...  If you're submitting zillions of job applications and getting nowhere, then you need to sit back and take a hard look at what you're doing wrong.

• Are you sending the same generic CV for every application?
• Are you applying for jobs for which you're not a good match - perhaps you lack relevant experience?
• Are you using a scattergun approach, applying for every job you see?

These approaches rarely work. Recruiters, and particularly online job sites, use Applicant Tracking Systems or Software, "ATS" to match your CV against the vacancy you're applying for. If your CV doesn't contain a high percentage of the keywords determined by the recruiter or hirer, your application will simply be bypassed.

So you need to prepare one high quality "master" CV - perhaps with the help of a professional CV writer. Then you need to tweak it to "word match" each job you apply for, incorporating matching key words and rearranging or reprioritising your skills, so they are a better match for each job.  You probably ought to amend each personal statement too.  In essence, if you apply for 5 jobs, you should have approx 6 versions of your CV - one master and five amended CVs each one specifically targeted to each vacancy.

All of this takes time, but it's well worth the effort as it will improve the number of keyword matches, and therefore give you better odds of being invited to interview.

Even the local Job Centres have recognised the importance of keyword and skills matching, and they are in the process of rolling out their new jobs site where you can upload 5 different versions of your CV.

With computer software largely controlling the recruitment process, you need to play the game.

There was a big hullabaloo a while ago about the big supermarket chains exploiting work experience to create a pool of "slave labour".  Whether the criticisms were right or wrong, there is absolutely no doubt that work experience is a great opportunity for the young unemployed to acquire some new skills, gain self confidence and add to their employability.  OK, so shelf stacking may not be mentally taxing and it may not involve great skill, but is it really so bad?

There is a relatively new phenomenon in the UK... Not only are the unskilled and uneducated struggling to find work, but there is a massive pool of skilled, educated and experienced people out of work - many of them for the first time in their lives. Competition for jobs is fierce and even perfectly-matched candidates are either failing to secure interviews at all, or attending 1st, 2nd, even 3rd interviews and assessments, only to fall at the last hurdle.

Where there used to be one or two front runners in any recruitment campaign, employers are now faced with so many quality applicants that they can afford to be highly selective.

So, if you find yourself unemployed, how do you cope with this and how on earth can you remain positive?

Searching for a job is a full-time job in itself. Here's how to go about it: