As the world returns to something like normality, many of us are ready for a new start and a new challenge. We have spent successive lockdowns agonising over our careers and are ready to launch ourselves onto the job market. And with vacancies at an all-time high, there's no shortage of opportunities.
But how do you make your CV stand out from the crowd, ensuring that you at least have a chance to shine at the job interview? We’ve come up with some essential advice for all job-seekers to ensure that you don’t fall at the first hurdle.
Compiling Your CV
Of course you will want to show yourself off in the best light, but be careful about exaggerating and making claims about your career that you will not be able to substantiate when questioned.
There are myriad ways in which you can choose to present your CV. Your choice should reflect the stage which you have reached in your career, and which aspects of it you want to bring to the foreground. If your career progression has been steady and uncontroversial, you will probably choose to present your working life chronologically. If, on the other hand, you have had many jobs and there are unexplained gaps and absences, it might be more sensible to go for a skills-based CV, which reflects on your various attributes and specialisms, and how you acquired them.
In general, CVs start with your education, and your job history (if you are taking the chronological approach) is listed with your most recent employer first. Don’t use long paragraphs – it’s hard work for employers and will put them off. It is really helpful to spell out exactly what skills you acquired and utilised in previous jobs. This will act as a clear signpost to employers, who may well be feeling overwhelmed by wading through swathes of prose.
Bullet points will break up the text and make it easy to read. You do not have to present your entire life story – edit the information, keep it short, concise and relevant.
Listing hobbies such as ‘socialising with friends and going to the gym’ will sell you short. They don’t demonstrate what value you’re bringing to the company. Only include hobbies that will have a positive spin, e.g. running marathons (striving to push yourself to the limits), playing in the local football team (team player), amateur theatricals (creative people person etc).
Don’t be afraid to include details of your social media accounts (e.g. Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs) but only do this if you think it is a positive reflection of you. It’s becoming more common for employers to search for potential employees online, so by including this information you are making it easier for them to find you.
Finally, review your CV every time you apply for a new job. Advertisements will highlight the key skills that are required, and you must present your experience in a way that will demonstrate that you possess these skills. This might mean tweaking and editing your CV to reflect specific requirements.
Presenting Your CV
These documents should be clearly laid out, legible and professional looking. Avoid typefaces that mimic handwriting, or jaunty, joking typefaces like Comic Sans. Opt instead for something classic and elegant – a safe default is Times Roman. Don’t use obscure software to create your CV; Microsoft Word is universally used in the business world, or you can save your CV as a pdf, another universal medium.
Ensure that your CV has a legible header that clearly displays your name, address, phone number and email. No employer is going to waste time scrabbling around trying to find ways in which to contact you.
You will need to provide the details of referees at the end of your CV (two are sufficient), or you can add the phrase ‘References on request’. If you are citing referees by name, it is a basic courtesy to secure their agreement in principle to your request.
Finally, remember the top three things that will turn off employers are bad grammar, spelling mistakes and poor formatting, so check your CV meticulously. Take advantage of simple online templates or even use your own creativity – just remember to have a fresh pair of eyes look at your CV before you send it
Your Covering Letter
It is increasingly unlikely that you will send a covering letter in the post, since most job applications are now digital. Nevertheless, it is recommended that you treat this communication as essentially a letter in digital form.
If the job advertisement calls for a CV and covering letter, then you should probably format the letter in the conventional way and send it as a Word attachment, with a very brief email accompanying your application, just stating the position that you are seeking. If this is not specified, then it is quite acceptable to treat your email as the covering letter.
This vital document is the first thing any potential employer will read, and it will determine whether they actually look at your CV or not.
To ensure that your letter acts as an excellent, and enticing, introduction to your application, follow these rules:
Whether you're taking part in the month-long challenge for Macmillan or supporting a friend or family member who's on the wagon, we've shared some tips for surviving Sober October with a clear head and with your relationships intact.
Most people, at some point in their life, refrain from alcohol. On occasions, refusal of alcohol is for perfectly clear medical reasons (booze may clash with prescription drugs, or an operation is impending, or the person is pregnant). At other times, it is more clearly a case of self-imposed abstinence: this can range from a few weeks ‘clean-living’ to a committed campaign to kick the drink habit altogether.
Now we have an even better reason to temporarily abandon the demon drink. Sober October is being promoted by Macmillan Cancer Support, which is inviting social drinkers to go alcohol-free for all, or part, of the month of October, in order to raise money for people with cancer. This scheme not only benefits the charity, but it can also be argued that it is beneficial for the participants, who will feel more energetic and clear-headed as a result of their abstinence and will not have to contend with hangovers or drink-induced social embarrassment.
If you are a friend of a temporary teetotaller, you must respect their decision. As a host, you may be confronted with a refusal of drink from your guest. Never question why this is happening; never cajole, or plead, or tease. You may be disappointed that they’re not joining in the party fun, but you must never let this show – meet their refusal with good grace, and offer a tempting range of alcohol-free drinks.
If you are the teetotaller (however temporary), you must also mind your manners. Refuse a drink politely; give an explanation if you think that helps. Never act the martyr, miserably cradling your mineral water as the party takes off around you. And if you’re foregoing drink for charity, resist all temptation to virtue signal – remaining glumly sober while gleefully occupying the moral high ground will not win you many friends.
Never proselytise your fellow guests about the benefits of an alcohol-free existence. If you are sober, intoxicated company can be baffling; conversations meander, arguments break out for no reason, non-jokes are met with general hilarity. If you are unable to cope with this alcohol-induced anarchy, don’t go to the party. If you can endure these antics without a censorious air, remember that you will be worth your weight in gold – the one sober guest at the end of the evening who is able to sort out the increasingly unruly guests, and even drive them safely home.
Containing almost 3,000 families and 150,000 names, the new Debrett's database features some fascinating individuals. From actors to hip hop artists via 'pub landlords', here are ten members of the peerage and baronetcy that might be familiar:
1.) Kit Harington, actor and star of Game of Thrones, is the son of Sir David Harington, 15th baronet Harington. His full name is Christopher Catesby Harington, and he had a son with his wife, Scottish actress Rose Leslie, this year.
2.) Helena Bonham-Carter, actor, is the great-granddaughter on her father's side of Herbert Asquith, First Earl of Oxford and Asquith, who was prime minister from 1908–1916. She can be found under the entry for her grandmother, Baroness Asquith of Yarnbury, daughter of the 1st Earl, who was created a life peer in her own right.
3.) Cara Delevingne, supermodel, is part of a branch of the Sheffield baronetcy, created in 1755, whose motto comiter sed fortiter means 'Courteously but bravely'.
4.) Rosie Huntington Whiteley, supermodel, is the great-great-granddaughter of the 1st Huntington-Whiteley baronet, Sir Herbert James Huntington-Whiteley.
5.) Al Murray, the comedian famous for his 'pub landlord' character, is related to the Duke of Atholl.
6.) James Nesbitt, actor, was married to the daughter of Sir Stephen Forbes Adam, fourth baronet.
7.) Michael McIntyre, comedian, is married to Kitty née Ward, who is a great-granddaughter of the 9th baronet Malcolm, sister of Sophie Ward and daughter of Simon Ward.
8.) Stacy Ann Duhamel, née Ferguson (Fergie), singer and songwriter formerly of the Black-Eyed Peas, is a descendant of the 2nd Earl of Arran.
9.) Jamie Lee Curtis, actor, is married to Christopher Guest, 5th Baron Haden-Guest, himself a well-known screenwriter and director.
10.) Claudia Schiffer, supermodel, is married to film producer Matthew Vaughn, who is related to the Earl of Perth.
Photo by Mark Large/ANL/Shutterstock (4472656a)
Last week's Cabinet reshuffle featured some surprising promotions, some less surprising demotions, and a notably lengthy ‘discussion’ between the prime minister and his (now former) foreign secretary.
Anyone who has been on the receiving end of unwanted notice will identify with the inevitable frictions involved. Redundancies and dismissals can lead to feelings of rejection, anger and anxiety, and need to be handled with care.
We’ve shared some tips from our forthcoming Guide to Business Etiquette on how to make the process as pain-free as possible:
The moment many couples have been anticipating has arrived and the Covid-related wedding restrictions have finally been lifted. Guest numbers are unlimited, mask-wearing no longer obligatory, self-service buffets are an option once again, and music and dancing are allowed.
But reverting to the pre-Covid situation is going to be a gradual process, and over the course of the pandemic many couples have re-thought their wedding plans, perhaps opting for smaller wedding day celebrations, to be followed further down the line by celebratory parties. Wedding venues are at a premium and therefore some flexibility and willingness to discard more conventional expectations is required.
It is also imperative, especially if your wedding is fast approaching, to remember that the pandemic is by no means over, and to exercise a certain degree of caution. Amongst your guests you will almost certainly have to accommodate the full gamut of Covid perspectives, from the very relaxed back-to-normals, who have discarded their masks and their inhibitions, to the super cautious, who are extremely nervous about social interactions.
How do you accommodate this diversity? Firstly, you must acknowledge it. If you are proceeding with your wedding, you are probably very invested in the notion that normal life has returned. But you must be aware that not all your guests feel that way and, since weddings are usually multi-generational affairs, there will almost certainly be a number of elderly guests, who may feel more vulnerable. You will therefore have to be punctilious about ventilation, ensure that seating is not too cramped so that a reasonable amount of social distance is maintained, and provide hand sanitizer and face masks.
It might be wise to add a note about Covid to the wedding information ‘pack’ you send out with your invitations (along with information about transport, accommodation and so on). You could simply add a reassuring note along these lines:
We are taking all reasonable precautions against Covid, and can assure our guests that adequate ventilation and social distancing options will be in place. Face masks are not obligatory, but we will have masks available for any guests who require them.
If you have been bruised by the whole pandemic experience, and the resulting uncertainty about your wedding has made you re-think your plans, it is quite acceptable to do so, even if you have already sent out invitations or save-the-date cards. The situation is exceptional, and people will understand reluctance to proceed with earlier plans. The most important priority is to keep your potential guests fully informed, so send out a printed card, or letter, as follows:
Wedding of John Montgomery and Helen Mayfield, 25 September 2021
We regret to announce that, because of the ongoing consequences of the Covid pandemic, we have decided to downscale our planned wedding. We very much look forward to celebrating our marriage with you at a later date (to be announced). OR We hope we will be able to celebrate our marriage with you in the near future.
The British Empire was built on deadpan humour, the clenched jaw, the occasional polite smile. Adversity was something to be confronted with stoicism and sang-froid – there are numerous apocryphal tales of the phlegmatic reaction of Britons to disaster.
The imperturbable refusal to react histrionically to tragedy and disaster came into its own at times of national crisis – the terrible losses of the Great War, the devastation of the Blitz. But the sun has set on the British Empire, and it would seem that in doing so it has melted the famously stereotypical 'stiff upper lip'.
Nowadays, it is thought to be psychologically more healthy to admit to vulnerability and freely acknowledge emotion. As we watch Team GB’s achievements at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, we have witnessed bucketloads of raw emotion, from tears of frustration and despair, to ecstatic joy, frenzied excitement and triumphal celebrations. Athletes have spoken freely about their personal traumas and difficulties and the emotional impact of competing in the world arena.
But would it be a mistake to assume the pendulum has swung completely in the opposite direction? The stiff upper lip is deeply ingrained in the British psyche, and despite the media’s endless focus on sharing feelings and emotions, the underlying sang-froid of the British still runs deep. This national characteristic is a great asset when things go wrong: when athletes see so-nearly-attained medals slipping from their grasp, when trains are postponed or cancelled, when the British summer once again falls short, and the sun disappears behind a blanket of relentless grey cloud.
And when the cards are really down (pandemic, natural disaster, terrorist attack), the British are still capable of putting their newly-discovered feelings to one side and demonstrating an implacable tendency to keep calm and carry on.
British summers can be brief and disappointing, with the sun in short supply. Hot, sticky days alternate with periods of lowering grey skies, stiff breezes and torrential rainfall. Some of the more hardy amongst us continue to behave as if it was a balmy summer’s day, strolling around in shorts, taking bracing dips in the churning sea. Our steadfast refusal to acknowledge the grim reality is a good example of the stiff upper lip; in the face of challenging circumstances, we doggedly carry on.
It is scarcely surprising, therefore, that a warm, sunny day is met with an almost hysterical lack of inhibition. All over British towns and cities people strip off: builders labour in short shorts, men strip to the waists and office workers litter the parks in states of undress. Everywhere you will see signs of over-exposure to the sun – red strap marks, burnt noses and peeling skin.
Beaches are packed with sun-worshippers, revelling in the unusual experience of enjoying the seaside without having to wrap up all-weather gear and cower behind a windbreak, armed with a warming flask of tea.
Wherever you choose to soak up the sun’s rays, respect other people’s space – especially as we come out of lockdown – and allow a generous buffer zone between beach or park encampments. Remember that not everyone will enjoy your exuberant antics, so keep music down and restrict beach games to empty, open spaces. If you’re indulging in a beach barbecue, make sure that you’re well away from fellow sunbathers – choking smoke and paraffin fumes is pervasive and will spoil everybody’s day out.
At the end of the day, ensure that you have picked up all your rubbish and take it away with you – if seaside bins are overflowing take it home, or deposit in an empty bin on the way home; never leave it to pile up next to a full bin, where it will be prey to sea breezes and seagulls.
Above all, take it steady and go armed with plentiful supplies of hats, water and sun cream (which you should generously share with all companions). Keep a watchful eye on friends and family and politely warn them if you think they’re beginning to burn, or tactfully offer to top up their sun protection.
It was not always like this: up until the 20th century the British liked their skin pale, and went to considerable lengths to achieve this. Sunburnt skin was stigmatised as a sign of outdoor work and lower social status. But now, in the days of mass tourism, a suntan is highly desirable and, for sun-deprived Britons, exposure to the sun is a great mood-enhancer.
In the words of Noel Coward, ‘mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun’. British summers are a notorious rollercoaster, and there is no doubt that months of sun-deprivation turn many people’s heads.
As we contemplate finally emerging from the world of Covid regulations, we are told that we are now accountable for our own actions, which will no longer be subject to Government legislation.
This emphasis on individual responsibility means that our behaviour is now being moderated by our own notions of common sense and common courtesy. Now, more than ever, we must rely on good manners to ensure that nobody feels attacked, vulnerable, or repressed.
Over the last 18 months we have all become aware that there is a huge spectrum of responses to Covid, from the extremely anxious to the bullishly self-confident, with most of us probably somewhere in between. How are we going to ensure that everybody’s idea of freedom is respected?
The simplest solution to these dilemmas is to be explicit about them and to make polite enquiries. By now, we will all be aware that some people are still alarmed by the prospect of hugging and handshaking, and a red letter day on a calendar will probably not change their minds. So, if you are naturally tactile, and do not fear the consequences, pause for thought before going in for a hug, and ask if it is acceptable.
By the same token, people who still do not want physical contact on greeting may well avoid embarrassment by jumping in first, with an explanatory ‘I’m sorry, I’m still feeling a bit nervous about hugging’.
Good manners are all about being aware of other people and doing your utmost to make them feel comfortable. While you may be desperate to cast off your mask, it might be advisable to keep one to hand; if you find yourself in a crowded situation, for example a train, and surrounded by nervous mask-wearers, it might be tactful to go with the collective mood and mask up.
Swaggering around declaring ‘I don’t care – I’m double vaccinated’ won’t win you many friends. Many younger people are still waiting for their second vaccines, and won’t appreciate your insouciance.
If, on the other hand, you are seeking to reassure a nervous person about your physical proximity, you can always confide that you have had both vaccines, which might put their mind at rest.
If you are a nervous host, tentatively embarking on re-establishing your social life after the long drought, it is quite acceptable for you to politely seek reassurance from potential guests about their vaccination status or contact with potential Covid-carriers. Accompany such enquiries with an apologetic explanation about your anxiety, and then nobody should take offence.
