In an ideal world, companies would determine pay rises and salaries based on your true worth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work like that. There will always be some discrepancies in pay that are just unfair.

For instance, it’s not unusual for someone who has been in a position for a number of years to earn less than an individual in the same role who has just been hired. That might be because the market has changed, the going rate for the position has increased or that competition for those workers is high. Is that fair? In a word: no. Equally, your employer might well be aware that they’re paying you under the odds, but rather than upping your salary they prefer to boost their bottom line.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

So, what can you do? Well, in the UK we’re often reluctant to talk about money, but when it comes to pay it’s usually the case that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you stand up for yourself you might be surprised by just how receptive your employer is.

Before asking for a meeting with your boss, you need to carry out some research to find out your true worth. There’s plenty of information online that can help you find the average salary for your job role in your location. The salary calculators at sites like PayScale and Totaljobs are a good place to start. It also pays to do a little sleuthing at your current workplace. If you find that a colleague in the same role with less experience and responsibility is earning more than you, then it will be a lot easier to argue your case.

Once you’ve armed yourself with as much supporting information as possible, it’s then time to ask for a meeting. People are often afraid to ask for more money, but the worst you’ll receive is a “no”. You won’t get fired or demoted simply for asking for a reasonable raise. In fact, there are plenty of bosses who will respect your self-confidence and ambition. If they don’t value your skills, then there will be plenty of other employers who will.

How to improve your chances of getting a pay rise

1. Demonstrate your ability to lead

Leadership skills are something we hear a lot about, but few people actually have them. Demonstrating your ability to motivate and inspire those around you is an extremely valuable skill.

2. Communicate clearly and often

Communication skills are critical in almost every role. Demonstrating good communication skills is not the same as talking a lot; far from it, in fact. However, communicating clearly and effectively with superiors, team members and subordinates will certainly help.

3. Think about how you contribute to the bottom line

Being a hard worker is an excellent starting point when discussing a raise, but it’s also important to think about how the work you do impacts the bottom line. If you contribute directly to the profitability of the company, then it’s easier to justify a pay rise.

4. Consider your timing

If the company is going through a lean spell, then your request for a pay rise could fall on deaf ears. You should also consider the relationship you have with the decision-maker and even their mood, both personally and professionally, as this is likely to affect their decision.

5. Gain the support of colleagues and mentors

Endorsements and recommendations can be a hugely important factor when asking for a pay rise. Having supervisors and peers that consistently praise your work can certainly sway the decision.

Not getting paid what you’re worth?

Talented bilingual workers are in short supply in the UK, which means your skills are worth more than you might think.

At Linguistica Recruitment, we can help you find a role that pays you what you’re worth. Take a look at our current vacancies, send us your CV online or give us a call on 02392 987 765 to discuss your options.

One thing we know for sure is that the number of UK employers looking for employees with a second language has risen exponentially over the last couple of years. But that got us thinking; if the linguistic requirements of so many roles have shifted then what else about the nature of jobs for young workers has changed?

The UK labour market has transformed since the financial crisis, and even from year to year there are significant shifts in labour market trends. For example, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of self-employed workers rose from 3.3 million people (12 percent of the labour force) in 2007 to 4.8 million people (15.1 percent) in 2017.

But what other major changes are taking place in the labour market, and what impact are they having on young people today?

A tough decade for young workers

The difficulty young workers have experienced over the last decade is typified by falling wages. Research has shown that since 2007, in real terms, the wages of all workers have fallen, but young workers have suffered more than any other group.

This is partially due to an increase in those working as cleaners, kitchen/bar staff, waiting staff and couriers, with the number of young workers employed in such occupations having risen by 11 percent since 2007.

Younger workers have lost ground

The UK’s labour market has been shaped by the financial crisis, and young Brits have felt the effects. Compared with young workers (those aged 25-34) in 2007, today’s workers are more likely to be in lower-paid service jobs. To make matters worse, after adjusting for inflation, their pay fell between 2009 and 2014 and has stagnated since then.

Clearly, that’s not a good start, but ever the optimists today’s young workers have not been cowed by the challenges they’ve faced. Search data on the type of jobs younger candidates are looking for shows that they are disproportionately applying for professional roles that offer good pay and opportunities for advancement.

What jobs do workers aged 25-34 do today?

We looked at the UK Labour Force Survey data for 2017 to see how the jobs young people do today has changed over the last decade. This is what we found:

• Relative to older workers, those aged 25-34 are now more likely to work in personal and customer service occupations, including sales reps, waiters and carers.
• The biggest increase by job type for young workers over the last ten years has been in professional roles. After that, it’s care, leisure, sales and customer service roles that have seen the biggest gains.
• The number of young people who are self-employed has increased dramatically, with building and finishing trades, and artistic, media and literary occupations the jobs most likely to be held.
• The number of young people working in professional occupations in the information and communication and finance and insurance sectors has fallen.

How can we help?

At Linguistica Recruitment, we have a diverse range of well-paid, rewarding vacancies for bilingual workers of all ages across the south of England. Do you speak a second language? Then make your skills pay by taking a look at our current vacancies and submitting your CV today.

Work-life balance is one of the most important measures of job satisfaction for the modern employee. Gone are the days when employees were happy to work around the clock simply to put food on the table. These days, millennials, in particular, want to work hard and play hard. In fact, businesses that gain a reputation for encouraging a healthy work-life balance have become extremely attractive, even compared to other roles that offer better traditional measures of job quality like benefits and pay.

A recent CIPD UK Working Lives survey revealed a few surprising findings about the work-life balance of modern employees, with those considered to have ‘bad’ jobs often enjoying a more balanced life than those in more senior, better-paid roles.

The increasing role of workplace flexibility

Research from the CIPD reveals that while many people are happy to go with the flow and work the traditional 9-5, there comes a point in most people’s lives when factors such as convenient hours or the ability to work from home become extremely important. In fact, the ability to choose when and where they work is one of the main reasons why people choose to work for themselves.

That means employers looking to recruit and retain employees in the competitive post-Brexit labour market and particularly those looking for in-demand bilingual workers may find they are missing a trick if they do not offer some level of workplace flexibility.

The ‘best’ jobs often have the ‘worst’ work-life balance

Many of us aspire to progress in our careers by gaining increasingly senior roles, but given that the roles we consider to be the ‘best’ often have the ‘worst’ work-life balance, we might start to wonder why. The survey found that senior managers and professionals work more hours than they’d like to and often find that their work clashes with other important aspects of their lives.

However, it’s also true that senior professionals tend to be the people who have the most control over how they work and when they do it. The trouble is that traditional maxims like ‘professionals don’t clock-watch’ still exist leading to less healthy, less content and more stressed and fatigued employees.

How can employers improve the work-life balance?

The most common approaches employers use to improve the work-life balance of their employees include flexitime, which is particularly common in the public sector, and working from home, which has been made much easier given recent technological innovations.

But simply making these arrangements available to employees alone is not always an effective way to redress the work-life balance. In some workplaces, there can also be other more subtle barriers that need to be removed, such as an outdated organisational culture. If there is scepticism about the effectiveness of employees working from home or a lack of confidence in flexible working schemes then the impact they have will be limited.

Helping you find the perfect work-life balance

At Linguistica Recruitment, we are aware just how important it is for modern employees to have a healthy work-life balance but also to realise other dimensions of job quality such as good pay. Find out more about how we help bilingual candidates find rewarding roles on the English South Coast.

Psychometric tests, also known as personality tests, have been part of the recruitment process for many years. If you have applied for a graduate role or gone for a job that requires a specific skill set, it’s likely you will have had some experience of this type of test in the past.

Modern employers regularly use psychometric testing as one of the many weapons in their arsenal of recruitment tools to help them weed-out less suitable candidates. Personality tests are typically the next stage of testing after job-based competency tests have been completed.

Once employers have found candidates with the necessary knowledge and skills for the role, then they want to find the right personality types. That leaves them with a much smaller group of qualified candidates they can invite to an assessment centre or interview.

Can you tell them what they want to hear?

Many people approach personality tests with the idea that they’ll simply tell the employer what they think they want to hear. For example, personality tests are commonly carried out for air traffic controllers as employers need a very specific personality type. So, when asked to ‘Rate your attention to detail on a scale of 1-10’, even if you can be a bit slapdash, the temptation would be to give yourself a perfect score.

However, personality tests include checks to detect your level of honesty. In many cases, very similar questions are asked multiple times but worded differently to catch out those who are trying to pull the wool over the employer’s eyes.

There are also questions that ask candidates about undesirable behaviours that the vast majority of people would have demonstrated in the past to detect their level of honesty. Even the time you take over some questions might be flagged as unusual and could raise some doubt about the veracity of your answers.

The moral of the story is, honesty is always the best policy.

So what can you do to pass?

1. Practice makes perfect

Many people are complacent when taking psychometric tests and assume they’ll be able to pass without doing any practice. However, like any other type of test, the more practice you do and the more familiar you are with the different question and test types, the better you’re likely to perform.

Here’s a sample test you can try at home.

2. Try to find out what type of test you’ll face

There are lots of different psychometric test types and providers out there so it makes sense to do everything you can to find out exactly which type of test you’ll face. Some employers will provide information and even sample tests you can use to practice, but many will not provide any details at all.

If you are not given sufficient information about the number of questions, the time you’ll have or the format the test will take, we recommend taking a proactive approach to find out more. You should:

• Contact the employer’s HR team or your recruitment agency to see if they have any information to provide;

• Use web resources such as Wikijob, Glassdoor and The Student Room to try and connect with candidates who might have taken the test before.

3. Read every question very carefully

As we’ve already said, it’s often the case that certain questions are repeated but with a slightly different wording each time. Inconsistencies in your answers to these questions will be a cause for concern for the employer, so make sure you read every question extremely careful.

4. Take a good look at the explanations

Each group of questions will have a specific explanation to accompany it. Take your time over these explanations as a failure to understand what you’re required to do will certainly not reflect well on you.

5. Be confident and believe in yourself

That might sound like a cliché, but this is not the be-all and end-all. If you answer the questions truthfully and still fail the test then it’s a sure sign that the job was unlikely to be a good fit for you.

The expert assistance you need

At Linguistica Recruitment, we provide expert support and assistance throughout the recruitment process to help you land your dream bilingual role. Take a look at our current vacancies, submit your CV or call 02397 987 765 to find out more.

Have you ever noticed that, whenever you receive feedback from an interview for a job you didn’t get, the news is almost always overwhelmingly positive? Most of the time, the recruiter or interviewer will tell you that you performed tremendously and seem like just the type of person they would love to hire, but another candidate just had a little bit more experience. That can’t always be true, can it?

No one likes to be the bearer of bad news, so could it be that there are a few other reasons why you didn’t get the job that no one is brave enough to tell you? Having spoken to hundreds of hiring managers over the years, here are some of the most common reasons why candidates really didn’t get the job…

1. You’re too ambitious

You might argue that there’s no such thing as being too ambitious, and to be honest we’d probably agree with you. However, someone with lots of ambition who hopes to progress quickly may not always be the best fit for a particular role.

As an example, if a candidate is clearly very bright and driven but is applying for an entry-level position with no real scope for progression anytime soon, they may not be happy with their position for very long. Rather than having to hire again in the near future, it would probably be easier to hire a candidate with a little less ambition who is likely to be content in the role for the longer term.

2. Bad luck follows you around

There are plenty of good people in this world who are genuinely unlucky; however, a job interview is probably not the best time to air your grievances. If you’ve had to leave one job because of an ill parent or were laid off from another because of a personal health problem, then even if those events were completely out of your control, it’s not the best time to bring them up.

It’s important to remember that the hiring manager wants someone who will make their life easier. They will not have the time or energy to help you work through your personal issues, particularly when you’re unproven.

3. They hired someone internally

Sometimes, no matter how well you perform in the interview, you were never going to get the job. There are occasions when posts are advertised externally simply to tick the relevant boxes, when an internal candidate has already been promised the role. In this case, unfortunately, the hiring company has completely wasted your time.

4. You criticised your colleagues

When it comes to discussing previous positions you’ve held, a common mistake candidates make is to overshare. No matter how awful your past employer or colleagues might have been, you should not speak negatively about them as it will only reflect badly on you. When you need to vent, speak to your family and friends. Some candidates may try to get around the negative connotations of criticising colleagues and employers by starting a sentence with “I don’t want to talk badly about anyone but…”

This type of talk will only distract from your positive qualities, so just don’t do it at all!

Receive honest feedback from our team

At Linguistica Recruitment, we work with you to help you secure your next bilingual role. If that means giving you honest feedback and providing a few professional pointers so you don’t make the same mistake again then we will. Take a look at our current vacancies, submit your CV or call our team on 02392 987 765 today.

If you haven’t heard of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) legislation then that probably makes you one of the lucky ones, because news of the soon-to-be-introduced EU regulation has been everywhere.

The GDPR legislation comes into force on 25 May this year and will bring with it strict new rules regarding the handling and processing of consumer data. Preparing for the new rules has given plenty of businesses some serious headaches, but as a candidate there’s absolutely nothing for you to worry about. There are however a few things that might change.

Providing a new layer of protection

The protection of personal data has been a hot topic in recent weeks given the Facebook debacle and the grilling Mr Zuckerberg received from Congress. This highlights just how important it is that the existing legislation in the UK, which dates back to the 1990s, is updated.

In response to the new rules, recruitment agencies, consultants and online job boards will have to make changes to their data policies in order to avoid falling foul of the law. Failure to do so could lead to penalties of up to €20 million or 4 percent of annual turnover, whichever is greater. Inevitably, these changes could impact the way candidates are signed up as well as more general recruitment processes.

What do you need to be aware of?

So what’s likely to change from a candidate’s point of view?

• The new rules are EU-wide

Well firstly, the new rules apply to companies that hold information about anyone in the EU. So, even if you are signed up with a bilingual recruiter in the UK but are currently living or working elsewhere in the EU, the regulations will still apply.

• You have the right to be forgotten

One of the biggest changes for job seekers is the fact that you’ll be able to request to see all the information recruiters and job boards hold about you and ask for that information to be deleted. The firm must respond to your request within 30 days.

However, there are also circumstances where personal data is essential for fulfilling a contract or to comply with legal requirements under which companies can continue to hold your personal information without your consent.

• The importance of consent

Another major change focuses on the issue of consent. Once the GDPR is in force, companies must keep records of how and when candidates gave their consent for their personal information to be stored and processed.

Importantly, a tick box will only be an acceptable way of obtaining consent if it is clear and unambiguous. A pre-ticked box will no longer be sufficient. As the candidate, you will also be able to withdraw your consent at any time and companies will need to show that your personal data has been erased.  

• Data breaches

The new rules are equally stringent when it comes to security. If a data breach does occur and your personal data is stolen, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) must be informed within 72 hours. That disclosure must be made along with a proposal for mitigating the impact of the breach.

• Your right to report non-compliance

When applying for a job, if you don’t think the relevant terms of the GDPR have been met then you have the right to report the non-compliance to the ICO. It will then be investigated on a case-by-case basis.

Taking your privacy seriously

At Linguistica Recruitment, you can rest assured that we take the security and privacy of all our candidates very seriously and will be adhering to the terms of the new regulations.

To find out more about how we can help with your bilingual job search, please take a look at our current vacancies, submit your CV or call 02393 987 765 to discuss your requirements.

Feeling underconfident at work is nothing new and, in fact, new research has revealed that the majority of people do. The study found that seven in 10 workers believe their career has a negative impact on their self-esteem and only 34 percent of men and 24 percent of women admitted to feeling very confident at work.

We’ve all been in the position where we have no idea what to do, how to do it or who to ask for help. But while you may feel like it’s a shortcoming on your behalf, it’s actually the result of a lack of training and proper support from your employer.

What makes you feel underconfident?

The study found that the five aspects of working life that impact employees the most are:

• Not feeling like you have the necessary skills
• Making a silly mistake
• Being made redundant
• Being turned down for a promotion
• Not making it through a probation period successfully

Although there may be some situations that make you question your workplace performance, there are also a number of different strategies you can use to help you feel more confident at work. These are our top tips…

Top tips to boost your confidence at work

1. Adopt a positive attitude

We hate to oversimplify the issue, but experience of life tells us that positive things happen to positive people. If you think about the negative thinkers at work, how many of those have ever been promoted or receive the accolades or rewards they think they deserve.

“Fake it until you make it” is a saying we often hear, but having a positive attitude is really not the same thing. We’re not asking you to fake anything as that suggests you’re masking a lack of confidence rather than tackling it. Instead, approach every task with the right attitude. Positivity is magnetic and it can have a profound impact on you and others.

2. Know your stuff

The fastest route to self-confidence is to really know your stuff. If you feel like there are gaps in your knowledge, ask if there are any in-house or external training sessions you can go to. If training is not an option then take some time, either at work or at home, to read up on the subject matter.

You should also seize every opportunity you have to boost your expertise and share your insights and know-how whenever you can.

3. Ask for feedback

They say no news is good news, but when it comes to your work, the more feedback you receive the better. Asking for feedback demonstrates that you care deeply about the quality of your work and shows how important it is to improve. It can also work wonders for your self-confidence.

Rather than anxiously wondering whether you’ve done something wrong, you’ll get a clear view of your strengths and weaknesses and know exactly what you have to do to hit the ball out of the park.

4. Spend time with people who boost your confidence

If you have a line manager who can’t help but put you down, just accept that some people are unable to give praise due to their own shortcomings. They are simply bad managers and there are millions of them out there.

Rather than taking that to heart, spend as much time as possible with people who appreciate your skills, encourage you and build you up. If you’re surrounded by people who put you down then it might be time to find new friends.

Want a role that boosts your self-esteem?

At Linguistica Recruitment, we have a number of current vacancies for bilingual candidates across the south coast of England. Submit your CV or call 02392 987 765 to discuss your requirements today.

One thing we know for sure is that the number of UK employers looking for employees with a second language has risen exponentially over the last couple of years. But that got us thinking – if the linguistic requirements of so many roles have shifted then what else about the nature of jobs for young workers has changed?

The UK labour market has transformed since the financial crisis, and even from year to year, there are significant shifts in labour market trends. For example, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that the number of self-employed has risen from 3.3 million people (12 percent of the labour force) in 2007 to 4.8 million (15.1 percent) in 2017.

But what other major changes are taking place in the labour market and what impact are they having on young people today?

A tough decade for young workers

The difficulty young workers have experienced over the last decade is typified by falling wages. Research has shown that since 2007, in real terms, the wages of all workers have fallen, but young workers have suffered more than any other group.

This is partially due to an increase in those working as cleaners, kitchen/bar staff, waiting staff and couriers, with the number of young workers employed in such occupations having risen by 11 percent since 2007.

Younger workers have lost ground

The UK’s labour market has been shaped by the financial crisis and young Brits have felt the effects. Compared with young workers (those aged 25-34) in 2007, today’s workers are more likely to be in lower-paid service jobs. To make matters worse, after adjusting for inflation, their pay fell between 2009 and 2014 and has stagnated since then.

Clearly that’s not a good start, but ever the optimists, today’s young workers have not been cowed by the challenges they’ve faced. Search data on the type of jobs younger candidates are looking for shows they are disproportionately applying for professional roles that offer good pay and opportunities for advancement.

What jobs do workers aged 25-34 do today?

We looked at the UK Labour Force Survey data for 2017 to see how the jobs young people do today have changed over the last decade. This is what we found:

• Relative to older workers, those aged 25-34 are now more likely to work in personal and customer service occupations, including as sales reps, waiters and carers.
• The biggest increase by job type for young workers over the last ten years has been in professional roles. After that, it’s care, leisure, sales and customer service roles that have seen the biggest gains.
• The number of young people who are self-employed has increased dramatically, with building and finishing trades and artistic, media and literary occupations the jobs most likely to be held.
• The number of young people working in professional occupations in the information and communication and finance and insurance sectors has fallen.

How can we help?

At Linguistica Recruitment, we have a diverse range of well-paid, rewarding vacancies for bilingual workers of all ages across the south of England.

Do you speak a second language? Then make your skills pay by taking a look at our current vacancies and submitting your CV today.

In an ideal world, companies would determine pay rises and salaries based on your true worth. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work like that. There will always be some discrepancies in pay that are just unfair.

For instance, it’s not unusual for someone who has been in a position for a number of years to earn less than an individual in the same role who has just been hired. That might be because the market has changed, the going rate for the position has increased or competition for those workers is high. Is that fair? In a word – no.

Equally, your employer might well be aware that they’re paying you under the odds, but rather than upping your salary, they prefer to boost their bottom line.

If you don’t ask, you don’t get!

So, what can you do? Well, in the UK we’re often reluctant to talk about money, but when it comes to pay, it’s usually the case that if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If you stand up for yourself, you might be surprised just how receptive your employer is.

Before asking for a meeting with your boss, you need to do some research to find out your true worth. There’s plenty of information online that can help you find the average salary for your job role in your location. The salary checkers at sites like Payscale and Totaljobs are a good place to start. It also pays to do a little sleuthing at your current workplace. If you find that a colleague in the same role with less experience and responsibility is earning more than you then it will make it a lot easier to argue your case.

Once you’ve armed yourself with as much supporting information as possible, then it’s time to ask for a meeting. People are often afraid to ask for more money, but the worst you’ll receive is a “no”. You won’t get fired or demoted simply for asking for a reasonable raise. In fact, there are plenty of bosses who will respect your self-confidence and ambition. And if they don’t value your skills then there are likely to be plenty of other employers who will.

How to improve your chances of getting a pay rise?

1. Demonstrate your ability to lead

Leadership skills are something we hear a lot about but few people actually have. Demonstrating your ability to motivate and inspire those around you is an extremely valuable skill.

2. Communicate clearly and often

Communication skills are critical in almost every role. Demonstrating good communication skills is not the same as talking a lot; far from it in fact. However, communicating clearly and effectively with superiors, team members and subordinates will certainly help.

3. How do you contribute to the bottom line?

Being a hard worker is certainly an excellent starting point when discussing a raise, but it’s also important to think about how the work you do impacts the bottom line. If you contribute directly to the profitability of the company then it’s easier to justify a pay rise.

4. Think about timing

If the company is going through a lean spell, your request for a pay rise could fall on deaf ears. You should also consider the relationship you have with the decision maker, both personally and professionally, and even their mood, as that is likely to affect their decision.

5. Gain the support of colleagues and mentors

Endorsements and recommendations can be a hugely important factor when asking for a pay rise. Having supervisors and peers that consistently praise your work can certainly sway the decision.

Not getting paid what you’re worth?

Talented bilingual workers are in short supply in the UK, which means your skills are worth more than you might think. At Linguistica Recruitment, we can help you find a role that pays you what you’re worth. Take a look at our current vacancies, send us your CV online or give us a call on 02392 987 765 to discuss your options.

As an eager jobseeker with an array of skills and relevant experience to showcase, it’s inevitable that you’ll want to sell yourself as best you can. This type of enthusiasm is essential for successful jobseekers, but when it comes to your CV, your challenge is to convey all your enthusiasm and relevant skills as concisely as possible. Concision does not mean you should miss out important information about your work history and qualifications, but you should be selective about what you include.

Why is brevity important?

When it comes to your CV, the truth is that size matters and less is definitely more. As a rule of thumb, you should be able to fit everything you have to say on two A4 sides. And that doesn’t mean using a font size 6.

You might find that cutting your CV down to size is tricky, but it’s important you give employers the information they need quickly and clearly. Not only do hiring managers not have the time to read a full page about your hobbies and interests, but a short, well-formatted, logically-ordered CV is also a sign of an organised mind.

CV Writing Tips – What should you leave out?

1. Details about older, irrelevant roles

One of the easiest ways to shorten your CV is to pare down the information you include about older and irrelevant roles. Recruiters don’t need to know about the sales assistant role you had 10 years ago if it’s not relevant to the position you are applying for today.

Just one bullet point containing the job title, where you worked and the dates you worked there is enough. Instead, it should be your recent roles and those which are relevant to the position where you highlight the value you can bring.

2. Personal details

Many candidates waste too much valuable space on their personal details. The only details you need to include on your CV are your name, phone number, email address and rough geographical area. All hiring managers and recruiters really need to know are your contact details and the fact that you live within a commutable distance.

Hobbies and interests is another section many candidates spend too much time on. If you have some major achievements that might impress prospective employers, then include them briefly. If your hobbies and interests aren’t relevant then rather than telling the employer you ‘enjoy socialising with friends’, you’re better off leaving this section out completely.

3. Long and passive sentences

Bullet points are an excellent tool to use in CVs as they allow you to get straight to the point rather than writing long and unnecessary sentences. For example, rather than: ‘I was recently selected to manage a team of three workers and supervised the completion of a project that lasted two months’, why not go for:

• ‘Managed a team of three for a two-month project’

Not only does it make the information more active but it also adds greater authority to your accomplishments. It also invites questions about the project in the interview.

4. Information already provided in your covering letter

In the majority of cases, employers will ask for CVs to be submitted along with a covering letter. This should be used to show why you’re an excellent candidate for the role and provide information about relevant past achievements. There’s absolutely no point reiterating information in your covering letter on your CV, and in fact, doing so will only detract from your application.

Keep it short, sweet and approachable

Create a well-written, two-page document that’s well formatted, error-free and contains only relevant information to give yourself the very best chance of landing the job.

Speaking of jobs, we have lots of fantastic vacancies we’re currently trying to fill. To start the ball rolling, please apply online for the specific role you’re interested in or send us your CV.