Back to work advice

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If you’re looking to get back to work after a break for whatever reason, the first practical step you need to take is to revise or rewrite your CV.

In a Return to Work Week on our sister site workingmums.co.uk, Emma Wood from Purple CV outlined some key things to consider:

• the importance of tailoring your CV to each individual job – doing your research, using keywords taken from the job description, using relevant examples to personalise it [‘tell your story’] and using relevant statistics to show the impact you had in a previous role, for instance, I checked in x clients a day
• doing a cover letter to say why you want the job and explain a little bit more about yourself to appeal to the human who will eventually see your CV once you get past the applicant tracking systems [ATS] which each company will tailor for their own needs
• using a skills-based cv rather than a chronological one if you have a career gap and not being afraid about putting the gap in your employment history. More information on the different types of CV can be found here
• not using fancy font, colours, photos etc which will see your CV automatically thrown out by ATS
• how long a CV should be – no more than two pages
• the importance of editing a long employment history and focusing on the most relevant jobs. Emma added that there is no need to put your date of birth on a CV.

Using LinkedIn to find a job

Emma Alkirwi, the CV Guru, also took part in a pre-recorded session for Return to Work Week on using LinkedIn to find jobs. The video covered tips to create a compelling profile that attracts recruiters and employers; best practices to showcase your skills, experience, and achievements; how to network effectively and expand your professional connections; and utilising LinkedIn’s features to your advantage for job hunting.

Return to Work Week also included a series of videos, including one explaining the ATS, another on filling in application forms effectively and the last on securing a part-time job. Other sessions covered working for yourself through a franchise, with several examples, returning to or switching to a career in technology and switching careers generally.

Want more advice? You are invited to our online Career Fair >>

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