Potential, experience, talent and enthusiasm are meaningless if you can’t fill in an application form properly, or submit a decent CV and covering letter. Read this guide to avoiding job application crimes and, with luck, you should stay out of trouble for the rest of your career.
According to some surveys, nearly two-thirds of companies now accept online applications alongside paper forms. Email is fast and informal, qualities not normally associated with the filling out of application forms. But recruiters report that job-hunters can easily slip into the sort of bad email habits that do not impress. These include rambling (because space
You’ve seen your ideal job and sent off for the application form only to find it leaves a big dent on your doorstep when it arrives. It’s huge and you’re having second thoughts about applying. Don’t be daunted. Read it through slowly and carefully. Chances are it’s not as horrendous as it looks at first
Employees are increasingly taking ethical considerations into account when deciding where to work. The expansion of the non-profit-making, environmental and charitable sectors means there are plenty of options for those who want to make a difference
Is money your main motivation? If so, the obvious place to make big bucks is in the City. You’ll have to sacrifice your work-life balance for a while but, if you like to work hard and play hard, the financial rewards will be worth it
The arts and media are notoriously difficult to break into – no wonder as they offer some of the most glamorous and exciting jobs around. To get ahead you’ll need talent, contacts, determination and the ability to work for nothing Could you cut it as a creative? Find out with our quiz
Why run the gauntlet of rush-hour traffic when you could work the hours you want from the comfort of your own home? If this sounds appealing, you’ll need space, an understanding family and strong self-discipline to make teleworking a success
Are you stuck in a job that really doesn’t suit you? Do you long to reinvent yourself professionally? A career overhaul can seem a daunting step but, with careful planning, you can achieve those unfulfilled ambitions
Does the thought of being cooped up in an office all day fill you with dread? If so, a career relating to either the built or natural enviromnent could be your ticket to a life in the great outdoors
Turning a hobby into your career may seem idealistic or risky but increasing numbers of dissatisfied workers are finding innovative ways to combine business with pleasure
When Richard Handover took over as WH Smith chief executive in 1997, few people expected the 53-year old to last long. Handover, who had been with the retailer for more than three decades, was regarded by critics as a time-server ill equiped to lead WH Smith into the Internet age. But Handover has confounded the
Mansur Khawar, 30, had tried his hand at a number of things – including writing, decorating, and pupil barrister – before joining headhunting firm Armstrong International in February 1998. He tells us why the headhunting business is the one that really stimulates him
Jeffrey Shesol, 30, worked as deputy chief speechwriter for US president Bill Clinton from 1998 – 2000. Before this he wrote books on political history and reviews and opinion pieces for magazines and newspapers. He also wrote and drew Thatch, a syndicated political comic strip that appeared daily in 150 US publications
David Wilkinson, partner at Ernst & Young, swapped large company directors for unknown entrepreneurs twelve years ago. He now runs the Entrepreneur of the Year Awards and spends the rest of his time talent-spotting for the company’s entrepreneurial services
Simon, 24, is a business analyst with management consultancy Accenture (formerly called Andersen Consulting), having done a business and political science degree at Trinity College in Dublin. He has been working there since November 1999
Working in a political organisation Wesley Ball, 22, works for Britain in Europe, a cross-party coalition that exists to promote the European Union, the single currency and Britain’s part in European affairs. It also co-operates with Trade Unions in the voluntary sector. Members include Tony Blair, Robin Cook, Charles Kennedy and Michael Heseltine
Mike Caldwell is director of corporate communications at the world’s largest mobile phone company, Vodafone AirTouch. Caldwell set up the company’s press office when he joined the company at its Newbury HQ in 1991 and now oversees a department of 12. He counts his career highlights as handling the public relations (PR) side of Vodafone’s
John Steele, Human Resources director at British Telecommunications, talks about graduate entry at BT, and what it takes to be a successful HR professional
What’s your official title? Head of the Radical Multimedia Lab, BT. What do you do all day? I lead a small research lab looking at virtual reality and multimedia graphics.
Apostolos Sarantidis, 26, is a graduate trainee engineer with Vodafone AirTouch. He works in the radio development department – one of six departments within the company’s engineering wing. He told us what attracted him to a career in telecoms
