For me, writing a cover letter is a genuinely tortuous process. I realise that this is hardly a unique problem. Everyone hates writing the damn things. But it really seems as if everyone else’s attempts are better […]
Like many of today’s graduates I am still living at home, one of those adult children living an extended adolescence, maintained in their accustomed luxury by exhausted parents working all hours in order to […]
Following on from last week’s rant about my dearth of finances, I thought that it might be prudent to share with the world my handy tips on adding to your wardrobe without plundering the overdraft. I’m not going […]
Right now I am a person of limited means. I am deficient in dosh, lacking in moolah, generally stone cold broke.
When I returned from China I spent money like water, mostly through catching up with friends […]
I have a complicated relationship with blogs.
Whilst there are definitely some superb examples out there, such gems often exist amidst huge piles of dross. Having attempt three of my own blogs thus far (with […]
Picture a kitchen. Dishes piled up everywhere, a sticky floor, random half empty food packets everywhere, dingy laundry drying on racks, the dining table blanketed with a miscellaneous collection of […]
Whilst working in China I interviewed for a part time position teaching a private English language school. Readers, this school was nice. Modern, colourfully decorated classrooms, hundreds of lovely flashcards […]
In today’s world of economic malaise and high youth unemployment, one of the few graduate job sectors still roaring along is the TEFL industry. Whilst the demand to learn English is world wide it’s particularly […]
The Dos and Don’ts of learning a foreign language
So you’ve finally done it. After months of indecision, panicky phone calls about visas and a host of unnecessary, expensive vaccinations you’ve moved to a […]
Even if you don’t fancy the idea of teaching it can be a great way to gain a foothold in the area, particularly if you try to learn the language whilst you’re teaching. This especially applies to places like China where there’s always a demand for English speakers in many sectors other than teaching. It’s also much less of a headache for…[Read more]
Although I trawl through all the main websites ( indeed etc), regionally based jobsites are also good as sometimes good positions with smaller companies pop up. I like south west creative jobs – have them on my twitter feed although to be fair at the moment they mostly seem to advertize swanky art director jobs.
Oh also to add to the…[Read more]
It’s probably a safe bet that if you haven’t gone travelling then you know someone who has. Many people do it, either before they start university or afterwards, the latter being an evermore appealing option […]
Still not sure it wouldn’t look lame, like you were trying to gloss over the fact that you didn’t get a first. It might give the employer a hint though that your 2:1 was in the upper range – 68/69, as opposed to 60. Not sure employers care either way though, as long as it’s not a third!
Oh also I once saw a CV that included the information that though the applicant had got a 2:1 they had achieved a first class dissertation. Do people think this is stupid or a good idea?
I’d never thought of that. It makes sense: the dissertation is a long-term project. I can’t say whether it would come across as amateurish to the employer, but it’s evidence of a prolonged and successful investment of an idea.
Still not sure it wouldn’t look lame, like you were trying to gloss over the fact that you didn’t get a first. It might give the employer a hint though that your 2:1 was in the upper range – 68/69, as opposed to 60. Not sure employers care either way though, as long as it’s not a third!
Really obvious point to make but proof read proof read proof read. I once watched my then boss whittle down a thick stack of CVs by discarding any that had spelling errors.
