With the unemployment rate in the UK currently at 2.63 million, CV Surgeon looks at some ways of dealing with unemployment.

If you have recently lost your job you are probably worrying and frantically preparing your CV template to send out to employers. But you’re not alone – millions of people across the country are searching for work and there are a number of things you can do to handle unemployment and look for jobs;

• Update your CV template.  Look through the content of your CV and spend time adding all of the skills you learnt at your most recent job. This will help you to gain focus on what you want to do next.
• Looking for a job can be difficult if you have no direction. You might find yourself in this position if you were not expecting to lose your job. So first consider putting together a list of specifications including what kind of job you want to do, location, salary, hours of work etc this will help you to define your job search.
• Job searching. Use a variety of sources to find work – online adverts, local press, recruitment companies, job centres and applying directly to a company are just a few ways to find work.
• If you have been made redundant or feel you were unfairly dismissed ensure you seek advice from relevant organisations like The Citizens Advice Bureau. Spend time researching redundancy and dismissal packages to ensure you are getting the right one.
• Networking. Spend time speaking to friends and professional contacts to try and find out about new opportunities. If you are feeling isolated because of your job loss, try to meet as many people as possible to maximise your chances of finding employment.
• Budget your time. Ensure you budget correctly during your job search period. If you have used your specification list and have not found any positions that match your criteria, consider broadening your search to open up more immediate opportunities.

It was reported last week that card retailer Clinton Cards is going into administration. It has now been reported that the chain will start to make store closures – with 350 stores set to be axed.

Administrators Zolfo Cooper confirmed the planned store closures, which would see almost 3,000 jobs lost.

The closures, which include the Birthdays branded stores, will leave around 400 stores operating.

At present it is not known which stores will be closed.

160,000 Vauxhall Astra cars are expected to be built during the next few years which will add thousands of jobs to the UK economy.

Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port Plan will see jobs added to the supply chain sector and a further 700 jobs created.

The plant has had an investment of £125million and will begin to build the vehicles during the next few years.

The Office for National Statistics has revealed that unemployment in the UK has fallen by 45,000.

The figures show a drop in unemployment between January and March and is now at 2.63 million.

The number of people claiming jobseekers allowance also dropped to 1.59 million.

If you feel your CV qualifications are holding you back from progressing then it could be time to seriously consider going back to school!

Regardless of whether you left education a few years ago or decades ago, qualifications on your CV will be just as important. Although qualifications aren’t everything (some employers are really eager to find candidates with ‘hands on’ experience) your chosen industry might require a specific grade or qualification. Or you might find yourself losing out during job interviews to candidates with slightly higher grades. If this is happening to you then why not consider slipping back into your shirt and tie and attending a training course?

The good news for those who feel they don’t have the time is that some qualifications can be achieved by learning from home or employing a tutor to work with you when it’s most convenient for you.
Here are some advantages to adding extra qualifications to your CV;

• It will make you feel more confident
• It will add depth and content to your CV template
• It will help you to specialise in your chosen field
• It can impress the employer if you have taken the initiative to learn these skills outside of work hours
• It could help you to network and could lead to other opportunities
• It will make you feel productive during your job search

There are a number of places you can achieve extra qualifications so take the time to carefully consider what qualification is right for you and get searching!

According to a recent report by Sky News, 60,000 health care jobs could be at risk in the future.

The Royal College of Nursing Study have hinted that community care is in trouble following healthcare reforms. Nurses are currently stretched with duties and are, according to the report, not managing to meet all of their patients’ needs.

The College has stated that nurses visiting communities and visiting patients at home were ‘overburdened’ due to recent cuts and a lack of investment.

However the Government has assured that the number of nurses to hospital beds is going up.

You can impress an interviewer in a variety of ways and one thing most employers look at during a job interview is attitude. If a candidate has a positive attitude then it will most likely rub-off on the employer and leave them with a good impression. But what if you have a bad attitude?

A bad attitude can really hinder your chances of securing a job. Here’s a few things that can be regarded as bad attitude during a job interview;

• No regard for appearance or dress code
• Chewing gum
• Being late
• Having an excuse for being late
• Not asking questions
• Looking at your watch
• Negative facial expressions
• Not engaging with the staff
• Not keeping eye contact and looking un-interested

All of the above will make the employer feel uncomfortable and will also make them feel like you aren’t that interested in the job role. So instead, try the below to ensure you maximise your chances of job interview success;

• Research the office dress code and dress accordingly
• Don’t chew gum!
• Research how you are going to get to the offices and leave plenty of time to get there
• Look at the company website and think of some positive questions you can ask
• Practice your facial expressions and prepare for the interview
• Be friendly and approachable with everyone, not just the interviewer
• Ensure your interview body language remains positive and that you demonstrate your eagerness for the job!

For more advice watch our career video job interview practice.

A recent report by an employers’’ group says that the level of sickness in the workplace needs to continue falling.

The EEF employers’ group has found that although there has been a decline in short term sickness during the last five years, that figure is starting to become stagnant.

The overall sickness rate is now 2.2.% which has remained relatively unchanged since 2010.

When you are looking for a job you are probably looking for a well paid position as well as something you enjoy. Not all positions will have salary brackets so how do you know which ones are well paid?

The first thing to realise before you look for a position like this is that you need both experience and expertise in a field to command a higher salary. If this isn’t you yet then  consider volunteering or gaining more work experience because this will help to boost your CV template and will help you to negotiate salary in the future. Also it is crucial to realise that although well paid jobs are a bonus, job happiness and security is essential in order to have longevity. So take all of this into consideration before you start your job search.
Here are a few tips below which might help you find a well paid position;

• Networking. Networking within your chosen area is a great way of finding out about new positions and the more people you network with the more likely you are to find out about insider knowledge i.e. salary
• Research. Do your research and you will have a better chance of finding about well paid positions. By looking at different companies and their structure you should be able to get a vague idea of the sort of salaries they offer. Likewise do your industry research – most industries will have a standard starting wage so, depending on how experienced you are, you can rank yourself against this.
• Look out for commission. Most sales and marketing jobs will have commission and bonus packages. Most employers will keep this vague but if there is a mention of this on the advertisement then you know there is an opportunity to earn extra.

When you are writing a CV you automatically worry about the content. You want it to be packed with information that is both relevant and exciting. However it’s not just the content of your CV – the design and look is also vital.

The age old saying ‘never judge a book by its cover’ is unfortunately not true during the job application process. If you send a CV directly to an employer then all they have to look at is your CV and work history – nothing else.  You will not have met them or spoken to them so their decision to invite you to an interview will usually be made from what your CV reads like.
The reason visuals are so important is because you could have the best content in the world, but if it looks messy and busy then it is probably not going to appeal to the reader. If your content is amazing, there is no point in having it there if the employer is not attracted enough to pick it up!
So what does your CV design say about you? We’ve listed a few examples below;

• Busy/cluttered = disorganised
• Bright colours = outgoing and bold
• Simplistic = not creative
• Spelling errors = no attention to detail
• No layout = not thorough

To ensure this isn’t the impression your CV gives off try to;

• Keep the CV linear
• Line up all of the text and ensure it looks neat
• Don’t write too much
• Keep it concise
• Proof read
• Consider the layout of the CV by using CV templates and designing a be-spoke application

If you’d like help creating a new professionally templated CV how about using our online CV building service? It takes you through creating a curriculum vitae step-by-step and you can choose from a wide range of eye-catching graphic designs. What are you waiting for? Get started today!