1. First impressions are lasting impressions …the very first contact you make with a recruiter or employer creates an impression so make the effort to write a good cover note or introductory email,….and btw nt 2 many abbreviations pls, makes it v DFCLT to read….!

2. CVs: remember the title is important and it will show when attached to your application email so don’t label it "CV-Dads-version1” or “CVme” !! Label it simply with your name: “Lucie-Smith-CV-May21”

3. Your email address can be a bit of a giveaway as well e.g. crazytech@..... or loopylou@.... it’s a much better plan to have something professional - remember it will follow you around for years!

Putting your birth year after your name can be a bit of a giveaway too e.g., Johnsmith1980@email.com and then an opening paragraph stating, ‘An experienced buyer with over 30 years’ experience’. Hang on…. something’s not adding up it only 2021?!

An email address with some indication of who you are can be useful for the recruiter, especially when searching for candidates e.g. first.last name or at least an initial and surname would be a great help rather than just your initials or favorite goldfish’s name.

4. CV formats: Holy Moly! They are getting so elaborate! More like something that should be in the Tate Modern – especially those that hail from designers.

They have way too many boxes and too much hidden formatting which makes it a total nightmare to take off personal details (remember GDPR?). So please, keep it simple, and create it in a clear font. Artistic skills can be demonstrated in your Portfolio…..

5. Keep it short and sweet. Reader attention span is thought to be around four seconds. Yep, you read that right - four seconds, so don’t write a novel. If you don’t believe us read this: https://www.ivyexec.com/career-advice/2016/report-shows-attention-spans-shorter-ever-impact-write-resume/

6. Don’t tell porkies and make sure your CV and LinkedIn profiles are consistent. You’d be surprised how many candidates have different dates and work history on these. You don’t want to have to start explaining this in an interview…

7. And the old chestnut or GenZer’s chestnut: be careful what you post on social media. You don’t want to be faced with comments like ‘looks like you had a good time in Ibiza!’ in your first interview….so maybe put your settings on private or edit out the body shots. And as for TikTok…!