Spring has officially sprung! How to Spring into your new job…

After a  winter we thought may never end, the long weekend has confirmed what we’d all been hoping… Spring has sprung! Winter slowness is over and the vibe in London is transforming – everyone is getting out and about and for anyone seeking a new role it’s time to refresh and re-energise the way you’re approaching your search too.

Our Top Tips to Spring into a new role:

Keep your search specific: Although it can be easy after a while of not finding a role to relax your search and cast the net wider, it’s important to be specific in the roles you’re applying for. Although it may take longer, tailor your CV to each role – bring the most relevant dot points to the top of your employment history and make sure that your CV reflects the depth of your experience. We receive 100s of CVs a week so your experience needs to jump out at us.

Spruce up your CV: Not getting the result you want? Sick of attaching the same outdated Word Doc over and over? Why not mix things up – make the lay out clearer, add a splash of colour, ask your best friends-friend who does Graphic Design if they’d mind having a look at it. It’s all about standing out and if your CV is poorly formatted and hard to read – this could be costing you a chance for interview. Keep it brief and concise. A new CV can be a good talking point to reconnect with old contacts too.

Don’t be afraid to back yourself: Know you’re a good fit for the role? Want the opportunity? Walk into each interview knowing you can do the role and this will shine through in the way you sell yourself. Know why you’re suitable, think of the great things you’ve done in the past that the interviewer will want to hear. If you’re given advice, really think about the tips you’re given. Nothing worse than hearing you didn’t seem like you wanted it enough when on the inside you were thinking it was your dream role.

Get out and about: Have face to face meetings, make time to meet recruiters, make calls instead of sending emails – stay top of mind and make sure people think of you first when a role comes in. If we don’t know how well you present yourself and how strong your personality is we won’t be able to sell you into our clients.

Refresh your interview staples:  As all of us know, a new outfit can make the world of difference to our confidence. Get in the mood of the new season with a fun Spring day dress. We can’t get enough of Zara at the moment, our faves below:

Although it can be a testing process, be patient! Things can take time but stay focused, sign up for job alerts, follow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/CVUK.Group and register your details on our website if nothing in particular jumps out. The best way to make sure you stay energised in your job search is by starting early. Be proactive and keep your eyes peeled when those thoughts start creeping in… There is no harm in discussing potential opportunities and there’s nothing worse than finding out your dream job was filled just last month. Get in touch and make sure we have your most recent CV if you are open to a change – we can do the work for you and make sure we contact you should something suitable pop up. Most of all, enjoy yourself… Get outside and enjoy the sun, check out the events cropping up all over London, take your mind off the job search and lap up this weather – who knows how long it will last!

CVUK Interview Tip #12

Leave negativity at the door.

Nothing screams ‘NO’ more than a negative attitude in an interview. There could be any number of reasons you are interviewing for a new role but if the reason behind your decision has come from an unhappy time at your current role then it’s best kept to yourself.

Interviewers will ask you why you are looking to move on, especially if you have been in the role for a short amount of time, and this is your opportunity to prove your interest in developing your career in a company you view as having potential for growth. By asking this question they are also indirectly asking about how you work in a team environment and sussing out whether you are moving on for genuine reasons.  It is not a chance to start effing and blinding about how much of a **** your boss is and how you spend your days wasting away the hours trawling the Daily Mail and building up a wishlist on Net-A-Porter due to lack of boredom.

Whatever issues you have with your current employers are totally irrelevant to any potential future employers and will give the impression you are a difficult person to get on with and may create an uncomfortable working environment, so leave those behind and view this as an opportunity for a fresh start, not all bosses are the same!

The Man Who Sold the World

Right now, it’s all about David Bowie.

The man who ruled the music scene during the 70s and 80s, who understood the true meaning of music as an art form and turned the art into one of the most successful musical careers of all time; a career spanning nearly half a decade. After an unexpected comeback at the beginning of 2013 with the release of ‘Where Are We Now?’, that subsequently lead to the release of his 30th studio album ‘The Next day’ last month, the man responsible for ‘Ziggy Mania’ during the 1970s has shot back onto our radar in what is perhaps the most understated return in music history.

A retrospective of Bowie’s phenomenal career is currently on show at London’s Victoria and Albert museum, (the fastest selling exhibition in the museum’s history) featuring over 300 items including costumes, set designs, original written lyrics and videos from his career. In collaboration with the V&A, Selfridges have opened ‘David Bowie is All Yours’, a concept store celebrating Bowie’s fashion and musical excellence with t.shirts, books, limited edition prints and rails of classic luxury pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Versace, Celine, and Dior; all reflecting just how influential he was on past and present fashion.

  

The ‘David Bowie is All Yours’ concept store in Selfridges

Illamasqua’s Creative Director Alex, in partnership with Selfrdiges, creates make-overs inspired by the many wonderful personas Bowie created.

David Bowie concept windows in Selfridges

 

Twice as Nice

Last Summer was all about clashing prints and layering block colours with more block colours

and while this time around we are sticking with the vibrant side of things, for Summer 2013 is less about one for sorrow and much more about two (or three, or four) for joy. Pair printed trousers with a top in the matching print or layer a striped blazer over a striped dress and accessorize with a striped bag. If you’re opting for a colour rather than a print then keep it the same for the entire outfit and if you don’t feel quite ready to approach the trend head on then start with a jumpsuit and work your way up!

Fashion Weeks across the globe were bursting with the head-to-toe trend and as it’s filtered down into the high street we’ve chosen the best ones out there.

 

Costume National, Spring/Summer 2013

Vibrant colour blocking was in full swing at Costume National where pilar-box red asymmetric blazers were detailed with hot pink lapels and waistcoats had plunging necklines and buckle detailing.

 

Jonathan Saunders, Spring/Summer 2013  

Jonathan Saunders piled trends on top of trends with horizontal metallic striped crop-tops matched with vertically striped high-waisted pencil skirts for a fresh evening look and tie-dye wide legged trousers for a more dressed down look.

 

Mary Katrantzou, Spring/Summer 2013

Ever the go-to for prints, Mary Katrantzou offered up a collection inspired by childhood memories of travel, postcards and stamps, printed onto structured shirts and silk trousers.

 

Go bold with a head-to-toe print or keep it simple with a pastel shade.

Aqua by Aqua: Top £70.00 & Leggings £70.00

Reiss: 1971 Jacket £159.00 & 1971 Trousers £89.00

 

A classic stripe is a chic way to pull off this trend or go for a summery print all over.

ZARA: Blazer £59.99 & Trousers £29.99

Whistles: Silk Bomber Jacket £155.00 & Silk Trousers £125.00

 

If you’re feeling tropical then this flower print twosome is for you or play it safe with a pair of printed dungarees over a t shirt.

Mango: Top £22.99 & Trousers £34.99

River Island: Dungarees £40.00

 

This silk jumpsuit is the perfect to answer to chic prints and soft fabrics while Jaeger is proving the trend isn’t restricted to trousers.

Sophie Hulme: Jumpsuit £350.00

Jaeger at ASOS Boutique: Jacket £175.00 & Skirt £99.00

 

Red is a big colour for 2013 so if your less about the print and more about the colour then this is the one to choose.

River Island: Blazer £45.00 & Trousers £30.00

Topshop: Cropped Jacket £60.00 & Skirt £40.00

CVUK Interview Tip Of The Week #11

Unsuccessful Interview? No biggie

Yesterday was ‘International Happiness Day’, but here at CVUK we want our candidates to be happy all year round, and our 11th interview tip will ensure you’re doing just that, even if a job interview hasn’t turned out quite how you wanted it to the next one absolutely will.

We know too well just how frustrating and exhausting job hunting can be. Endless applications to jobs perhaps  you’re not quite qualified for, occasionally finding one or two that you couldn’t be more perfect for but ‘how the hell are they going to see your potential from underneath a pile of other applicants?’ This time around we’re talking ‘interview rejection’ and how not to let an unsuccessful interview get you down. Ask for feedback and use that to shape your next interview.

Getting feedback isn’t about whether or not you agree or disagree with what the person is telling you but rather about seeing how others perceive you. All feedback is helpful and will aid your preparation for the next interview.  An interviewer is seeing a side of you that you will never get to see, (it’s hard to judge a self-performance objectively) so they can feedback on things you haven’t noticed, such as your body language and how you present yourself.

In most cases any company worth their salt will provide constructive feedback, highlighting your strengths in an interview and pointing out why, this time around, you were unsuccessful. If a company is refusing to offer you feedback it may be in fear that you will view their decisions as discriminatory or unfair. Bad feedback is as un-enjoyable for the client to give as it is for the candidate to receive, but if both parties can take into consideration both points of view then (hopefully!) it can become a positive experience. The main thing to remember when receiving bad news from a job interview is to remain polite and interested in what they have to say; you never know what else they may have for you, now or in the future.

The most common reason for being unsuccessful is lack of experience (which can be incredibly frustrating because how can you gain more when people won’t give you a chance right?!) but it could also be that you didn’t quite verbalise your experience well enough. If this is the case then you will know to work on it in the future.

Remember, employers want you to be successful or they wouldn’t have wasted their time or money interviewing you. If you are unsuccessful for a position they are going to want to give you as much help as possible to ensure your success in the future. Leave on good times and always remember to thank them for the opportunity because you never know when you might cross paths again.

That’s Our Girl

Here’s our wonderful tech and design consultant Katie offering her advice on how to become a creative pattern cutter, featuring in this month’s Drapers. We’re feeling like very proud parents.

 

Let’s Do Something Funny For Money!

Today is all about Red (Noses to be specific, but the colour still counts!). Lucky for us the colour red is CVUK’s signature colour so we’re perfectly prepared for Red Nose Day  2013. We’ve got a ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ inspired game, obviously centered around one of our own for the comedy value, apple bobbing for those of us wishing to completely mess up already applied Friday night make-up and a mini ‘pitch and put’ for anyone dying to participate in a light sporting activity. As well as an overload of chocolate covered and Red Nose Day themed treats!

50 and Fabulous

frock (frok)

n.

1. A woman’s dress.

2. A long loose outer garment, as that worn by artists and craftspeople; a smock.

3. A woolen garment formerly worn by sailors; a jersey.

4. A robe worn by monks, friars, and other clerics; a habit.

tr.v. frocked, frock·ing, frocks

The word ‘frock’ does not bring with it connotations of femininity and glamour, rather ideas of a something relative to a shapeless sack, which cuts a frumpy figure. Last weekend we visited the Bath Fashion Museum’s ’50 Fabulous Frocks’ exhibition’, proving the preconceived images conjured up by the very word are in fact rather outdated.

From Erdem to Chanel to Zandra Rhodes, we were taken through the different decades by a mixture of 50 designs, celebrating 50 years of the Fashion Musuem.

 

Classic tweed Chanel suit, circa 1960 & Ostrich Feather Yves Saint Laurent Jacket, circa 1960

Culottes and Jacket by Zandra Rhodes, 1971

Alexander McQueen dress designed by Sarah Burton, 2011

Mamma Mia

For those of you having the annual problem of hunting down a gift that’s different but also says “I know you better than you think I do, and yes I am listening when you ramble in the kitchen”,

we’ve taken on the ever challenging task of Mother’s Day gifts so you can rest assured that even if you haven’t been the perfect son or daughter, your mum will have the perfect gift. (OK so we stole that last bit from a current advert)

We all know life just wouldn’t be the same without our wonderful mums, the one’s who listen time and time again when we’ve made mistakes, (crying down the phone at 2am always seems like a good idea at the time) or transferred us that £100 for the electricity bill because we just had to have that shirt to go alongside our other 8 shirts. Whatever the situation we couldn’t live without them (not to mention we wouldn’t be living without them!)

This stylish macaron cookery book is packed full of simple steps to baking your own macarons, so when people ask “did you make these yourself?” and you answer “yes”, this time you won’t be lying! Available at Oliver Bonas, £12.99

There’s nothing by Kate Spade that we don’t secretly, (or not so secretly) hope to unwrap at any given opportunity; Birthday, Christmas, Easter, Valentines, New Years, May Day…. This year though we’re sharing the love with the women who gave us gift of jewellery appreciation in the first place, and if we happened to be able to borrow it once in a while it wouldn’t be the worst thing. Kate Spade, prices vary around £65

No one’s beauty cabinet should have a Soap and Glory shaped hole in it, none more so than all the mums out there, and so this is the time to fix it. We’re sure your mothers are as gorgeous as ever but everyone needs a little beauty boost now and again and this ‘Fab Pore Facial Peel’ works its magic in rejuvenating and tired and problem skin. Soap and Glory, £8.00 

Make sure your mum keeps things in check with this 2013 monochrome double journal. Stitched together at the spine with ivory coloured pages this CIAK DUO diary is the chicest handbag ‘must-have’ from The Journal Shop, £19.95

It can take years to find your signature scent, but it’s never to late to start looking. The long anticipated perfume from Marni has finally landed and with a gentle mix of spice, wood and rose it’s about time we were opened up to another classic. Marni at Harrods, £68.00

Taking your mum out for Mother’s Day this year? Let her make a statement with the coolest accessory from ZARA’s latest collection. Mixing neon and perspex together, the clutch has never been so cool. ZARA, £19.99

This classic design by ‘Le Creuset’ at House of Fraser will brighten up any kitchen and if your mum’s like any of ours there’s nothing she loves more than a cuppa, so why not make it in style! £59.00

We think the best gifts are ones you can do together so why not treat her to a cookery lesson at Jamie Oliver’s cooking school ‘Recipease’. Choose from Mexican, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian and Italian and you never know, next time you’re home you might just get treated to something new! Prices begin from £40.oo pp

ghd have just launched their new limited collection, IV Candy, now available at John Lewis. In three fresh colours with advanced ceramic for better heat and better results they also include a ‘sleep mode’ which is activated after 30 minutes, so that moment of sheer panic when you’re halfway to work and you think the house might be on fire is just a distant memory! £110.00

We all know how hard our mums work so it’s only fair they should be rewarded during their beauty sleep. Show your love with this aromatic replenishing night cream from Cowshed, £36.00, in a gentle rose. 

How To Handle Itchy Feet

“Should I stay or should I go?”

As this song plays over and over in your head (or perhaps as a guilty pleasure, without the guilty, on your iPod) while you drag yourself wearily along the corridors of the underground in the direction of your office, it’s probably time to admit defeat (offering to do the tea round and skipping merrily to the kitchen in order to do so isn’t fooling anybody). It’s time to sit down and answer the question that got the country, talking courtesy of The Clash, circa 1981.

Whether you’ve been in a job for five weeks or five years there will come a point where you will scream (silently) and curse about the perils of a your job. Whether you hold a valid reason for the (again silent) outburst or the thoughts are, in the grand scheme of things totally irrational, there are firm dos and don’ts for handling this situation.

If money is the reason you are considering a change, be careful when approaching the subject of money. An ‘all guns blazing’ attitude will not only anger your boss but will also alert them to your ‘itchy feet’, subsequently labelling you as an unreliable colleague and a potential “I’m going to leave at any minute” kind of person. Voicing your uncertain feelings towards the job may also taint relationships with fellow colleagues, resulting in an uncomfortable atmosphere and (should you chose to stay – money dependant or otherwise) now rather large, luminous question mark hanging over your head.

Ensure that the grass is in fact greener on the other side. Check, double check and check again that your vision hasn’t been blurred by the momentary hatred for your current role. A job with a higher salary and a later start time may seem like everything you’ve ever wanted, but is it the best thing for you? Is there room for some career ladder climbing, or will you find yourself dangling by one hand at the top? Money may seem like the most important thing but if there is no room for growth (in that role, or to take you on to other ones) then an attractive salary can suddenly become rather unattractive.

Consider your options within your current company. It’s all very well declaring your time is up, but give it some serious thought. Would getting up in the morning be made easier if your job title was improved or if your daily tasks proved more of a challenge? Talking through what you’re now looking for in a role may well uncover possibilities you never knew existed.