PurpleLine Consulting

Whether you're applying for your first job, a few years into your career or a senior manager with lots of experience under your belt there are a number of traps which you can fall into with your CV. Seeking a second opinion from someone who has a lot of recruitment experience can help you set yours apart.

Here are my tips for making your CV stand out - and in a positive way.

It is so important to have a list of questions to ask at job interviews which really enable you to assess what an organisation is like to work for and most importantly, whether it's a good fit with you.

Human beings love work, we need work. Work gives us meaning and purpose as well as income.

Think of the women after the end of World War II who didn't want to return to being housewives after the new roles they'd had during the war, while men were engaged in fighting or supporting the war effort. They'd found something more meaningful and useful to do with their time.

For many people work is something that fills Monday to Friday and pays the bills. Do you recognise the signs?

Hearing the words extravert and introvert, people often think of an extravert as the 'life and soul of the party' and an introvert as a 'shrinking violet.'

These caricatures have a grain of truth.  However, the psychologist Carl Jung devised the terms to mean your preference for how and where you get your energy.

Want to get ahead in your career?

Than get a mentor.

Who do you work for?  And how much time and money do you spend on your personal development each year?  These are two critical questions in understanding how likely you are to succeed in your career.

Sometimes we choose our bosses, sometimes we don't.  It's the most important relationship to manage.

We all know how important it is to build relationships with the right people.  How those people can shape your world and your future.  Yet how much time and effort do we spend in identifying who those people are and in building strong relationships with them?

Choosing your next job is a serious business.  The time and effort you spend on deciding what is the right move for you will pay off.