Free your mind

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21st century, aced it, anxious, best friend, bigger picture, bottle, brain, breath, breathing, brisk walk, changes, chill out, close friend, count to ten, desk based jobs, destructive, dwell, endorphins, enjoy, every day, face to face, focus, free fall, free your mind, fresh air, fun, harder and harder, harsh, heart beat, ideas, inside, interview, job, jump to conclusions, laugh, Life is short, Live in the moment, living, long hours, look, make a list, manageable chunks, missing out, mode, month, more to life, mum, new job, on the ball, on trend, one step, over worked, partner, positive, quick swim, regroup, Relax, revolves, right now, sit back, situation, social media, step back, stop, stressed, talk, think back, time, tired, tomorrow, under paid, week, work, world, worst-case scenarios, you

Stressed?

Over worked and under paid?

Tired?

Anxious?

Far from being words that are banded around for the sake of it, for many of us this is the reality of 21st century living.

We are expected to be on the ball, on trend and down with the kids 24/7 and sometimes, things can get a bit too much.

We have put together some easy ideas of how to free your mind so you can relax and chill out once in a while rather than constantly having your brain in free fall mode.

Breath
Before you do anything else, sit back, count to ten and breath. Focus on your breathing, feel the air go into your body and out and just stop for a few minutes and regroup.

Talk
After breathing, comes talking. If you bottle everything up, then it is only going to get worse and seem harder and harder to deal with. Open up to your partner, mum or a close friend and they may have ideas about how you can make changes and find a positive way forwards.

Live in the moment
Whatever is making you anxious right now, isn’t going to last. Breakdown what is bothering you into manageable chunks and tackle it one step at a time. For example, if you are moving house you might feel overwhelmed, but step back, make a list, work out what needs to be done and if you can, delegate.

Not this again
If you are worried about an interview, think back and see if was the same the last time you went for a new job? If it was, and you got the job, what are you worried about? You aced it last time and we bet it will be the same the time round too.

It’s not all about you!
Harsh we know, but not everything that happens in this world is about you. Yes we can all feel put upon or have our sensitive days, but thinking every situation revolves around you in some way can be really destructive and you could be missing out on a lot of fun.

Look at the bigger picture
Ask yourself whether the issue that is on your mind right now will still be there tomorrow, in a week or in a month. It is unlikely it will be, so regroup, relax and look at what is going on in the world and see there is more to life than a difficult boss or messy flatmate.

Preparing for the worst
I will lose my job. He is going to dump me. She doesn’t want to be my best friend anymore. We tend to jump to conclusions and dwell on the worst-case scenarios and this can lead to stress and depression. It is far better to talk to the person involved face to face and find out what is really going on before you make yourself ill believing the world is about to end.

Take some exercise
Social media, long hours and desk based jobs mean many of us get less exercise than ever. Try to get some fresh air every day and even if you have a brisk walk or a quick swim, your heart beat will go up and the endorphins will pump good vibes around your body.

Laugh
If nothing else, remember to laugh. Life is short so make the most of it and enjoy every single day you have.

Team Pure Beauty

Creating the perfect CV

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‘can do’ attitude, bags of enthusiasm, client, colleague, CV, document, dream job, education, endorsements, experience, Eyes, friend, grammar, job, permission, Personal statement, professional, reflect, responsibilities, shine, snappy, sparkle, spelling, statement, title, work, work experience

The world of work is becoming increasingly competitive, so as well as experience, bags of enthusiasm and a ‘can do’ attitude, you also need a CV that sparkles and shines.

In essence, your CV needs to be an evolving document that develops and grows as you do.

Whilst you might spend hours getting it right, a potential employer will have moments to read it and decide whether you can do the job and are you the right fit for their business.

Harsh but true, so you need to make that first CV moment matters so you get that interview.

Stick to the facts
The most important thing with a CV is to be 100% honest. A white lie here and there might not seem a big deal, but it can be a total deal-breaker so keep it real.

Layout and structure
Keep your CV clean and uncluttered and aim for no more than two pages and number each one. Use a font such as Arial, Courier or Times New Roman in font size 12 for the body text and no larger than 16 for bold headings. Keep the copy short and sweet and avoid lengthy sentences and fluffy words. Don’t refer to yourself as ‘I’ or by name and use the past tense to describe your career and the present for skills.

Personal details
Start your CV with your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Be aware that including your date of birth is no longer needed thanks to age discrimination rules. Some people add a photo but this a matter of choice. Your website and blog can be listed as well as any relevant social media details but be aware of what you write on feeds as the world can see it.

Personal statement
This is an opportunity to really sell yourself and ensure you stand out from the crowd. Approach it is a sales pitch where you need to capture the reader’s attention and keep them interested and wanting to know more. The statement needs to be succinct and snappy and reflect your professional qualities and personality. It can be hard to write about yourself, so ask a trusted friend to read your statement and offer feedback.

Work experience
When it comes to your professional experience the protocol is to start with your most recent position and work backwards. Include the title, start and end dates, company name as well as a brief description of the job for each position you have worked in. It is a good idea to include the responsibilities and scope of each role as well as any achievements and promotions.

Gaps
If you have had any significant career gaps, include these and add reasons why, for example travelling and maternity leave. It is better to be honest about these periods of time and you might even highlight learnings whilst you were away or looking after a young family.

Education
Including your education and qualifications is essential. List academic achievements first then professional qualifications complete with dates, grades and establishments. You can also include additional skills such as languages, technical know-how and vocational training.

Check, check and check again
It is vital that you check your CV for spelling and grammar mistakes as sloppiness could cost you your dream job. Get a colleague or friend to read through because a fresh pair of eyes can spot errors you have missed.

References
You can either add the details of your referees on your CV or say they are available upon request. Whichever you go for, ensure you have the permission of the people you use and only give permission for them be contacted when you are ready.

As well as references you can include client and internal endorsements that reinforce what you have said about yourself.

Updates
Once you have your CV ready, date it for that months and then update it as you go along. Not only will this mean you have it to hand at anytime but also keeps experiences, dates, details and successes fresh and included.

You may also want to slightly tweak and tailor your CV for different jobs to ensure you really bring out your strong points and most relevant experiences and skills.

Good luck and happy job-hunting.