Helping you to get a new job isn’t really what I do; although all of the techniques I cover in this column are going to be relevant in helping you to portray yourself well at an interview.

Having said that, not everyone gets the chance to get to an interview and recently I have received several emails on the offchance that Partners With You has a vacancy.

I’ve been making a note of the top mistakes people have made, which have meant they get no further than the bin!

Emailing the info@ address on a website. Look on the about us page or google the company and find out the name of someone who works there! Send it directly to them … if you google someone’s name you can often find their address or ring the company up and ask who you should send it to.

  1. Sending your CV as an attachment – no one is going to open something from someone they don’t know … that is the route to bringing your company server down!
  2. Just saying you saw the website – at least give the reader an idea of why you like the idea of working for the company and not just that you saw the website so you thought you’d write!
  3. Not checking to see if there is an actual vacancy … sometimes there is and you could actually apply for the job! At least check there isn’t an ad on their website.
  4. Not saying something about you and why you would be right for the business. Don’t make them guess because they won’t bother.

My top tip for getting a job? Tell everyone you know (yes even people you hardly know) and don’t forget to tell them what sort of work you would really like to do. You would be amazed by the number of people who would tell a friend or pass a lead your way if they only knew you were looking.

Let me know how you get on at questions@partnerswithyou.co.uk

  • Sally Hindmarch is a communication skills specialist and runs Partners With You, a company that helps people improve the way they come across at work