This post originally appeared on the TARGETjobs Bloggers site

We all want to get  that brilliant job, but knowing how to present yourself to employers can be challenging, especially on video. We have chatted to Inspiring Interns about their tips to acing video interviews. Whether you’re a graduate or making a career change, this is the guide for you.

The cost of each graduate hire in 2014/15 was £3,396 (excluding law firms) according to the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) in their 2015 Graduate Recruitment Survey. Law firms are excluded as they tend to skew the figures with an average hire cost of £12,682. This figure includes marketing the vacancies and carrying out the recruitment activities. The high figure is not totally surprising, given that AGR reported 91.8% of their members use assessment centres or group selection methods in their application process. These are expensive activities, due to their intensive nature and the number of assessors required to run the activities. For this reason, only candidates that recruiters are really serious about are invited to attend. So if you do get that invitation email, you can be confident the recruiter very much likes what they know about you so far.

One of the common activities at assessment centres (and one that candidates often most worry about) is the ‘group exercise’. This is essentially a time when a small group of candidates are asked to work together to debate, discuss or plan something. The activity could involve a role play exercise, when each candidate is given a brief and asked to ‘fight their corner’ (for example there could be some funding that has to be spent and each candidate has to argue for why it should be spent in their area). Alternatively, it could be that candidates are asked to debate a work-related or news-related issue from their own, genuine perspective. Or there could be a work-related briefing paper and all candidates are asked to come up with a solution to the issues presented between them.

For all these activities, the candidates will be marked by the observing assessors on the content of what is said as well as team behaviours. Here are 5 top tips on the type of team behaviours that you may wish to exhibit!

• Speak early – if you are nervous, the earlier you can speak up, the better. The longer you leave it to speak, the more you may feel the expectation to say something amazing with your first words. This is a common fear that others have reported to us and it just compounds the nerves! So start by getting everyone to introduce themselves, or by summarising the issue. Anything, as long as you have broken your silence early.
• Be clear and concise – speak clearly and confidently and try to say your points in the most concise way possible. Be assertive but not aggressive. If you start to waffle, you are wasting time and this will not only irritate the other candidates (who may interrupt you) but it may also mean that your assessor knocks points off your score. Start with your main statement / idea and then elaborate as necessary. Even if you do then get interrupted, at least the key idea has been put across.
• Be respectful to the other candidates – yes, you are in competition with them but that does not mean that you need to talk over them or shout them down. It is much better to be seen as a facilitator, that keeps the conversation flowing and on track. If you feel someone is dominating the discussion, try to verbally summarise what they are saying and ask if others have anything they wish to add (adding your own ideas too). If someone is really quiet, try to bring them into the conversation by asking them if they have anything to add. Remembering and using the other candidates’ names is also a plus.
• Use non-verbal communication – show you are actively listening to other candidates through eye contact and nodding (if appropriate!) Use your hands to emphasise important points. Also be aware of how you are sitting. Leaning forward slightly gives the impression of interest in the conversation. Also, arms uncrossed gives an impression that you are open to the ideas that are coming and happy to engage with others.
• Demonstrate your organisational skills – take on the role of time-keeper. Keep the conversation on track and if you feel that time is running out, make sure you ask the group to move onto the next point. Summarise where you think the group has got to, and take brief notes if that helps. Maybe take on the role of summarising to the assessors at the end if that is what is required as well.

If you are looking for more information about assessment centres and group exercises, look at the UCL Careers webpages: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/careers/information/interviews

Good luck!

– Karen Barnard, Director, UCL Careers

 

Guest blog written by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student.

You’ve got more say in your pay than you think. Save the Student flips the lid on salaries to show you the money – and how to get it.

The good news is that having a degree stacks the salary odds in your favour: graduates go on to earn around 60% more than someone without a degree over the course of their career. While that’s a hefty bonus in the long term, take a look at some fixable factors that influence your pay from day one.

1. The going rate

Graduate salaries can fall anywhere between a measly 12 grand to more than five times that – but where you land on the scale depends on the industry you head for. Careers in technical fields are more likely to bag the bucks, with graduates in IT reporting starting salaries of up to £70,000. Pay in the Arts tends to start (and stay) much lower. Pick a career – or subject – that can work across several industries to keep your options open. Visit, What Do London Graduates Do, to get more inspiration and help inform the decision making process.

2. The route you take

Researching the going rate can give you an idea of the ballpark you’re heading into, and if there are routes or roles which could net you more. Whether you take a side-step or a full detour depends on how much starting pay matters to you. Use your Maths degree to get into accounting and you could be looking at £17k in your first year – use it for banking, and you could get twice that.

3. Demand

The fewer folk qualified to do a job, the better the pay scale – so getting further training, experience or a specialism can be strong bargaining tools for more money. If you want to play the trends, there are in-demand vocations with cash incentives open to most degree subjects – teaching is one, along with Aldi’s retail management grad scheme, which comes with a £42k golden hello.

4. Location

Big cities typically pay more, with London most likely to top the chart. You’ll pay a premium for living there, though, so it’s worth balancing the lure of better starting pay against higher rent and transport before you up-sticks.

5. Knowing how to negotiate

Asking for more cash when you’ve just landed a job might seem hideously impolite – but one of the reasons graduates earn less than they could is that they just don’t ask. Women are even less likely to negotiate (and more likely to earn less over their careers than guys doing the same job), so it’s important to know your worth.

How to negotiate like you mean it:

• Fixating on the money at your first interview won’t give the best impression. Ask once an offer’s on the table.
• Have compelling reasons for wanting more – whether it’s because the salary doesn’t reflect transport costs for the location or you’ve got skills that the company will profit from.
• Be realistic: if the salary on the job ad was ‘up to £16,000’, you’ll be lucky – or ludicrous – to ask for twice that. Know the going rate, though, so you’ve got a sound basis for your pitch.
• List what experience, solutions or qualifications you can bring to the company that other candidates can’t. If you’re super confident, you could ask for a bonus for delivering key job objectives or deadlines.
• If your employer can’t stump up extra cash, they may be able to offer perks instead, from health insurance to travel or extra training.

There’s no shame in asking for what you’re worth – at best you get it, and at worst, you get the salary that was advertised. If you really feel the salary isn’t a fair match for your skills, it’s up to you to decide whether the business is one you can devote yourself to between now and next pay review. Once you get on the career ladder, though, the fastest way to promotions and pay rises is often by moving company – so take the long view.

Why it’s not (just) about the money

It’s unrealistic to think salary isn’t important – but it’s not the only factor in job happiness.

Doing something you enjoy sure makes it easier to go to work every day, while working with like-minded people can get you a giggle along the way.  Meanwhile, your salary will go up time, with your attitude, achievements and experience all helping to boost your pay packet.

Money isn’t the only thing a career can buy you: from training to team nights out, there are tons of ways to make it pay. Make sure you get your dues!

– Ruth Bushi, Editor, Save the Student

Guest blog written by Ruth Bushi, an editor at Save the Student. Featuring the kind of straight-talking advice you won’t get at school, the site has everything you need to know about managing money without the migraines: student finance explained, insider info on careers, plus ways to save and scrimp without the stress.

Careers thoughts can creep up on you in the most unexpected places – I went to see the film Brooklyn over the weekend. It’s a beautifully observed film about emigration from Ireland to the United States in the 1950’s. If you think that’s not relevant to you, think again. The film explores different factors that affect and influence our career decision making:  the main character Eilis looks set  to follow the same career path and way of life of her family and community, however, circumstances  propel her into a completely different environment as an immigrant to Brooklyn in the United States. Here she begins to forge a different  life and career. On a visit to back to Ireland Eilis faces a difficult decision about where she sees her future. My careers thoughts from the film? Taking time to gain a reflective stance on  our career decision making and gaining an understanding  of the  different influences that shape our decisions  will help us create the careers we want. Oh,  and  having courage to explore new ideas and ways of living.

What factors are driving  your career decision making?

– Kate Woods, Careers Consultant, UCL Careers

At UCL Careers, my role is to advise students and graduates on how to sell themselves on paper, bringing them closer to their dream jobs (…or closer to securing part time work to survive!). Matters of gender inequality are all pervasive, locally and globally, even when it comes to the job application process! Studies have shown that women are unlikely to apply for a job role if they don’t meet its essential criteria; men on the other hand, tend to apply for roles even when they don’t meet the specs, and yes, they do get the job in some cases! Knowing this, I feel compelled to give everyone the strength and knowledge to overcome barriers, psychological and practical that hinder their decisions in applying for great roles.

Perceived Gender differences and job applications

Last year, Tara Sophia Mohr discussed Hewlett Packard’s report for Harved Business Review, which revealed that men apply for roles even when they only meet 60% of the job’s person specification. Meanwhile, women, they found, would not apply unless they could check off 100% of the requirements. The findings did not list a lack of confidence as the main issue!

What’s going on here then? The top reason that both men and women gave for not applying was a strong belief that they wouldn’t be hired unless they met all the requirements: “I didn’t think they would hire me since I didn’t meet the qualifications, and I didn’t want to waste my time and energy.”

Belief is a powerful force. It’s the foundation upon one’s success or failure. Let’s break belief down into thought. It starts at thought. For women to have the same opportunities as men, they need to start thinking bigger. The men and women who didn’t apply had a mistaken thought that they wouldn’t be considered at the hiring stage. The problem was not a lack of confidence in applying but a “mistaken perception about the hiring process.” Now that’s eye-opening! We need to remember that recruiters are human; aspects of selection are subjective.

The study also showed that 22% of women didn’t apply because of a fear of failure. So far, limiting beliefs are a key reason for gender inequality at the application stage. Looking closer, this means there is a tendency to “follow the rules”. Mohr, women’s leadership coach highlights that during socialisation, particularly at school, there is a clear gender difference, with females being told what to do and then being awarded for it and males often “misbehaving” or breaking the rules. This correlates well to why women aren’t applying for the jobs they think are beyond their reach. This is not to say however, that there aren’t real concerns and biases when it comes to hiring—but despite these hurdles women should persevere, take risks, and think big, as these are all the qualities of highly successful people.

“First appearance deceives many.” ~Ovid.

Don’t always believe in what appears true when it comes to the guidelines for job applications. Assume nothing and interrogate everything! Like the majority of men who apply without the essential qualifications, believe you have a shot and change your thought-processes. Pay more attention to transferable skills and don’t deny yourself outstanding career prospects.

For students and graduates who fear rejection, both male and female, look closer at what you see as weaknesses – how can these be transmuted into strengths? Learn how to sell your experiences well by attending our Skills4Work programmes and numerous other events to help promote your professional image more effectively.

Attend career fairs you wouldn’t usually think of going to. There’s evidence to suggest that certain types of fairs attract more men than women. You may surprise yourself and feel motivated to apply for companies and organisations you didn’t think would recruit you because of mistaken beliefs about them and your own self-perceptions. A discussion with a recruiter or representative is a chance to leave your mark and build a connection, which may work to your advantage during the application stage. This networking opportunity can also lead to insights into their hiring processes and remove doubts you’ve attached to applying for the role.

Here’s a tip: ask questions you wouldn’t find answers to online or in a guidebook!

How thinking big can lead to big results

The solution to imagined and perceived obstacles then, is to expand one’s thinking outside the paper box of checklists and beyond fear of rejection. And yes, a certain element of this is to nurture belief in yourself and resilience towards failing.

“There is no force equal to a woman determined to rise.” ~ W.E.B Bois

Write down the thoughts and fears that hold you back from applying. What action steps can you take to not internalise short-term setbacks? There is much to learn from failures. Without them you wouldn’t adapt, innovate and try something new. As leadership expert Robin Sharma says, “The riskiest thing you can do is not take risks.” Why? Because unless you do, you will not grow into your best self. So the first step is encouraging a shift in perception about failure. When you work with this fear, rather than avoid it, you have room to see the bigger picture, to think bigger and plan ahead better. Forbes author, Jenna Goudreau writes, “Women at the top aren’t fearless. They move toward their fear to continually challenge themselves.”

A long-term focus and commitment to goals is a result of this shift in mindset. Women in top managerial positions are big picture thinkers. EY’s Global Market Leader Uschi Schreiber champions ‘thinking big’ and understands very well that limited thoughts hold women back from reaching higher positions in industry. Her big successes have come through aiming high. Earlier this year in The World Post she stated that: “Using the talent of women can bring powerful positive change and increase the likelihood of better outcomes for us all.” If you feel you have the talents to do the job well, then apply for that job. It’s the employer who will lose out to the positive results you can drive, not you!

That said: take more action. Don’t react to job opportunities using your habitual thinking patterns. Use those valuable critical powers developed through academia. What can you do to frame your expertise further? Call the recruiter? Initiate contact with employees through LinkedIn?

Pause, investigate further and think creatively.

Moral of the story: Don’t always believe in what you see on the surface, challenge the rules, and explore the strong feelings you have for wanting to apply for the position that appears out of reach. Think big and feel your way to success, the rest is just noise.

– Payal Patel, Applications Adviser, UCL Careers

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Durgha Ramji, Project Manager at Inme, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to pursue opportunities abroad. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile.

Durgha Ramji (25) is Inme’s very own ambitious young person from the UK. Durgha spent her first year at UCL before transferring to the University of London Institute in Paris. Durgha has interned at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Sharekh Youth Forum in the Palestinian Territories and the Next Billion Online project powered by Google in Bangalore, India. She now heads Inme’s engagement with the outward student mobility strategy of UK HE Institutions.

Go International with UCL

I remember my time at UCL as being an opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. My friends circle had never been so diverse. There were  also lots of opportunities to learn about projects which can support a student gain international experiences through volunteering or placements. These experiences are critical in todays globalised world as employers are looking for graduates with the ability to work in multiple cultural contexts.

While at UCL I applied to The British Council’s Study India Programme (SIP) and after graduating I spent a year in Bangalore as part of Google’s Next Billion Online project (NBO). These experiences really inspired me to pursue opportunities in India. When it came to deciding whether I accept my offer of a graduate job in London or continue exploring career development opportunities in India – having had the SIP and NBO experience made the decision easy for me – it was always going to be India.

From my previous exposure to the cultural, economic and youth led start up environment I knew the responsibility, initiative and skills I would develop by leaving the UK would be invaluable and attractive to employers back at home once I returned.

Returning to a world of opportunities in India

Selected as delegate for the World Conference on Youth in Sri Lanka, I knew I would also visit friends in India and so bought along my business plan for a student leadership programme I had submitted to the Lloyds Bank Start Up Fund. I’d got through the application round and had my phone interview in a tent on the banks of the River Ganga while working as a facilitator on an Inme rafting programme in Rishikesh.

Unfortunately I didn’t pass this stage of the Llyod’s application but I’d also shared the business plan with Inme who took up the offer and decided to explore the opportunity to internationalise their  offering of leadership programmes to international students.

And so I decided not to take my flight home and I’ve been working in India since.

Global Entrepreneurial Minds at Inme Learning Pvt Ltd

As part of my role, I am heading the entire project cycle of designing, selling, implementing, evaluating and improving an international product. I am responsible for ensuring the success of the project, anticipating and following through on opportunities and working with different departments to ensure my objectives are met.

I have found inspiring mentors in the senior Inme team who themselves come from diverse backgrounds and have extensive experience in pioneering visionary ideas and products in India. The senior team are experts in using adventure based learning, behavioural science and attitudinal and mindset training to build leadership skills.

With Inme – I believe I have discovered the most conducive environment to build my own leadership capabilities!

Skills focus

Through working with the senior Inme team my steepest learning curves has been in the following key areas:

Adaptive challenges – As a start up project making mistakes enable us to gain insights, understand our target group and adapt the product to what works best for them. I know that having the bigger picture and an overall plan is necessary but I must be ready to adapt to the context and situation.

Anticipating opportunities – When attending my first SOAS Alumni event in New Delhi I took along my programme brochure in anticipation of sharing it with fellow alumni.  In a chance meeting with a representative of the British Council we discovered a potential collaboration opportunity. Investing my time, energy, creativity, relationship building efforts and trust in multiple options and opportunities is important – I know some will fail, but some will pan out extraordinarily!

Taking risks – Taking risks with a combination of trusting my intuition and reasoning (add to this a dash of serendipity!) will leading to rewarding results for myself and Inme.

Appreciating diversity – There are many different ways, processes and methods of achieving the desired result.

Living the Generaton UK – India experience

Today, I find myself living the Generation UK – India experience – and with the project I am heading – The Global Leader Inme – I really want to inspire fellow UCL students to take the same leap I have of being at the vanguard of ambitious young people ready to work with India and innovative and exciting Indian Companies to build ties between the UK and India which go beyond simple economics.

Inme are UCL Skills4Work supporters and are delivering a workshop with Deloitte on Career Drive and Motivation on Monday 16th November 2015 at 5pm.

As part of our #UCLInspireMe series, Nadia Newstead, Marketing Assistant at Soho Theatre, talks to us about how she got this role and shares some tips for UCL students who want to get into the sector. For more insights from recent graduates working for smaller organisations, search #SMEProfile.

How did you get into your role?

I did Drama and English at university where I threw myself into Stage Managing various productions. I did an internship as part of my degree which was my first taste of administration work. I did various box office/front of house/stage managing jobs until I got my first job as an administrator, then marketing trainee at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury and then Marketing Assistant at Soho Theatre.

What are the best things about working in your role?

I like that although it is an admin role, it is also a creative role as you get to have input on photo shoots for show images and do filming for trailers as well as coming up with fun content for the web and social media. I like helping small companies reaching the best audience possible. Marketing great shows is my way of sharing my love of theatre with others.

What are the biggest challenges you face in your work?

The amount of shows we have on here at Soho Theatre! All the shows require the same basic  amount of attention whether they are on for one night or 7 weeks. A lot of the shows also have very small budgets so you have to try and maximise what they have to reach the most amount of people.

What top tips would you pass on to a student interested in this type of work?

Have a go! If you’ve got an upcoming show, exhibition, reading or know someone who has then offer to help them with marketing. With social media it’s very easy to get started – just know how much you have to spend and stick to it and always evaluate what did and didn’t work.

Soho Theatre currently have an opportunity to join them as a Marketing Assistant, visit UCL JobOnline to apply.

To find our more about working in a Marketing, either come in an speak to a Careers Consultant or visit Careers Tagged.

This blog post orginially appeared on the QM Careers & Enterprise blog

When used effectively LinkedIn can be a really useful tool to help you find your perfect job

The use of social networking sites like LinkedIn are increasingly important in recruitment. LinkedIn is a professional networking site, where you can fill out your educational background, work history, skills and interests. Far more than an online resume, LinkedIn is a very rich, customizable, multi-faceted personal branding platform. There are tens of thousands of professionals on this site, with whom you can connect as individuals or via interest groups. It is becoming increasingly important to manage your personal branding online; with a smart profile and well-honed strategy, LinkedIn can become your powerful partner in long-range personal branding and career management.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When getting started with LinkedIn:

• Don’t be tempted to use LinkedIn as a professional Facebook page. Only write appropriate updates and comments.
• Have a profile image. A professional headshot is recommended.
• Complete your profile. Make it easier for people to find you by including your name, location, education, skills and experience.
• Add connections. Begin by searching for people you already know.
• Get recommendations and endorsements. Ask people who have worked with you to give you a recommendation or endorsement.
• Participate with groups. Become an active member of groups, share content and engage.
• Update your information regularly, you never know when recruiters might be looking at your page.

Top tips for using LinkedIn to network

• Find the right people: Search for companies and job titles that you’re interested in.
• Ask for help and be clear: Ask something specific like, ‘I’d like to know how you started out in your chosen career?’
• Personalise: Why are you reaching out to this person? Do you have a shared connection or admire their career path?
• Be considerate: Understand that time is very important and explain that you’d really appreciate as little as 10 minutes.
• Follow up: You might not hear back straight away, but do politely follow up about two weeks later.

UCL students and recent graduates are in the midst of Careers Fair season and one of our Fair sponsors, EE, have shared some top tips ahead of the IT and Technology Fair happening this week:

> Prepare by finding out information about the company, to use as a conversation starter – it will also show you’ve put the effort in
> Aim to get email addresses or LinkedIn connections
> Handing out paper CVs will have limited impact
> Don’t bombard your contacts with emails after the fair
> Try to think of appropriate questions in advance to shape the conversation

To get more indepth tips on how to prepare for the IT and Technology Fair, have a read of our “How to prepare for our Careers Fair” post

The IT and Technology Fair 2015 is kindly sponsored by EE and Cisco and takes place on Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd October, 5:30 – 8pm, North and South Cloisters.

I know what you’re thinking. What do martial arts have to do with job applications?

This is not about extra curricular activities (well I do mention that later). It’s about what you can learn from martial arts and how you can use this information to approach job applications in a healthier way!

Practising the philosophies of martial arts may help you overcome that initial dread of filling in the application form.

Both ‘practices’ have a lot in common. Both seek to project a positive self-image of confidence and strength.

Application-Glasses-Pen – Creative Commons/Flazingo Photos/Flickr.com

The Martial Arts Way

If you’ve trained in a martial arts class, you’ll know that negative thinking leads nowhere. The only way is up and forward when faced with physical and mental challenges.

Believe in yourself – never give up – is not only the principle; it is the essence of martial arts practice and the only way to progress to higher levels of achievement.

Go to any traditional martial arts class and you’ll see it’s also very performative. The practitioner performs specific set movements or ‘forms’ through positive and focused mental effort.

Martial arts teach you to become comfortable with your physicality and accept what you can’t control. The dread of getting hit in sparring for example, becomes insignificant when it actually happens. There is a complete acceptance of consequence whilst simultaneously strategising one’s next move. This attitude of accepting reality for what it is and moving forward despite the consequences is a useful trait to practice and cultivate, and may well help you push past the initial disappointment of not getting through to an interview.

The amount of energy and focus you invest in your application is proportionate to how much you desire that particular role. So, why not fully accept that you have chosen to write this application and win or lose you’re going to put your best foot forward, because in the end, you will not be in control of the outcome. Turn that dread into confidence and the quicker you can complete the application!

The application and the importance of attitude

A viewer of martial arts thinks, “Wow”, “Amazing”, “That skill!” Aren’t these the reactions you’d wish to evoke in an employer?

To induce this effect applications should reflect candidates who believe in themselves and appear confident. “You’re number one” my instructor always says. “Not two, not three—number one!”

You have to be number one when conveying information about yourself in applications. A lot of students fear coming across as arrogant rather than confident but this only happens if you write in a way that expresses you’re better than someone else.

“The successful warrior is an average [woman or] man with laser-like focus,” says Bruce Lee. You think only of yourself and your progress. Time thinking about the strength of the competition—the other applicants, is wasted energy you could be using to win!

Students often worry about what they lack compared to other candidates, rather than focusing on what they already have and could cultivate further. Eg. join the Economics and Finance Society if you want to demonstrate your drive and passion for finance-related roles. Learn a language, self-taught or through the university, if your dream employer has preferences for bilingual or multilingual staff.  Your aim is to project an image of their ideal candidate: an individual they invest and believe in to do a good job. The operative word here is ‘do’ – it is recommended that 70% of your application form answers reflect action words. The employer will measure your ability to contribute positively to their organisation by learning about how you performed in your past experiences. Show them how by what you did (think achievements) and don’t talk vaguely of roles you performed.

What do all world champion martial artists have in common? Discipline! Build confidence in areas you need improving for a particular role, turn perceived weaknesses into strengths and work hard to attain new levels of success, which you can then reflect in your application form. This is the martial arts way. Believe in yourself!

“Choose the positive. You have choice – you are master of your attitude – choose the positive, the constructive. Optimism is a faith that leads to success.”

– Bruce Lee

But what does it mean to Believe in Yourself?

You engender a positive spirit and meet challenges with courage whether you’re faced with a invitation for interview or a rejection – you persevere like martial artists: when they get knocked down they stand back up and keep going, changing movements, learning new techniques. Martial artists don’t do the same thing expecting the same result. Adapting to the situation is therefore key. In a similar vein, having a flexible approach to writing your application and whatever its outcome will build and maintain self-belief—in being able to keep going, keep applying, despite challenges.

Martial arts usually involve a system of grading in which each student strives for their next belt. This means having a goal is crucial in cultivating an attitude of success as it keeps the practitioner focused. What is your career goal? Make it visible and it will motivate you further.

Here’s an idea: make a quick list of the top ten values you live by. These can include anything from Integrity, Open-mindedness to Health and Education. This will immediately reinforce your sense of self and boost esteem. Traditional clubs run their classes by precepts and tenets; core beliefs which students respect and uphold, further implanting a strong resolve. Rob Yeung, Business Psychologist and writer of job application and interview books insists that simply reminding yourself of your key values is like an “instant espresso shot of confidence”.

Even better, spending a few moments visualising your future – imagining and feeling successful – influences the outcome of your actions. Positive visualisation is no secret in competitive sports and a vital tool for martial artists; creating and practicing imagined combat situations and visualizing success nurtures the belief to win. It’s all part of that healthy habit that martial artists have of ‘training the mind’.

The great news is that, like other skills, self-belief can be practiced and mastered.

Conquer lingering anxiety by thoroughly researching your field, your future job role and the company you’re applying to before beginning your application. For the martial artist, studying your opponent during a fight is essential in knowing where the weaknesses and strengths are. Preparation comes before success.

If this still isn’t hitting home then try out a martial arts class and see how the philosophies and practices blend into other areas of your life, bringing you a renewed sense of faith in yourself. (Not a bad thing to put on your CV either!)

Still struggling with your application? Don’t forget you can book an appointment and have one of our Application Advisers check it for you before you submit.

– Payal Patel, Application Adviser, UCL Careers