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<\/p>\nChristmas crackers are a traditional Christmas favourite, \u00a0did you know they\u00a0were first made in about 1845-1850 by a London sweet maker called Tom Smith? He had seen the French 'bon bon' sweets (almonds wrapped in pretty paper). He came back to London and tried selling sweets like that in England and also included a small motto or riddle in with the sweet.<\/p>\n
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Fast forward to 2016 and the Careers Service Christmas lunch. We\u00a0not only pulled\u00a0crackers but\u00a0also attempted to indulge in that old 'lets share our cracker joke' \u00a0tradition. Alas we couldn't, as our crackers contained words of wisdom<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0conversation starters <\/em>and\u00a0<\/em>we missed out on\u00a0gems like:<\/p>\n What does Santa suffer from if he gets stuck in a chimney?<\/strong> Or<\/em><\/p>\n What's the most popular Christmas wine?\u2028<\/strong> Never one to dampen the festive spirit, we shared our words of wisdom with one another and thats when inspiration for our last blog post of the year came to\u00a0me. So here goes, some cracking words of wisdom that will really make a difference to your\u00a0job hunting in the New Year.<\/p>\n Cracker wisdom # 1:<\/strong> Learn from everyone, but never imitate anyone. Cracker wisdom # 2:<\/strong> The harder you fall, the higher you bounce Cracker wisdom # 3:\u00a0<\/strong>A goal without a plan is just a wish
\nClaustrophobia!<\/p>\n
\n'I don't like Brussels sprouts!'<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
\nThe goal of your CV\u00a0is to stand out from all the other job seekers and be picked for an interview; if you are using the same template as all the other hopefuls you will achieve neither objective. Whilst it is OK to look at example CV's, pick and choose the bits you like and ensure\u00a0your individual strengths, personality and motivation\u00a0for a particular opportunity is shining through. Likewise, don't let your inner monologue (also known as Imposter Syndrome<\/a>) hold you back and crucially don't compare yourself to everyone else.<\/p>\n
\nYou applied for your dream job or placement and despite your best efforts your application got turned down.\u00a0The truth is rejection comes hand in hand with the job hunting process, the important thing is to learn from the process and not make the same mistake. For example, where in the recruitment stage do you stumble? Last year, I wrote a post about Coping with Rejection<\/a>\u00a0where I shared strategies on reinventing yourself at ever stage of the selection process. However, it is also important to step back and consider whether there is a message in the rejection itself. Is it that a particular company isn't the right fit for you? Or that you are applying for a role that isn't harnessing your strengths fully?<\/p>\n
\nFor many of you the Christmas holidays are clouded with worries about exams in January. It doesnt have to be this way. You can enjoy the festive season and still stay on top of revision and coursework. Check out our top time management tips around exams<\/a> to help you feel more in control.<\/p>\n