PS Tip 67 : Hold back what they don’t need to know

If there are aspects of you career that you wouldn’t want to shine a light on, by all means don’t include them. Nearly everyone has some of these, and it’s simply a case of learning from mistakes and moving on – don’t drag it around like an anchor, or let it hinder your future progress.

For instance, if you’ve been fired from a job, I wouldn’t recommend providing that information unless explicitly asked about it. Equally, whilst it can be a good idea to include strengths that are relevant to, but not specifically mentioned in, the job/course spec, there is no reason to include weaknesses.

Something else worth considering is the inclusion of your personal interests and hobbies – As a potential student it’s probably a good idea to include your rugby playing prowess, as universities approve of social and sporting involvement. If you’re applying to be a director at a white-collar firm, however, I’d leave it out – no employer wants to have their director going off sick with a broken collar bone due to his or her dangerous hobbies.