Advice and Opinion - May 2026

  • Why You’re Not Hearing Back After Applying — And What You Can Do

    Posted on Thursday, May 14, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    One of the most frustrating parts of a job search is the silence. You apply for a role that fits your experience. You take time over your CV, sometimes tailoring it, sometimes rewriting sections so they align more closely with the job description. You submit the application, wait a few days, then a week, then longer. And eventually, it becomes clear that nothing is coming back. No feedback. No ...

  • What to Do When You Don’t Have Direct Experience

    Posted on Tuesday, May 12, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    At some point in a job search, many people come up against the same barrier. You see roles that interest you. You understand what the work involves. You can picture yourself doing it. But when you look at your experience, it doesn’t match directly. You haven’t held that exact job title. You haven’t worked in that specific environment. On paper, there is a gap. That gap can feel definitive. It can ...

  • How to Answer Interview Questions Without Overthinking Everything

    Posted on Friday, May 8, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    Interviews have a way of making simple questions feel more complicated than they are. You prepare in advance. You think about what might come up. You rehearse answers, sometimes more than once. But when the moment arrives, it can still feel uncertain. Questions that should be familiar suddenly feel harder to answer. You start thinking about what the interviewer is really asking, what they want to ...

  • How to Apply for Jobs When You Don’t Meet Every Requirement

    Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    It’s a common moment in a job search. You find a role that feels right. The responsibilities make sense. The direction matches what you want. But when you read the requirements, something doesn’t quite line up. There are gaps. A skill you haven’t used directly. A type of experience you don’t have in the exact form it’s described. At that point, many people stop. They assume the requirements are ...

  • How to Build a Strong CV Without ‘Perfect’ Experience

    Posted on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    A lot of CV advice assumes something that isn’t always true — that your experience follows a clear, linear path. You move from one relevant role to another. Your responsibilities build in a predictable way. Each step makes the next one easier to explain. On paper, it all connects. But for many people, that isn’t how it looks. Experience can be mixed. It can come from different sectors, different ...

  • How to Approach Interviews When You Don’t ‘Fit the Mold’

    Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    Interviews can feel challenging at the best of times. But they can feel even more difficult when you have the sense that you don’t quite match what the employer expects. Sometimes that feeling is subtle. You notice it in the job description, in the language used, or in the way the role is framed. Other times, it becomes clearer during the process itself. The way questions are asked, the tone of ...

  • The Return-to-Office Shift Is Redefining Who Can Access Work

    Posted on Sunday, May 3, 2026 by Kim Cockayne — No comments

    The return-to-office debate is no longer about productivity or preference. It is increasingly about access. Across the UK, a growing number of employers are tightening office attendance policies, quietly shifting away from the flexible and hybrid working arrangements that became widespread during the pandemic. While some organisations present this as a return to normal, the reality is more ...

  • How to Stay Consistent in a Job Search That Feels Unpredictable

    Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    One of the most difficult parts of a job search is not the effort. It’s the uncertainty. You apply for roles and don’t hear back. You prepare for interviews that don’t lead to offers. You adjust your CV, refine your approach, and still the results don’t always reflect the work you’re putting in. Over time, this creates a sense that progress is unpredictable. It becomes harder to tell whether what ...

  • How to Stand Out Without ‘Selling Yourself’ in a Way That Feels Unnatural

    Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    A lot of job search advice focuses on one idea — selling yourself. You’re told to promote your achievements, highlight your strengths, and make sure you stand out. For some people, this comes naturally. For others, it feels uncomfortable, even forced. It can feel like you’re being asked to present a version of yourself that doesn’t quite match how you actually work or communicate. Over time, this ...

  • What to Do When You’re Qualified — But Keep Getting Rejected

    Posted on Saturday, May 2, 2026 by Lucy Thomas — No comments

    At some point in a job search, many people reach the same question. You meet the requirements. Your experience lines up. You apply carefully, sometimes even tailoring your CV and covering letter. You get through to interview, or sometimes you don’t hear back at all. And after a while, the pattern becomes harder to ignore. You are qualified, but it isn’t translating into offers. It’s easy to ...