As we've been discussing the importance of keeping the mind healthy, a collegue emailed over a very relevant article she recieved from jobsite today. The article was based around the amount of mistakes found in canddiates CVs. It stated that only 6% of CVs have no spelling, grammatical or content mistakes, this is an extraordinary figure based on that a well thought out CV can open the door into a business. Remember, a healthy mind will have longer concentration but will also be able to spot errors as it is more alert and aware.

It is so important to make sure your CV is mistake free, so if you've spent hours perfecting it why not get a friend to proof read it or have a break before checking it? To test your details skills why not have a go at the memory puzzle in our blog below.

For the full article from jobsite just click here.

How many times have you read something and then had to go back to it because you've missed out a vital piece of information? As we are looking at exercising the mind this month we've included a memory puzzle to see how well you take in information and what you retain.This is especially important when reading job descriptions, making sure you have read every part of it and that all your skills match what they are looking for. Also when you have been writing your CV for 3 hours and then have to proof read it, it is so easy to miss mistakes!

Have a go at this puzzle to see how much detail you look at!

http://www.clarity-media.co.uk/memory-test.php

Exercise has been a big topic around the office recently due to the team running the Great South Run in October, but lately we’ve been starting to think about not just exercising the body but the mind too!  Looking for a job can be a stressful time, especially filling out those application forms, researching companies and psyching yourself up for interviews interviews etc. The entire process requires a high level of concentration, a positive attitude, but most importantly a pro-active approach.

So, how do you keep your mind healthy and fit? Well, it’s just the same as keeping your body fit, you have to exercise and eat the right foods! Throughout August we will giving you different ways of keeping your mind fit, from brain puzzles to what types of foods increase your brainpower so you can be fit and healthy when you are looking for the perfect role with Solutions.

We’re talking about work/life balance this month and it’s obvious that the world of work has changed – in the 24-hour, 7-day society, customers expect service at times that suit them, which isn’t between 9 and 5! More and more people have to juggle responsibilities at home and in the workplace.

Findings from CIPR show that three out of four people say they are working very hard; many say they are working as hard as they can and could not imagine being able to work any harder. These factors help explain the increased interest being shown in the issue of work-life balance as many people find that work demands get in the way of their non-work commitments.

Most people can relate to the situation of having an ever increasing workload expected to be delived in shorter timeframes and that many people are taking their work home with them every night. Due to technological advances it is now possible to work 24hrs a day, it’s just sleep that gets in the way.

So how are companies combating the battle of the work/life balance? We’d love you’re comments on how you embrase the work/life balance issue, if at all!