6 Tips When Applying For A Job

Whether you are trying to get a job, internship or placement you are going to be going through a pretty stressful period. Taking a new direction is daunting, especially when you are not sure which direction you will be taking.

Each new opportunity that comes, whether it's an interview or just an application, you talk yourself round to having this job as your new or temporary life before you've even got it. Then if you don't get it you're bitterly disappointed, or if you get accepted you doubt that the path is definitely right for you.

We are currently in the process of applying for a year long placement and we can honestly say we've never felt so unsettled! We are obsessive planners, and like to always know our next step, but how can we when we don't know what company or job role we will have, whether we will be living at home or getting our own place, or when we will even start when we do get one?

Applying for a job sounds pretty easy, but we can assure you it's not.  There are so many things we wish we had known when we first started applying, and hopefully this post will help with anyone going through the application process, and maybe make you prepared for what's to come.

1) Try and find out what you want to do

When we first started applying we were fussy, we wanted an exact role and wouldn't settle for anything less. A few months and a lot of rejections later we flipped to the opposite, applying for absolutely anything and everything. Then when we started to get opportunities we realised that we actually no longer knew what we wanted, and quickly figured out that the only way to know is to explore. This then leads on to...

2) Don't judge a role by it's description

Kirst got offered an interview and was convinced the role wasn't for her. For days on end she was toying between whether to go or not, if she didn't go she felt as if she would look back regretting and asking 'what if?', but she also had a gut feeling that it just wasn't for her.  Despite these feelings, she went to the interview for peace of mind, and because well... time felt as if it was running out. Luckily for her, she absolutely loved it - her gut feeling was way off and instead, within the first 10 minutes she couldn't see herself anywhere else. Moral of the story? First impressions aren't always accurate, and we'd rather take rejection than regret.

3) Be unique in selling yourself

One of the placements that Em applied for specifically asked to not be bored with a 'generic cover letter'. So many people just changed the company name in their cover letter, and it shows. Every job is different, even if the only difference in the actual role is the company it's for, meaning that everyone wants something different from you. Sell yourself differently to match the tone of the company, it will make you much more likely to stand out and less likely to be ignored.

4) Know your company from the word go

Two words... surprise interviews. Companies are always looking for ways to get the most honest representation of you that they can. When they ask for an interview they know you will go away and swot up on what you might be asked, and let's be honest anyone can do that. As soon as you apply for a job spend time getting to know the company inside out (you should have already started doing this when writing your cover letter) so that your confidence is evident right from the start.

5) Ask questions

When applying for a job you think that all the questions are directed at you, but actually what you ask says a lot about you. It tells the company what it is you want from the job, and determines how passionate you are about getting it. Ask questions that make you look genuinely interested, such as questions about the working environment, your responsibilities etc so you find out about the potential job and make it look like its something that you really want.

6) Be prepared to be rejected

We've done a whole post on being rejected, find it here. When applying for multiple jobs it's important to know that you are likely to face rejection, even if you haven't done anything wrong. You could have been the perfect employee, but someone else may have just had one teeny tiny element that made them suit the job better. It's important that you don't doubt yourself. Rejection is just another phase in the process, and you can't let it knock your confidence. Accept the rejection, take on board the feedback and use it go for the next job with a whole new sense of experience.

It's OK To Have Different Friends

It’s like we are taught from a young age that we will always be in a group of friends. I don’t remember ever being told that, but it was always portrayed as the ideal, wasn’t it?

Look at Sex And The City, four girls who are best friends. They are a solid group who always meet up and are just always friends, no matter what. And Friends, a group of six people who just fit together. They have other friends who flitter in and out but those six always stick.

The problem is that this is unrealistic. But this is also saddening. Most of us feel that if we aren’t part of some sort of friendship group that we no longer have any and nobody really cares about us. We feel like we’ve failed in society and that it must be a personal thing - we must have something wrong with us?! Surely?! No. You don’t.

As I grew older, I realised it was less important to have one best friend who fulfils every purpose. Now, I have friends for different reasons. I have friends who I trust, these are the ones I would confide in or moan about something if I’m having a really crap day. Then I have friends who I primarily see to get drunk with or just go for lunch now and again. 

Now there are plenty of other roles that friends fulfil, and some tick more than one of those boxes. But the point is, it doesn’t make them less of a ‘friend’ to you because you can’t trust them, or you can’t say something crude to them because they don’t quite have that sense of humour. This is normal. I promise.

I love my friends for all different reasons. I dislike them hugely at times too, and this is a major thing I really picked up on at university. When I moved away and started to make new friends, I realised things I found there were things I desired in friendships – then I realised that this was a really fixed way of looking at it. Why am I looking for characteristics in people that I already have in others? Don’t get me wrong, I have plenty of friends who are very similar to each other, and I get on with them for those reasons, but it’s OK that some of my friends are the complete opposites.

In fact, I love it. It gives me so much variety in what I can talk to people about, I’m not flittering between people repeating the same conversations and receiving the same answers. If I have some kind of issue I want opinions on, I can gather a complete range because my friends aren’t all clones of each other.

What I’m trying to say, is that at school it was drummed into you that your best friends were the people you got on really well with, or the ones that always invite you over to their house. This was incorrect, because when I left school I soon realised that a lot of people were in my life because of habit. This doesn’t mean I dislike them any less, it just means that when we were taken out of normal situation, it turned out we weren’t that good friends after all. It wasn’t fake, it was life.

Some people you will realise you actually have nothing in common with, and in reality they are actually a pretty shitty person. They lied to you, they were sly or they were just plain rude – either way, you’ve decided you actually don’t want them around anymore. That’s fine. Sometimes it takes a step back to realise what you were putting up with for the sake of a ‘friend’.

My advice is to evaluate what you want from your friends. If that friend makes you laugh til you’re belly hurts, but she has a tendency to gossip… then don’t tell her those really private things that you don’t want to be shared. Nobody's perfect, it's unlikely that you will find somebody with no faults or annoying habits. 

Oh, the most important thing - remember that you should be valued too, if somebody wants you in their life, they will show it and they will act on it. Don’t do all of the chasing, you’ll regret it one day.

Kirsti x

Budget vs High End - Who's The Winner?

As students we are always looking to swap expensive goods for cheaper versions that are just as good, if not better. Often we find winners, and end up saving some pennies (yay for one less thing to moan about), but other times we find ourselves feeling it necessary to splash an extra bit of cash.

We've rounded up some products to compare, to find out where budget buys are best, and when a bit of money is needed.

First up...

Johnson's Baby Shampoo (£3) Vs Wilko's Own Baby Shampoo (£1)

Using baby shampoo in itself is the cheaper option when cleaning Make Up brushes, but it can be made as cheap as £1. There is absolutely no difference between these products, but if you pay the brand you pay triple the price! 

Winner - Budget

Sleek Brow Kit (£8.50) Vs Benefit Brow Zings (£24.50)

Ok ok we know what the caption says, Benefit wins 'best selling' but is it really the best? Maybe if you have the money to spare but when you are watching the pennies it's not necessary. The Sleek kit comes with the same tools, and does exactly the same job for way under half the price!

Winner - Budget

Olay Essentials Complete Care Day Cream (£5) Vs Liz Earle Skin Repair Moisturiser (£20) 

Now this one depends on how much your skin relies on being moisturised, but as much as we want to tell you to put your purse away Liz Earle really doesn't compare. If you've read our blog post () you'll know how much we adore this product, and through being users of both these products, while the budget will do, it doesn't live up to the big bucks. 

Winner - High End

Talcum Powder (99p) Vs Batiste Dry Shampoo (£2.99)

Talcum powder has been used as a cheaper alternative to greasy hair for years, to the point where many other brands (such as Lush) have offered dry shampoos based on the same texture. It works for getting rid of grease, but you really do have to be careful with going out looking like a witch with white hair. If like many of us the problem with not washing your hair is not just grease, but also flat, limp hair that won't be styled you might need something more. Yes it's triple the price, but Batiste works at eliminating grease, and giving your hair some extra oomph that usually only comes from a good wash. 

Winner - High End

Rimmel London Kate Lipstick (£5.99) Vs Mac Lipstick (£15.50) 

Mac lipsticks are the absolute in-trend in the beauty world, and have been for quite some time. Our problem? We are in-decisive and can't commit to spending £15 on a lipstick that we will probably change our mind on after a few uses. The Kate Moss collection eliminates this problem, and allows us to buy three shades for the price of one Mac colour. In terms of the lipstick themselves the quality of Mac's do not justify the price, so you really don't need to pay for the brand. A girl can never have too many lipsticks, so buy Rimmel and have more for less. 

Winner - Budget

Primark Heeled Chelsea Boot (£15) Vs River Island Heeled Chelsea Boot (£50) 

One thing to bare in mind when budget shopping is not which is nicer. Obviously if you gave us a choice we would pick the River Island boots, but a) are they worth the price? b) will the Primark ones do? And the answers are a) no b) yes. There's the assumption with Primark that the quality is not as good, but this is not true at all. We both have Primark boots that have lasted far longer than our pricier alternatives, and even if they don't last for £15 you cannot really complain. Price doesn't always equate to quality, and so often we forget this when we are shopping. 

Winner - Budget 

We wish we could tell you that budget products are always best, but then what would we have to moan about? It's a case of picking and choosing when products are worth the spend, and swallowing your pride when they are not. 

Being Friends and Being House Mates

        

Being friends with someone and being house mates are two very different things. I adore my friends, would I choose to live with them? Nuh uh.

Em & I are quite lucky that we were house mates before we were friends. Well, we’d spoken on Facebook prior to meeting (that makes us sound creepy, doesn't it?) but we weren't really friends. Our friendship was based on learning. 1) We were learning about each other as a person, determining if we were going to be friends, how well we got on, how similar we are etc. and 2) we were learning to live with each other.

This sounds silly and quite obvious. But it’s something we both hadn't been through before, and many others haven’t before university. You've always lived with your family, people who take you for what you are because they've always had to. 

My brother was a nightmare when I was in my teens, he's so lazy and untidy and it was unbearable. But what could I do? I can scream and shout but its' just the way he is.

Now, we were quite lucky in our first year. We were surrounded by friends in other flats/houses who were going through hell. Flatmates who stole their food, smashed up the kitchen, broke doors, tables… whatever. Our flatmates were not perfect by a long-shot, they were unwilling to clean without being nudged, but they weren't the worst, so we were thankful. 

Anyway.... back to the subject. Em & I were getting to know each other, as a friend, as well as getting to know our daily habits. Em has a habit of cooking dinner, but using up all the worktop space. She has packets, chopping boards and random bits of food spread around our kitchen. I spent most of first year piling it up for her so I could make some room to cook my own dinner. 

Me? I talk to my food. That sounds odd. Let me give an example. I tell it to "hurry up" or "wait there". Ok that's odd. But anyway, living with strangers whilst growing a friendship means you learn absolutely everything about them, all at once.

Traditionally, people meet. They spend time together, they decide they like each other. They think they like each other enough to move in together - this means learning a whole new side to them. That boyfriend you've had for 7 years and you're sure is 'your perfect match'? Yeah... has a habit of leaving dirty tissues everywhere and he wears the same jeans 8 times before washing them. You now have to adapt to this.

Isn't it weird to think that you've known some of your friends for years, yet you're basing a friendship on only really knowing them for snippets of their life? You don't see them 24/7, you don't see them go through every emotion, every mood swing or every illness... You can pick and choose what you show. 

University is such a test. Em & I have a stronger friendship than I do with the majority of my friends from home. Why? Because we have to spend so much time together. We've learnt every aspect of each others character, there is nothing we can possibly hide. We know each other inside out. 

It works both ways. People I would usually have a great friendship with because we share the same sense of humour or the same interests, I can't stand because I know how lazy and unclean they are. 

Isn't it strange how you judge a friendship or relationship on how well you 'get on'? Yet you could be basing that whilst only knowing half of their character. I wonder how many of my existing friends I would still like if I'd had to learn all of their personality. 

It's OK To Have Felt Like You Want To Leave Uni

Nowadays it's drummed into us that after college Uni is the next step. College puts pressure on you to apply if you're unsure, and with everyone around you being tempted you find yourself doing it too. Before you know it you've convinced yourself that a) Uni is your only option, and b) it's what you want to do.

Fast forward a year and you've made it. You're a Uni student. You're here so it must be what you want, and you must be happy with your choice, right?

If it only it were that easy! Trust us when we say that whether you are waiting to go to Uni, are in your first, second or final year there will be times when you will ask yourself 'what have I done'?.

If there's one thing all students will agree on it's that Uni really is an emotional roller coaster. You will go through phases so quick that sometimes you aren't even aware of the phase you are in. One day you will love Uni and another day you will completely hate it, and question why you ever thought it was a good idea.... and that's ok.

There are a million reasons why you feel like this, and we can guarantee that you are not alone in feeling it. Maybe you're struggling with your course, whether that's finding it too hard or just wondering if you have chosen the right one (especially if you're first year), or maybe it's the Uni life itself.

The problem is that Uni is like nothing you have ever experienced before. Up until now you've been pretty safe in your comfort zone, and mostly known what to expect. Uni takes that comfort completely away from you, making you feel unsettled, and sometimes all alone.

If you make it through Uni without ever questioning your choice of going then wow, well done you! But for the rest of us, it's completely normal to feel like this. While we have had these thoughts many times, they have always passed and we have managed to fall back in love with Uni again. Having said this, it's ok if you can't. You've made such a huge life change, and the thought of backing out of it can actually be more daunting than seeing it through.

You need to do what makes you happy, and despite what society is telling you, Uni is not for everyone. Don't be afraid to leave if it's not for you, but remember that sometimes you will have doubts, and that's OK.

If it's becoming a constant feeling then maybe it is time to consider your options, discover whether you really want to complete Uni. But for most of us, doubts will come and go, its unlikely that you will feel 100% about your choice to be at university, ever (sorry to break it to you). Remember you're not alone, and many others are/have been through it.

Our advice? Don't make rash decisions. It's OK to have doubts.

Pampering On A Budget

There is nothing worse when money is tight and all you want is a nice pamper. We've all heard that when you look good, you feel good and being on a budget shouldn't get in the way of this! 

As we've shown in our blog post Best Budget Buys  (http://morethanamoan.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/best-budget-buys.html), you do not always have to spend a fortune to look good, or to do things that you enjoy. 

You can have yourself a lovely pamper evening with just a few products, and without breaking the bank. 

One of the best parts about being pampered at a spa is the atmosphere. It just feels clean, and calm making you instantly feel relaxed. To re-create this atmosphere at home (or at least try) candles are an essential tool. These are just £1 from Primark, and come in all different scents. They burn for up to 30 hours, create a flowery smell and provide the perfect calm setting. 

Pampering always involves getting your nails done. There is nothing better than freshly polished nails, and there's no need to get them done professionally for them to look good. These are a few of our best budget polishes, all under £5 each, and fitting all different occasions. The Sinful Colors polishes are brighter, and more daring in colour, where as the Rimmel 60 Seconds still stand out but have a much duller tone. The Barry M Gelly is then the perfect nude, and gives the nail a clean finish, without attracting much attention. 

A face mask is a pamper evening must! At just £1 per mask these Pro Formula Purifying Thermal Face Masks (from Tesco's own range) are the perfect way to feel pampered whilst saving money. They work best for combination/oily skin and are just the right weight for a nice refreshing lift. Put them on after your usual cleansing routine for 5 minutes, and your skin will feel like new. 

To prepare for a pamper evening a nice bath will help you feel clean and relaxed. This is then the perfect time to pay attention to your hair and nourish it with a mask. Hair masks can be pretty pricey but this one comes in at £4.99 (in Superdrug), and that's for 500ml so it will last a lifetime! The mask helps to repair any damage to hair, and is the perfect consistency to create a smooth texture. Leave in whilst in the bath, or wrap your hair in a towel with it on while you pamper the rest of you, and then rinse off. 

When we feel particularly moany a pamper evening is the perfect way to help keep us quiet! You don't have to spend a lot to feel nice, so treat yourself. 

We're always looking for new ways to pamper ourselves, what are you favourite pamper products to use on a budget? 

Best Budget Buys

Is it just us or do all bloggers seem to be rich? Don't get us wrong we are guilty of splashing out, but is it always necessary? As much as we would love to, we can't always afford to buy the best of everything, and actually don't believe that you always have to spend a fortune to get a good quality product.

To make your living on a budget easy, we've got our favourite budget buys that will make it feel like you haven't had to make a compromise.

Obviously everyone has a different interpretation of 'budget', so there's a mixture of cheap, a bit of a treat and products that only really seem good value when you compare them to their up market versions. 

First up is the Pro Formula make up Wipes from Tesco (£2). We have no idea why make up wipes are so expensive but most are on average around £3, ouch! These wipes are cleansing wipes with Green Tea and Vitamin E and are one of the only range of wipes that actually leave our skin feeling clean. They have a fresh smell, not fragranced like most, and are perfect for sensitive skin and removing impurities. 

                   

Contouring has gone absolutely crazy in the Blogger world, and so many paint it to be a pretty pricey task. This kit by Sleek comes in at £6.50, which is relatively cheap in comparison to so many on the market. The shadow side is a perfect matte, and can be built up to achieve the level of darkness that you desire. The highlight then has the perfect shimmer, and again starts relatively light, allowing you to create the right build up for the look you want to achieve. 

Some of the face masks currently popular are extortionate. £45 for a tiny bottle!? Even if it's a miracle worker not many of us can justify spending that much on a mask, so here's an alternative. The Mudd range are such trusty products, and buying the masks in bulk is much cheaper than buying the individual packets. While this one does not appear to be on the market currently, the same product is available in different packaging. You can get 10 masks for £3.99 at Fragrance Direct http://www.fragrancedirect.co.uk/mudd/mudd-original-mask-100ml/invt/0043442. 

The product is heavy, and thick leaving your skin completely revitalised and cleansed after just 10-15 minutes. Perfect little weekly pick-me-up for you skin. 

It's such a common perception that the most expensive perfume is best. We have a large proportion of the Marc Jacobs range (and don't get us wrong, we love it), but it does feel pretty pricey to be wearing everyday. We like to have a less expensive perfume for everyday wear, and the Zara range is absolutely perfect. Starting at £9.99 the price allows for a quality product that lasts, and smells absolutely amazing. 

With Benefits release of a new mascara, the hype around expensive mascara is pretty high. We absolutely love Benefit mascara, but like to have cheaper alternatives that we can combine. Here are two options depending on how much you need to budget. 

On the left is Bourjois Paris Volume Glam Ultra Curl mascara. At £7.99 (in Boots) its not too cheap, but in comparison to the Benefit ones it really is a budget one! It really work and elongates eyelashes, the brush is not too bold and stumpy and allows for build-up with each stroke. Great for everyday make-up or to use on top of others. 

On the right is Collection 2000 Volumising mascara, and at just £3.99 (currently on offer, £2.99 at Boots). This mascara perfectly separates lashes and really does create good volume. This is an absolute essential if you're on a budget. 

Above are Boots Botanics Day and Night Creams. The Botanics selection comes in six different ranges, all designed for different skin types and vary in price. Kirsti is currently using the Radiant Youth range, which is typically for women looking to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Recently, her skin became stressed and appeared run-down so she tried this range and it has really improved the quality of her skin. Previously, she's used the Organic range which is best for all skin types, so if you aren't specific or suffering from anything it's a good place to start!

Boots Botanics are a great range to use and their products can be used by all different skin types. The Day and Night creams vary in price depending on the range you buy, The Radiant Youth ones come in at £7.99 each, the other ranges are from £4.99-£7.99 - a bargain compared to some of the larger brands! A real good quality product, too. 

And off the subject of beauty, this is an absolute Gem. The new Cristalinas range is available at Asda, and this diffuser comes in at £4. Since having our own house we are constantly looking at ways to make a lovely home, whilst sticking to our budget. Who knew how expensive diffusers are!? Well this one isn't in compassion to most, and honestly works so much better. This particular fragrance is Cherry Blossom and it honestly smells good enough to eat (please don't eat it though). It's the first thing you smell when you enter the room, and it really does last. Probably the best £4 we've spent on our home (well technically the best £12 as we've brought three!). 

So there you have it, living on a budget doesn't have to be so bad after all! Do you use any products that are a bargain? We'd love to know! Hopefully these products will give you a few less things to moan about. 

It's Ok To Have A Bad Day

We've all been there, you wake up and your mood instantly seems off. There's no real reason for it, but you just know that it's going to be a bad day. 

Yesterday Kirsti tweeted "I've had the worst day in the history of worst days and it's not even 3pm". If you looked at yesterday and tried to pinpoint why this was, you would find no evidence. Apart from the fact we missed a lecture because we couldn't find anywhere to park (this was a one off, promise!) - it was a pretty normal day. 

Nothing negative had happened. No arguments, nothing. We even had a pretty decent dinner (enchiladas, nachos and salad, if you're wondering). We realised we had spent the whole day punishing ourselves for being in a bad mood, which as you can guess, didn't exactly make us feel any better. 

Why are we sat here trying to force ourselves into a good mood? Emotions are temporary. They are feelings. They aren't a way of life. Just because we are not sat here crying with laughter every moment of the day, doesn't mean we are bad people.

We all have these days. You wake up and the mood is already engrained in you. Then you set off into the world with this mind set, making every little thing seem to contribute to making your day worse. Things that normally wouldn't phase you are suddenly the worst things that could happen and you find yourself angry, demotivated and annoyed at just about everything. 

You start to get annoyed at your attitude, telling yourself to 'snap out of it', but really if you could then you would. 

The point is that it's ok. You're allowed to have a bad day, and by letting yourself have one you are actually helping yourself in the long run. Although it feels like the bad mood started from nowhere, it probably didn't and there is a reason for why you feel the way that you do, even if you don't know what it is. So just accept it, and instead focus on how to move on from it. 

Different methods work for different people. You have to think about you, and what is going to be best. Need to sweat it out in the gym? Go for it. just want to sit in bed, eat, watch Netflix and have a cry? We chose to spend a couple of hours in bed watching Friends eating homemade cookies, but whatever floats your boat - do it, and don't feel guilty for it.

Too often our biggest critic is ourselves, and we make our mood so much worse. Give yourself a down day (or a couple if that's what it takes) and just take a step back to figure out what you need. If you don't know, or what you need can't be achieved then what are you going to do about it? Take time to fix your attitude, and you will make the problem better.

It's ok to have a bad day, but it's not ok for it to turn into a bad life. So do what needs be, without any guilt, and remember the downer is only temporary.