When I graduated from London Met in summer 2004 with a degree in Creative Writing and Film Studies, I was certain of my career path ? I was going to train as a journalist, climb to the very top, and then set up a media empire that would have Rupert Murdoch shaking in his boots.
Well...one out of three isn?t bad! I did go on to train as a journalist ? in fact, I was given a scholarship to do so by Murdoch?s very own company, News International, responsible for newspapers including The Sun, The Times, and the now defunct News of the World. This gave me access to work at The Sunday Times Culture magazine for a while (unpaid but great for the CV) and then later on at The Guardian in the paid role of Junior Commissioning Editor, G2.
But it was while working as the Assistant Editor of a small film magazine called bfm (the best job I?ve had to date), that I really fell into what I mostly do today ? CV writing. I came across numerous bad CVs from people who wanted to work for us and eventually this led me to start my own CV consultancy which I still have today. I simply transferred my skills of writing and editing from the media to careers, and six years later, I?ve just released my first book on the subject, called ?7 Keys to a Winning CV: How to create a CV that gets results?, published by Harriman House.
Today my career is so diverse and interesting that I absolutely wouldn?t have it any other way! As well as teaching people how to write winning CVs on a one-to-one basis and in seminars and workshops, I also edit books, provide copywriting and PR services, and I run an award-winning raw food business with my husband called Raw Love UK, which we founded in July 2009. I do still love journalism and that innate curiosity and desire to ?know everything? will probably never leave me, but since graduating I?ve discovered that your career is what you make it ? the only boundaries really are those you create.
"7 Keys to a Winning CV: How to create a CV that gets results" is available from Amazon and all good bookshops. For more information about Mildred, visit: www.mildredtalabi.com
