It's that time of year again where office parties loom on the horizon. An event to look forward to and dread in equal measure, with colleague faux pas certain to be on the increase with alcohol added into the mix. Read our top tips on how to survive this festive season without getting your worst present yet; your p45.

Be in it to Win it.

The idea of spending an evening with your boss and your colleagues might seem like your worst nightmare, but it is always worth making the effort to attend. Your Christmas party might turn out to be the perfect opportunity to make new office allies, strengthen existing relationships and may even help patch up old war wounds between you and the one who always manages to wind you up in the office. If the event in question is really not your thing, find a reason not to stay too long and bow out early; your colleagues will appreciate the effort and you'll be seen as a team player.

Loosen up but don't Lose Control.

It is highly likely that you will be in the company of alcohol at your office party. Even more temptingly, it could be free flowing and free of cost. There's no harm in a little bit of indulgence but the key thing to remember is to avoid getting really drunk. Become too intoxicated and you run the risk of embarrassing yourself and behaving inappropriately; not something to do in front of your boss. Make Monday morning bearable, stay merry and know your limits.

Dress Appropriately.

Avoid unwanted attention at your work do by keeping exposed flesh to a minimum. Men: don't unbutton your shirts too far, while women should stay away from short skirts and low cut tops. Dress comfortably and appropriately for the occasion.

Avoid those Cringe-worthy Colleague Kisses.

Alcohol + Work Colleagues = the potential for alcohol-fuelled office flings ; this is certain to be a bad idea. Avoid making a move on a colleague, you may end up damaging office relationships and making your working life less enjoyable as a result.

Know the Social/Work Balance

It is important to remember the company you are keeping; no matter how friendly the banter and how relaxed you feel, these are your work colleagues and there are boundaries. Don't bitch about colleagues or other members of the business and avoid making controversial statements. Remember to conduct yourself in a way that would befit the office, rather than with the lads down the pub.

Most importantly, make sure to Enjoy Yourself. You deserve it after this year's hard work!

Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Perfecting your CV is one thing, but what if an employer never gets to see it? The sad fact is that an employer might not have the time to read through every applicant’s CV. A polished CV may get overlooked if your covering letter is either non-existent, or not up to scratch.

And if all that info has got your head spinning, here’s an example cover letter to give you some inspiration:

Dear Mr Johnston,

I am writing in response to the job advert you placed on AllTheTopBananas.com, to express my interest in the vacancy of Sales Manager (ref 645/1982).

I believe I have the right skills for this position and wish to further my career in sales management, which is a position I upheld at my previous employment with Sales Inc. for five years. Being in charge of a team of six has made me very adept at motivating a team and ensuring the smooth running of my department.  

I am very interested in applying for this vacancy as I have often admired the business model that Sell, Sell, Sell, adheres to. Your large selection of clients is renowned within the industry and so is the quality of service you provide, which is something that I pride myself on within my own work.

I have held a number of roles that have enabled me to develop and perfect my skills in effective sales and customer service management. I am very goal oriented and have been successful in ensuring my team met the deadlines and targets set each quarter, and I believe that these skills would make me a valuable asset to your company. 

Please see attached my CV for your further information. I am available for interview at any time, and my contact information is at the top of my CV. I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Don’t oversell yourself to the point of absurdity: There is nothing wrong with the assumption that your CV is your chance to shine, but the last thing an employer wants to read is a 2 page monologue highlighting how super-fantastic you are. Of course this is probably true, but make sure you keep the self promotion under control. Highlight your qualities and make reference to skills that match the criteria of the job you are going for. This will make the employer aware that you are focused and understand the skills needed for the job in question.

CV presentation: Yes we’ve all seen Legally Blonde, but the reality of walking into an interview with a pink, scented CV written in glittery biros and the employer not thinking you’re a lunatic, is slim to none! Ok so perhaps that’s an extreme case, but the presentation of your CV is important. Pick a font that is clear and readable, unlike my title! Both Arial and Times New Roman are good examples of clear fonts you could use. Also ensure to pick a suitable size for your text, size 18 might fill up the page, but it won’t look good!

Review your content: Often people write about themselves in a personal capacity on their CV. However things like: ‘In my spare time I love going out with my friends’ is not useful. It is not a skill and it is the kind of generic phrase that suggests you are lacking real things to write down. If you want to give the employer an insight into your personality; try and match it to the job. If it is for a sales position it might be important to highlight your outgoing, approachable nature, but you must tackle this in a way that is more suitable to the job at hand.

Although some of the information above may seem obvious, it is surprising how many of these issues crop up time and time again in CV writing. So take a good look at your CV. If this is the only thing an employer has to truly get an insight into whether you would make a good employee, does it make you look good?

Tell us a bit about yourself...
This will most likely be the first question you are asked at an interview. It gives you a chance to highlight your achievements and skills in both a personal and professional capacity. Give details of your educational and work achievements and also your reasons for pursuing this job role; what gave you an interest in the subject, as this will identify your passion. Don’t talk for too long but ensure that you are giving the employer a real insight into your strengths, as this is the perfect opportunity to shine. It is important to keep the job you are applying for in mind, and tailor your responses to the requirements of the job.

How would your friends/ co-workers describe you?
This question enables you to highlight the qualities about yourself that you are most proud of. Use positive words and phrases and if possible, tie them in to match the job you are going for. Things such as being a hard worker, reliable and trustworthy are all valuable skills that you could bring to a workplace.

Why do you want to work here?
‘I need a job’ may be the worst possible thing you could say at this point. This is your opportunity to show the employer you have done your homework. Find out as much as you can beforehand about the company, what their mission statement is, what values they uphold and what goals they wish to achieve. You should be able to find this information on the company website, especially the ‘About Us’ section. Tell the employer what you hope to achieve within the company, what you think you can do to help them achieve their goals and emphasise why you have the skills to be able to undertake this task.

What are your strengths?
Ensure that you give examples that are really relevant to the post you are applying for. Things such as ability to work well under pressure, being quick to learn new things, and particular computer skills you may possess are all useful strengths for any job. Be prepared to think of examples of when you have displayed these skills, as the employer may ask you to demonstrate an example.

What are your weaknesses?
There are two things to remember when approaching this question. The first, and most important fact, is to ensure that the weaknesses you discuss are not vital to the job in question. Try to identify a weakness that you are taking active steps to improve. For example, ‘I did not feel I was particularly competent using this IT software, but I have taken steps outside of work to improve this by researching and learning in my own time.’ This will show that you are capable of identifying your own faults but also emphasises your ability to self-improve.

Figures out this week show that graduates will face their toughest year yet, as unemployment hits over 2 million, according to statistics reported by the BBC from the ONS (Office for National Statistics).

Jobcentre figures suggest that for every vacancy they advertise, there are over 10 applicants for each position.

So what does the future hold for our next batch of graduates in the working world? Is this putting doubt in the mind of students everywhere about whether a University education is worthwhile?

The job market is a lot tougher for all jobseekers this year because of the economic downturn. With redundancies on the rise and businesses going into administration on a daily basis, it is a very competitive atmosphere.

The numbers of graduates admitted to graduate programmes across certain industries are in decline, and some employers are limiting their allocation of graduates to only the very top universities.

Although speculation always occurs that if you’re the last in, you’ll be first for the chopping block; this is not necessarily the case. It’s about skills, what you can bring to the job and how valuable you are for the company.

Before you start ripping up your degree in despair, check these out:

The Guardian reported that supermarket chain Aldi have significantly increased their intake of graduates due to the success of the low cost supermarket in the current climate. Recruits of Aldi’s graduate development programme can expect starting salaries of up to 40,000.

McDonalds actively publicised their 18 week management development programme for graduates at the start of January, emphasising that the fast food giants are not feeling the impact of the recession.

1 in 4 graduate programmes running in 2009 will pay starting salaries of 30,000 or higher.

Although graduates have suffered job scarcity in the private sector, the public sector is thriving. Civil servants, nurses, local education authority workers and teachers are all escaping the impacts of recession, relatively unscathed.  

The ONS stats suggest that whilst wages in the private sector are down, public sector workers are enjoying an increase of up to £14 in their average weekly earnings compared to January 2008.

The public sector is also continuing to create new job opportunities for people whilst the private sector has been forced to downsize the workforces in many industries.

What can you do?

‘The early bird catches the worm’- No matter how clichéd the phrase, it’s true! Get applying now; don’t wait until you graduate to line up your career. It might be the last thing you want to think about while you’re snowed under with dissertations and revision, but applying for jobs now will pay off. Don’t wait until after your exams or you might find yourself disappointed.

Review your CV and interview technique. Your University will undoubtedly have a great careers service; they will be able to give you advice, look at your CV and even give you a mock interview to see how you fare. So, instead of procrastinating from that Chaucer essay by watching Hollyoaks or surfing Facebook, get down to the careers office and find out how they can help you. And of course check out my blogs for all the advice you could ever need!

Being at University might have solidified your career decisions for you, but it doesn’t hurt to broaden your horizons. So you want to be a journalist, but have you thought about PR, Marketing, Online editing, copy editing? etc. The more areas you can apply to, the better.

Have you thought about further study? If you’re dedicated and passionate to a particular career, why not harness your skills even further by taking up a masters, teaching qualification, vocational course etc.

Although the media statistics seem bleak, this is not true for industries across the board. There will always be industries that are hit hard, and some that don’t feel the impact.

There are plenty of University courses that put students on year/half year work placements. This gives students the opportunity to network, explore career options and can often lead to job prospects upon graduating.

University is not only a great place for improving your qualifications; it gives you life experience, the opportunity to make new friends and have a lot of fun.

So don’t give up on University, there’s life in the old dog yet!