Valentines is a long held tradition across many countries in the world as a day to express love for another – one legend is that of a priest in the third century in Rome, who took it upon himself to marry soldiers in secret, who were forbidden to marry under Emperor Claudius II as his belief was that single men made better warriors of war. On discovery, the priest was executed; the Catholic Church recognises three saints Valentines or Valentinus’ all of whom were martyred. Of course there are a fair few legends but this one I think is particularly romantic in that it talks of a religious party striking against what the establishment deem as right in matters of the heart.

So naturally I wanted to tie the Valentines theme in with CV writing, sitting down to think about what Valentines actually means to others and how it affects our lives I put the question out to my friends – the response was good but one of my favourites was this response; “It’s a bit like Xmas. You can go the hype route, or if you take heed of the underlying message you can enrich your life.” How true, seeing through the commercial aspect it is a time set aside to reflect on what really matters in your life.

I began to write a list of what actually happens on Valentine’s day and the actions we take:

• Putting yourself out there – taking a risk for something you really want. For single people valentines provides an opportunity to let that special someone know that you are thinking about them. As is the case with applying for a role, it doesn’t have to be an advertised job, you could make contact speculatively. You have nothing to lose as long as you keep your approach professional. You never know, as up until the point you make contact you are not even on their radar!
• Making an effort – getting dressed up to create a good impression doesn’t always mean knocking on doors physically, dress up that LinkedIn profile and CV; make contact and let them do the talking.
• Thrill of the chase – now we all love a chase to get something we want so why only extend the exhilaration to romance, use the adrenalin and endorphins to keep you motivated and enjoy the ride.
• Rise above the fear of rejection – the time old saying, it’s better to have tried and failed than never tried at all. Performed in the right manner, surely it is worth a go.
• Anonymity – traditionally sending a card or flowers to a valentine is supposed to be a secret, a bad CV can have the same effect – to recruiters, bad CVs get put in the recycle bin and it’s like you never existed so heed the warning.
• Rock someone’s world – it’s not always the flamboyant and expensive gestures which make an impression, often it’s the well thought out but simple motion.
• Dating agency – for those still looking for that special someone, an agency can be just the ticket. Recruitment agencies and job websites are also there to attend to your professional needs. Sign up, make contact, search through profiles, find something which makes you want to make contact and do just that.

Striking a balance of a happy personal life and happy work life is the key to contentment – if you invest as much time and effort into finding a new job as you do to matters of the heart and take the thrill of it rather than see it as a chore you will find yourself on a new exciting journey.