INTERVIEW after CV after applicationthe 21st century career ladder makes us nothing but a generation of Del Boys, except the dodgy gear we're flogging is our very selves.

Work never seeks you out, so like it or not you must hawk yourself door to door. And fierce competition means you'll have to jostle to get near any doors into the job market - supermarket more like.

Aren't we all just goods sitting on a shelf hoping someone will take pity, chuck us in a comfortable trolley and wheel us away to employment happiness?

So the secret to selling yourself in application forms or interviews must lie in following one of the smarty-pants supermarket selling techniques.

Option one: market yourself as the basic, "no-frills" range.

Your knack is modestly giving the impression that you will give more for the money. Okay, so you're not saying you're unique, but you are a practical, salt-of- the-earth type who plugs the gap with minimum fuss.

You won't dress extravagantly; you'll be packaged in just exactly what's needed for the job and no more.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is option two, selling yourself as part of the "finest" range. Modesty? For mugs!

You are utterly convinced of your worth, as luxurious looking as you are expensive. You describe yourself in over-elaborate language, but you're the cream of the crop so it fits. Or at least that's what you're trying to convey.

The more unconventional but cunning candidate could go for option three, the "organic" range ploy. You're the kind of cookie who won't shave his beard or cut her dreadlock before interview; that would be shearing you of your creative individuality, which is your selling point! You'll rely on making the person feel good by picking you.

Which technique to choose depends very much on you and the job you're after. Don't worry if you're not a flash Harry; just as people don't only buy the "finest" range, employers want a range of characters. In any case, packaging in supermarkets says more about how buyers view themselves than the food contained within.

A note of caution though; it's not easy. No matter which category you fit into, you could end up in the reduced to clear box. You've been on the shelf too long, and while you might now be selling yourself short, you've got to go somewhere. You're desperate, but you'll still represent a good deal for someone.

Remember, contrary to what the big bad world wants you to think, no decision is final. By taking a job you're only checking what's behind a door, not jumping out of a window.