Thoughts of New Year’s Resolutions are once again upon us, and for some it’s about making a life changing decision to take the next career step. Is 2017 going to be the year where you make the move? If so, there are some considerations to think about over the festive season.
Getting yourself prepared:
Securing a new job takes time and investment on your part but there is lots of support available. Here is a checklist that you can use as part of your preparation:
Updating your CV
Check out our post on how to structure and build a winning CV https://ow.ly/Snt730736Ui
Think about why you want to move and what the next move looks like
Your motivator to move should form the basis of your search. Is it location? money? job duties? Workplace culture?…the list goes on. But, this needs to be in the front of your mind when deciding what move to make. A good exercise to do is grab a bit of paper and a pen and put all of your thoughts down on what’s important. You can involve your family too, so that you’ve considered everyone’s thoughts and covering off any potential disagreements before it’s too late
Timing is everything
Have you thought about the time it takes to write a CV, to register with online job boards, to register with a recruitment agent? Then there is time to complete applications, time to prepare for interviews, time to attend interviews and potentially 2nd interviews. You can go through the process yourself, or you can enlist the help of a good recruitment agent. This can minimise the time required on some of these tasks. Once you’ve done the groundwork, you should plan how to take time off for interviews so that you can give 100% effort whilst you’re there
Registering with a Recruitment Agent
A good Recruitment Agent will make your job search feel a whole lot easier. They will have up to date market knowledge, CV advice, interview help and advice and work proactively on your behalf to market out to their network what makes you special, to help you stand out from the crowd. We can recommend a great one *hint hint https://ow.ly/qG8530738rG
Uploading your CV & profile online
Some employers have access to online cv databases where your profile and CV can be found and matched against their vacancies. With that in mind, it needs to be on point and sell you, your skills and experience. There are lots of job boards out there such as Reed, Total Jobs, CV Library and Monster to name but a few and you should check out what jobs they hold to see if that site feels right for you.
Job searching
If you go it alone and you’re already in work, then you should plan for some of your evenings and weekends to be taken up. This will be with email alerts about new vacancies that match your profile. You’ll also be spending time searching for jobs online and applying for as many suitable ones as possible. Some require a cover letter and it’s a good idea to put together a template that you can tweak for each role that you apply for.
Preparing for your interview
Check out our post on interview preparation to help you nail that interview https://ow.ly/E9JO30739lO
Considering your notice period
How long has it been since you’ve checked your employment contract? Are you on 1 month, or maybe 3? Are there any restrictions in your contract around your next employment? All of these things are worth re-visiting and checking as well as preparing for the day that you actually hand in your notice. It’s a big day! Even though you’ve decided to move when the reality hits it can be emotional and catch you off guard. You also have to prepare for the eventuality of a counter offer and what you would do in that instance as well as serving your notice period with your friends and colleagues.
We’re here to help shine the light through the tunnel and to give you advice and support along the way. We know it’s a big decision and we’re here to listen and keep you focussed on the moving forwards. Drop us a line on 01143211873 and we’ll meet you for a cuppa and help you make a plan to achieve 2017’s New Years Resolution.