It’s almost that time of the year again. The lists are being made and the promises of being good are upon us.
That’s right – it’s almost time for the New Year Resolutions!
According to a study carried out in 2019, 55.6% of British employees are dissatisfied with their job. With figures like this, it’s not surprising that the search for a new career will be at the top of many peoples resolution priorities.
Before you go distributing your CV to the masses, here are some things to consider to help you get the best of your job search.
The Search
Before you begin your search ask yourself a few questions, and be honest. Why are you dissatisfied? What are you looking to gain that you aren’t getting from your current role?
Make a list of what aspects are “desired” and what are crucial deal breakers. For example; wouldn’t it be great to not have to travel far for your job? Sure, travelling less for me would be nice but it’s not the reason I wanted to look for a change. My priority was to focus on a specific industry that I had experience in and wanted to develop. By having a clear indication of what your priorities are you will be able to streamline your search.
Everyone has a different priority, for some, the job is a means of paying the bills – whereas for others they are looking to work within a certain industry. There is no wrong answer, your job requirements are personal to you and your circumstances so keep that in mind when searching.
Consider your skillset
A piece of advice I would give is to talk through your skillset with someone. Often we take for granted the things that we do well if it comes easily to us. By speaking with someone else they can help identify areas that you wouldn’t have considered. It is also important to take your personality traits into consideration. Call centres, for example, do not suit my personality. I remember years ago looking for a job and I just wanted something quickly after being made redundant. I applied for a call centre role, knowing I don’t like talking on the phone at the best of times. But hey, a job is a job right? Well, I got the job and 2 months later I was so miserable I ended up back on the job search!
In short, I wasted the companies time, my time and was left feeling deflated and anxious. All because I picked something that wasn’t suited to me.
The CV/Cover letter
If you google CV Tips you will receive 540,000,000 results. I am not going to give you a full breakdown of how to write your perfect CV as the truth is, it is all dependant on the individual, however for some basic tips you can check out a previous blog
Instead, I want to talk to you about personalisation. Rather than having a one CV fits all, tailor your CV for different jobs/industries by looking closely at the job spec. You don’t need a complete overhaul each time you apply for a job, but if you are applying for certain industries you might want to focus more on different skills to suit the industry.
Networking
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Never was there a more truthful statement. If you have the opportunity to attend networking events then I would stress that you do so. If you are not inclined to attend networking events then begin to build strong relationships via LinkedIn. More opportunities arise the more people you know within certain industries – studies actually show that 70% of offers job seekers receive are a result of networking.
Clean up your social
While we are on the topic of networking and social media there are some things to consider while on your job search.
40% of employers have admitted to being put off a candidate after seeing inappropriate content on social media. With over 600m Linkedin Users compiled of job seekers, businesses, recruiters, CEOs and hiring managers, its easy to see the impact inappropriate content could have on your audience.
For a guide on what to be mindful of with your social media check out this previous blog!
Murray Recruitment | 01698 501130 | www.murrayrecruitment.co.uk