If you are considering a new career opportunity in 2022, then why not get ahead of the competition?
With talk of the “Great Resignation” about to step up a gear or two in January, employers are advising us that whilst good candidates are hard to find, they are being inundated with CV’s and applications from people hoping that they will overlook their lack of skills or experience in their need to fill a vacancy. While a company may very well see the potential in someone who has a lower salary expectation, they will always want the best, however long it takes.
So why not start your search now – what have you got to lose? You know despite all your good intentions of doing so over the holiday period, time will run away with you and before you know it you will be back to work in the New Year wishing you had done something sooner. Why put yourself through additional stress of having to fight off the competition?
It may very well be a candidate market now, but that does not mean that the really good employers will just employ anyone. All good employers are looking to invest time and money into each of its employees so they will be looking for people who want to invest in them and their plans for the future too.
But before you go applying, know your reasons behind wanting to move on. Ask yourself can you achieve your goals with your current employer? If you do not know, why not ask? It is always worth having that conversation, at least then you will know for sure you did all you could. However, if you have had this conversation repeatedly, and nothing has changed then it is really time to move on.
Do you know which way you want to move your career, and what is more important to you? I would always recommend writing down what elements of your job you want to keep and what you want to leave behind – it is amazing how this simple task helps you focus.
It may be that you like the type of role you are doing now, but no longer feel challenged – look to see if you could use your skills in a new industry? Not everyone wants to take on more responsibility, but if you do, how does that look for you – do you envisage managing projects, people or both? Ask yourself what skills and experience do you already have to make that move? Know your strengths and weaknesses.
If you do not have the necessary skills/experience, why not undertake a course or two – if you get to have that chat with your current employer, ask if they would support you in doing them?
Occasionally you may come across a job advertisement that looks really amazing. However, do not get draw in too quickly, take a good look at the required tasks and ask yourself is this really want I want to do, and do I have the necessary skills? Find out about the company and look at their values. If you know someone who works there, ask them why they like working there!!!
Do not apply for a role purely based on the salary, no amount of money can be a true substitute for a fantastic job that you really enjoy. As the saying goes “if you love what you do you will never work a day in your life.”
More and more people are talking about hybrid or remote working – ask yourself is this really for you? Hybrid and remote working are not for everyone. Personally, I need to be able to lock myself away from distractions, because if I work in main part of the house, something will catch my eye and before I know it, I have lost an hour on chores which could have waited until much later. Also, by doing this I can manage my time better, knowing that when I leave the room for the evening, I am not tempted to keep checking emails etc, and the time is truly mine. If you did work from home all the time, would you miss out by not being able to just quickly ask a question of a colleague? or simply listen to what is going on with the rest of the team? These can be crucial to your development and understanding.
If you dig deep and work out your true motivations for why you want to move on, together with working out what you want and do not want next, you will be in a good place to make sure you next move is the right one for you and your career aspirations.