New Year, New Job? Start with a plan…

Many people start out the year considering a new job. It’s estimated that any time, 30% of those who are employed are seeking a new job opportunity.

How do you begin to get prepared for the job search process?

When I first decided to start a business, I really didn’t have much of a plan. I knew I wanted to help and support individuals with their job search. I knew what I was good at and where I could add value. But in terms of a step-by-step plan to help guide me through the (sometimes difficult) process, I didn’t have anything written down on paper! And I realise now this was a mistake…

At times throughout the year, I became demotivated. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next in terms of growth and progression. I had some fantastic months, but I truly believe if I had a plan from day 1, I would have been kept more on track and been even more successful!

Taking this experience and learnings, I would advise anyone thinking of a new year job search to make a plan. This will keep you on track and motivated when faced with setbacks. Job searching can be tough, so give yourself the best chance. A positive attitude can make all the difference!

The first step is knowing your skills. It might sound straightforward and obvious, but spend some time writing down the things you are good at – the skills and competencies that you can offer to an organisation. And of course, how you can demonstrate these.

-Write down what you are looking for in a new job and your non-negotiables before you begin your search.

In terms of a plan, I would suggest:

1.       Browse the job websites, but not too often! Set aside once or twice a week for this activity. It can become soul destroying so it’s important to set a limit! I would suggest a Friday night/Saturday morning and mid-week to pick up on new jobs…why? Because recruiters will advertise new jobs or refresh any active positions on a Friday to catch the weekend job surfers! TIP: Set up job alerts so you don’t miss out on anything that might be advertised in between.

2.       Sign up with recruitment agencies. This is one to be careful with! I would suggest signing up with approximately 2-3 agencies but do your research! Choose an agency who can help you! Who specialises in your industry? Who has active jobs you are interested in? Who works with clients you would like to work for? Recruiters can be such a great boost to your job search, but if you sign up with the wrong ones, it can be relatively useless.

3.       Make sure your CV showcases you! This is a very important one and a good way to start thinking about your key skills, competencies and how you want to communicate these to a potential employer through your CV. I would suggest working with a career coach or someone who could help identify your key skills and help to showcase these on your CV.   

TIP: Include an achievements section on your CV – this will help you highlight any experience or notable moments in your career that would be good to highlight to a potential employer.

4.       Leverage your network! You might be surprised at how many people you know who may be hiring or know someone who is. It’s so important when you are job searching to reach out to who you know first. Then continue to grow your network connections. LinkedIn is the best place to do this…and it is completely free!

5.       Do your research and be in the know. Know your industry, trends, who’s hiring, who is influential. The more you know, the more likely it is you will hear about that next opportunity first.

6.       Lastly, be prepared for the interview. You do not want to put in all the hard work to be shortlisted for the job when you dread the interview. A career coach can come in very useful here and for anyone I have coached it has been money well spent. Last year alone over 92% of those who were coached by me secured the job. When it comes to your interview, make sure you have prepared answers for each competency, giving very specific details about one scenario.

TIP: It might feel you are not giving enough information in your answers because you are focusing on one example. But don’t let this fool you – if you talk more generically about your experiences, it will lack the detail required for a competency-based response.

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