Good career management involves being proactive, understanding your value in the job market, knowing how to authentically market yourself and having clarity on career goals. This allows you to search effectively in a competitive market, evaluate opportunities, weigh up the options and act decisively when making your next career move.

[axr] has put together a comprehensive list of tips providing you with our expert advice, gathered by our consulting team with over 25+ years of experience, to set yourself up for success searching for your next career move.

 

Career goals and skills analysis

• It is important to dedicate time to identify your long term career aspirations and set goals to help you become more strategic with your next career move
• Assess the skills, expertise and strengths you have and then research the gaps you need to fill to be able to move towards that ultimate career goal
• Research potential roles and organisations that will assist you in your career development, as well as additional training or education that may be beneficial
• You will be more focused in your job search and more confident of the skills you offer to your next employer

Personal brand and value proposition

• Knowing your unique combination of strengths and skills assists you to understand the value you offer a new employer and assist you in developing your personal brand
• Your personal brand is unique to you and must feel completely authentic.  You should be able to articulate that in 2-3 business-like and professional sentences that state who you are and the key value you bring to a new employer
• Make your personal brand part of your resume and your LinkedIn profile.  It can also be your ‘elevator pitch’ when you are networking and meeting new people

Resume

• Ensure your resume is up to date, well constructed and easy to read with relevant information for the roles you are targeting.
• Attach a short succinct cover letter tailored for each role you apply for highlighting your skills/expertise relevant to the role.  Bullet points work well in a cover letter as well.
• Building your resume correctly is vital (we have created a blog to help you with that as well)

Networking

• Many roles are filled by internal recommendations so use your network.  Let your network know if you are thinking of making a career move and let them know if you are available to start immediately
• Network broadly in your industry, with your peers and speak to people you know well.  Ask for referrals.  Send a short, succinct message through LinkedIn to professional contacts you don’t know – LinkedIn is an excellent professional network tool

LinkedIn profile

• Whilst job searching LinkedIn is an important tool even if you have not used it much in the past. These days recruiters and potential employers often automatically check profiles of applicants they are interested in and to approach people directly for roles, or build talent pools for future roles
• Ensure your profile is up to date, well written and aligns with your resume, and that you have a professional business photo attached (we’ve created a guide for that too!)
• Expand your connections – connect with people you know professionally and have worked with previously, as well as people you want to know

Dealing with recruiters

• Do some research and identify the recruiters who specialise in your discipline or industry.  Make contact with them and in an ideal world, you would organise a face to face meeting with the purpose of building a long term relationship, which is ultimately in the interest of both parties
• If you are applying directly to a job advertisement you may not hear anything unless your profile is exactly what they are seeking, however, we suggest following up a couple of days after the application to express your interest and gain further information

Preparing for interviews

• Research the company, industry, people you will be meeting.  Gather as much information as you can about the role and the organisation before the interview
• Know your resume, your skills and especially your achievements. Choose a variety of examples of your achievements that demonstrate your skills and expertise.  Practice your answers – a few good examples should be able to address many questions you will be asked in the interview.
• Have some good questions to ask the interviewers
• Get the basics right – know where you are going, be on time, be well dressed and impeccably groomed (you can find out that and more on our guide to getting interview fit)

Managing your job search

• If you are not working, we suggest you treat your job search as your job!  Dedicate time to your search each day, research industries, companies and people you are interested in, follow the job boards and LinkedIn, keep up to date with business and industry news, and connect with your network
• Keep track of roles you have applied for and responses.  Follow up applications after a couple of days with an email or phone call (you may not get through but worth a try) to ensure your application was received and whether any further information is required

Mindset

• A positive mindset is essential when you are job searching.  It can be a challenging time especially if you are not working, but it does come across if you are feeling negative
• Schedule yourself some dedicated time each day for your job search but also keep busy with other activities – get outside and get active, develop or spend time on other interests, read some interesting books, volunteer your time, learn a new skill, or take some courses that build relevant professional skills

 

At [axr] can provide you first-hand advice on how to manage and take control of your career. For a confidential career conversation, please reach out to Jan or a member of our team today.

 

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