Before You Start Your Job Search

It’s the start of the New Year and you might be thinking it’s time for a New Career too! Before you begin your job search here’s our advice on what to think about first.

Think about your current job. What don’t you like about it? What is the reason you have decided you don’t want to work there anymore? Very often, when you really think about the reasons for your decision to start looking for a new job you might actually be able to do something about your current one to make it the job you want it to be. So, before you start job hunting ask yourself these questions:

  • Can I get my career to where I want it to be via more training and could my employer provide that for me?
  • Is there another opportunity within the business that is a better fit to my skills, experience and future aspirations?
  • Is there any conflict within the workplace which is the real reason I want to leave my job?

If you think the answer to any of these question is yes, try and speak to your employer about it. Very often they will be happy to try and change a situation to try and make sure you feel fulfilled and happy in your role.

If moving on is the answer and you decide you want to leave your current job then where do you start?

Your Job Criteria List

I’m a big fan of a list so write down all the things you want your new job to provide. Salary and benefits as well as how you want it to make you feel. Do you want to feel valued, do you want to make a difference? Is working in a big team important or do you want to see an achievable career path where you can develop new skills or perhaps move into a management role?  It must be right for you. Salary isn’t everything and if you don’t consider everything, moving to a new job just because you want to earn more money can lead to disaster.

Write Your CV

Start from scratch on this one. Sure, use an old version to get your dates correct, but starting a fresh is a good way to make sure your CV is up to date and has the most recent, relevant experience an employer will be looking for communicated at its best. The top third of your CV should have all the important information so that the reader is encouraged to read on. Your CV needs to be tailored for each job you apply for – one size does not fit all!

Sign up to Job Boards

Again, start a fresh if it’s been a while since you last uploaded your CV onto an online job board. Once you have created your new profile ensure you attach the latest version of your CV. Setting up job alerts is also recommended so that you get an email as soon as a suitable job is advertised but keep your criteria tight. If you make it too broad you will be inundated with emails. You can regularly search the job postings yourself and tweak your criteria if needed but you only really wanted to be alerted when the best jobs are posted!

Register with a Recruitment Agency

Take the time to visit recruitment agencies in person. At Personnel Placements we really try to get to know both our candidates and clients to make sure we make the best possible match! Recruitment agencies can also give your advice on your CV and tips on standing out to their clients as well as getting to know you as a person. You might have all the skills and experience required but by getting to know you the recruitment consultant will better understand the type of business you want to work for and put a tick against all those other job criteria you put on your list earlier.