March 1, 2023
So, you've made the decision it's time for a new job. Along with getting your resume together and checking out jobs being advertised, what other factors will set you up for success? Keep reading below to ensure you put your best foot forward.
It’s not surprising a new year presents the opportunity to explore where you might go next. We often see that sentiment in January and it kickstarts your thinking and planning as the job market ramps up. You’ve enjoyed a summer break and it got you thinking, what does 2023 hold for me career wise?
We all need reflection time and it’s often in these moments when you finally have downtime to think about what challenge you’re seeking; maybe a career change, different industry, better career development, better remuneration or work life balance with a company that provides flexibility.
Based on what we’re hearing directly from candidates and research across the market, it’s super clear remuneration remains high on the priority list, alongside career progression, flexibility/hybrid working and a great company culture. We see it time and time again, if you are missing some of these vital ingredients, you are ultimately looking to secure these important elements with another organisation.
So you’ve talked to family, friends and yourself and you know you’re now ready, so you start with getting your resume together and checking out the jobs being advertised. We know it’s a step change getting yourself ready to embrace the job market and the process can happen quickly, so you want to ensure you are well prepared for each stage of the process.
Whilst it might be a luxury to finish a role to make yourself fully available for calls and interviews, that’s not always possible or viable financially. So we’ve put together some helpful tips to think about, as you embark on different stages of the search process:
Sign up to job alerts – both Seek and LinkedIn offer this option, so you can select and be notified of roles that fit the bill on what you are seeking, helps having them come to you, so you aren’t missing any new roles as they come to market. This is also often available on company career pages.
Follow companies – if you have your heart set on securing a role with organisations that are of particular interest, follow them on socials, they’ll often reference job opportunities through this channel and you can get a good feel of the business if they’re active on posting and sharing company updates.
Refresh your resume - your resume is showcasing you on a few pages, so it needs to be clean and easy to follow, highlight your experience (starting with most recent and working backward) and ensure you can cover any major gaps (breaks or travel), education, skills and any interests, so there’s some personality coming through. Bullet point your responsibilities followed by key achievements. A resume shouldn’t be a novel, but also shouldn’t be so light anyone reviewing can’t grasp what you’ve done in prior roles. A number of recruiters will be able to review and assess your cv in less than 30 seconds, so make sure it causes them to stop and put you on the call list. If you’re speaking to an agency or hiring manager, ask them for feedback, so you can refine as you go. Tip – You can find plenty of resume templates either online or on Microsoft word, which will help you to craft an easy to read, impactful and clear CV.
Spell check and grammar – we’ve noted this as a key point, as often it can be a ‘big fail’ we see all the time, remember to read, proof and ensure formatting on any covering letters/resumes are not riddled with mistakes and presents well, including ensuring your correct contact details are on your CV - phone and email.
Be profile ready on LinkedIn and Seek – help employers or agencies find you! Get your profile initiated or updated on both sites. LinkedIn has an ‘open for opportunities’ option and you can confirm the roles you are interested in and Seek allows you to provide other commentary around salary expectations etc.
Socials etiquette – think about your public social presence, if an employer was to view your social pages, could that work against you? Either make your profiles private or be comfortable if it was viewed it wouldn’t have an adverse impact on your application.
Applying to ads – make sure you read the ads, if you don’t have the exact experience reflecting what the ad has suggested, a cover letter can help you explain your motivation and why you feel you could be considered. Don’t apply to everything in the hope that might better your odds, often this can lead to you being overlooked as it doesn’t show a clear motivation.
Screening – if you’ve got several applications in play, be ready to take calls and answer key questions about your background, suitability and motivation. This is an important step and can be the difference to you making it to the interview stage. If you’re not ready or pushed on time, suggest a call back and a time that suits you (not distracted by work or commitments) to make sure you can put your best foot forward.
Interview preparation – make sure you research the organisation, if they ask you what you knew about the organisation could you answer this question? Ask what type of interview it will be and who might be present, will it be competency, behavioural based or more of an informal conversation. If competency or behavioural based, you’ll need to make sure you can really talk to some great examples from prior roles that demonstrate your approach or competence in that area. Don’t be afraid to ask what the interview will entail, so you don’t make assumptions. Assume some of the must haves they’ve outlined in the ad will also be covered off to understand your depth of experience in those areas.
Offers – you’ve made it through several interviews and you’re expecting potential offers, make sure you’ve spoken to your referees ahead of time to ensure these can be completed in a timely manner. It can be a delicate balancing act, at this stage, particularly if you're weighing up a few options that are comparable and equally enticing - being transparent with employers is ideal, so they are aware you may need some extra thinking time or further information to seal the deal – don’t see honesty in this area as a bad thing! Also, don’t feel rushed to take the first offer, you are at an intersection deciding on your next few years, so you want to make an informed decision based on what meets your expectations and what is aligned to your motivations, when you kicked off this process. We often see candidates lose sight of their key motivations to leave and become influenced by other factors, so be true to yourself as ultimately you’ll need to live with the decision.
We know searching for your next role is not an easy process, if you are at a cross road and wanting to get some 1:1 advice on your career, you could speak to the team at My Career Brand or if we operate in a specialisation where we can help, we are more than happy to share any words of wisdom to help you.
Make sure you check out our available roles here, to see if anything we have currently ticks all your ideal role boxes.
