One of the findings in our recent Quarterly Recruitment Review was that there was a slight shift from passive job seeking to active. This could be due to concerns over a current role, or future of a current employer, or unfortunately an impending redundancy.
The shift from passive to active job seeking will usually require a change in mind-set and a different, more pro-active approach. It will also call for a mix of strategy, planning and relationships to help with your momentum. If you’re about to take the plunge, here are 5 things you should be doing:
Make Sure Your CV is Up to Date
This isn’t just about ensuring that your most recent job is included but taking a look at the whole CV and how it is presented. Follow the advice in our recent blog Four Questions to Think about When You Write Your CV and check that your skills, capabilities and achievements are clearly set out and demonstrate how you can add value and make a real difference. It needs to be your sales document so make sure that it plays to your strengths and that if you get in front of companies for interview you can make it come to life!
Check Your Social Media Profiles
Most potential employers will look at your LinkedIn profile…some recruiters spend half their time on the platform! Check that your skills and qualifications are up to date, and that you have some good recommendations…but not too many; it may give a signal that you’re thinking of moving on. Our recent post Are You Maximising Your LinkedIn Profile should help.
It’s not just LinkedIn though. Surveys show that some recruiters are checking candidatesout on other social media platforms. Cast a look over your Facebook timeline or Twitter avatar…how do they look? You may need a more professional head and shoulders shot to give a stronger impression.
Know What You Want to Do Next
Do you have a plan? You may be looking for career development or just a more stable environment, either way it helps if you can define exactly what you want to do next. Companies like to receive applications that are both targeted and suitable for the role they are trying to fill so you should think about what you would really like to do next. If you don’t know then start looking at the ads on sites like ours and get a feel for the types of positions, sectors and skillsets that are in demand.
It may also help if you get a mentor. It can be someone who knows you (maybe a previous boss) or someone that you’ve met whilst networking. Either way, it should be someone that you can look up to for inspiration or guidance. Get them to look at your CV, profile and career achievements to date with a critical eye. They may have suggestions that you haven’t thought about.
Get Networking!
Our recent guest blog Rip up Your CV and Start Networking was unequivocal in its advice to get out there and start interacting with business contacts, alumni and industry professionals! The contacts you meet can open new doors, and can often let you know about new roles before they are advertised. They can be a source of information, recommendations and industry insights…and can continue to help once you’ve secured a new role. Make sure that you search out events that are relevant for your industry.
Brush Up Your Skills and Industry Knowledge
The new role you want to go for may either require some new skills, or some that you haven’t had to use for a while. Make sure that you are as up to date as you can be. If you’ve followed steps 3 and 4 above then your mentor and/or networking connections may be able to offer some useful advice or guidance as to where to go to bring your knowledge up to date. They may also recommend cheap refresher courses or free events.
The proliferation of content sharing through social media sites has helped to build a huge potential online library of information and help…you just need to find it! Make sure that you identify key blogs to read and conferences in your sector to attend – some of these may let you in for free (or with a heavily discounted ticket) if you aren’t working. LinkedIn can be a useful source for this as most events are published there.
In the current climate job hunting may be a slow process so planning, patience and persistence will be most important of all.
Let us do the hard work for you and take the hassle out of job hunting.
