The New Year is often a time of reflection and there are traditionally a lot of resignations in early months of the year as people revaluate their career goals, change their careers or go travelling. Here are five tips to find a job in the New Year.
Get job ready
Make sure that your resume is up to date, your suit is dry cleaned and your referees are primed that you’re looking for a new opportunity. If you work in a creative industry, you should also update your portfolio and gather examples of your work. You may want to start rotating your work hours so you are able to go for interviews before or after work or start building up your flexi time in case you are called for an interview.
Call on your network
Speak to your friends, family and network of contacts and let them know you are looking for a new job opportunity. Networking is an excellent way of finding a job in the ‘hidden’ job market ie a job that is not even advertised. Remember in the competitive field of job searching, it’s often who you know and not what you know that will secure you an interview or introduction to a company.
Research the market
Find out what the market rate is for someone in your industry and what your market value is. This can be done by looking at current job advertisements, speaking to recruitment agents and looking at industry surveys. Look before you leap – it may be better to try and negotiate a pay rise first or speak to your manager before you leave your current company. Knowing what your market value is will put you in a better negotiating position when you are asked the question about your salary expectations.
Create a list of companies to target
Do you have a list of companies you would like to work for? It’s a good idea to research companies you are interested in and create a list of companies to target in your job search. All the information you need is readily available on the web, and it’s easy to find detailed information about potential employers.
Nail the interview
Once you have tidied up your resume, targeted your job search, know your market value and scored that all important interview, now you have to convince them that you’re the right person for the role. Research the company before you go for the interview, look presentable, have a list of questions to ask at the interview and answer questions confidently, showing your skills, experience and expertise.
The holiday period is a great time to update your resume, do research about different companies and mentally prepare for your job search so when jobs start getting advertised in the New Year, you will be ready to take on a new challenge and start the New Year on a great note.