Planning your next career move?
Starting the process of looking for a job upgrade should be exciting but can also be quite daunting as it takes a lot of forward thinking, organisation and can be time consuming.
First of all, you need to have a clear idea of what it is you are looking for before starting another position. Because you do not want to have to start the process again 3 months down the line after realising you had made the wrong move, right?
Here are 7 points that I recommend you think about before starting to look for a new position:
1. Reason for moving
Why are you thinking of leaving your current company? This will be a question you will need to answer so make sure you have your response ready. “I hate my boss” or “I want more money” can of course be valid reasons, but you need to be able to articulate this correctly to your potential employer.
2. Aspirations
You need to have an idea of what it is that you want to gain from this move. Do you want to take a step up? Gain management experience? More money? Try to think forward 18 months and imagine where you want to be by then, this should help guide you on your aims which will in turn help you find your aspirations.
3. Sector
It is not so uncommon now to move to a different sector from what you have previously specialised in. Companies also welcome the new talent coming through the door. Your knowledge could be incredibly valuable and could benefit both parties. This could also be a great opportunity for a new personal challenge. Again, do your research beforehand, do you have an interest in the sector you are looking at? Do you think you will enjoy it? Do you know anyone who works in that sector already that you can reach out to?
4. Location
Are you bored of the long commute? Thinking of moving to a completely different country altogether or prefer a variety of locations to keep it interesting? Either way, this is a fairly important question to consider. Flexible working is becoming more common and companies are seeing the benefits of this for their employees, especially those with a long commute to and from work. There is still a high number (one in five) of employees that will leave a position because of the commute, so make sure you have a clear idea of where you would like to work before starting any sort of process. If you were thinking of moving to a completely different country, there will be more pressing questions at hand such as working visas, the possibility of moving family abroad and essentially starting an entirely new life.
5. Salary and benefits
Do your research! Ask around, check salary surveys/calculators and make sure you are benchmarking yourself sensibly. Frazer Jones Consultants will be able to give you a good idea on what to expect for your level of seniority and also for the sector that you want to work in. Benefits vary depending on what company you are joining so ensure you make a list of what is important to you (i.e. car, pension, medical etc.) to refer back to.
6. Notice Period
It is worth checking your contract ahead of time to check how long your notice period is. Frazer Jones Consultants and your potential employer will both need this information.
* Also keep in mind any dates that you have planned to go away so that you can keep everyone in the process informed from the beginning of any process.
7. Updating your CV
And most important to start your job search after you have thought over all the point above; make sure that your CV is accurate and up-to-date! Take some time for it and once it is done you don’t have to think about it if someone is asking for it. This is a great way to remind yourself of all of the challenges and projects you have undertaken during your employment – you will be speaking about these a lot during interviews!
Need help? See our HR CV guide page for more information.
My final piece of advice is to be your own boss in this process. This is your career and your happiness at stake so don’t rush into a decision without thinking it through first!
If you didn’t find what you were looking for, why not read our other HR advice blog posts?
Or call one of our Frazer Jones Consultants and there are willing to help in planning your next career move!