Get started on the journey to your new role

You have been feeling uninspired by work for a while now and feel it is time for a change. Perhaps you have been out of work for a while and it is time to dust off your CV and get back out there. Or perhaps, you cannot cope with the stress anymore and need to find something that allows you to have a life outside of work.

Once you have decided that you are capable of finding a new career, retraining or getting back into the world of employment, the next step is to work out how.

My previous blog here details the need for self-belief, clarity and a vision of what you want to do, but now it is time to take action.

CV Preparation

The first thing I would recommend that you do is to update your CV. If you have identified different potential roles for a career change, you will need a CV for each of those roles (these can be adapted for specific companies later). If you are applying for a specific job title, prepare a CV for this role and tailor it to the company and job spec once jobs are advertised. This way, when jobs come up, you can adapt the key words and skills required but the main shell and template is complete already.

Job searches

I tell my clients to search for jobs based on 3 things: skills, values or role.

If you know which roles to look for, that is easy, just type in those roles or find recruitment companies specifically for that sector. If you are seeking a career change however, it can be useful to focus on values and skills.

Write a list of what you value in a job from remote work, flexible hours, an office base, later start times, strong leadership, a salary range or company integrity (there are huge lists of core values here if you want to search for others). Once you have this, look for companies which offer these things and start making connections.

Transferable skills can get you roles in other industries if highlighted correctly on CVs. Look at the job description for the role you want and bullet point the ways in which you used those skills in previous roles. If you can add tangible results this will solidify your application.

Networking

Human connection is often the foot in the door that you need when looking for a new role. Many people insist ‘it is not what you know but who you know’ and this is often true. Go to networking events, speak to your circle and their partners, follow people on social media in the industry you want to get into or hire a mentor or coach who has done what you want to achieve.

Linkedin presence

Linkedin is a great starting point for raising your profile and becoming an authority in your industry. Many recruiters will check out your Linkedin as well as your social media when you apply for jobs, so ensure that your profile is updated, has a clear professional summary and a professional photo. Again, focus on skills and request job notifications for roles which have the same skillsets. Many of my clients have said that activating Linkedin Premium has helped them secure new roles, become headhunted or make better connections. Use Linkedin to make connections with people in companies you would like to work for or authoritative figures in that industry. Start commenting on their posts and becoming more present on Linkedin as you never know where it may take you.

Recruitment agencies and websites

Once you know what you would like to do, or companies you would like to work for, contact them directly or use recruitment agencies that deal with those companies or industries. Again, make connections, do your research and see who is the hiring manager for jobs you like the look of. Again, there is no harm in applying through agencies and they may help connect you to great jobs that you would have never considered otherwise.

Secure your dream role

Once all these steps are complete, focus your energy on finding a job, keep the faith, be resilient, do not fear failure or rejection, just keep putting yourself out there and trust it will happen. Here is to your new job!