Whether you are looking for a new role having left your previous one, looking to change roles, or perhaps you’ve been made redundant post-COVID, here are some real-world tips from executive recruiters, to help you stand out in the talent market and secure that next role.
Personal brand
Your personal brand is essentially your story – packaged in a way that demonstrates your experience, expertise and competencies. If you’re not sure exactly what your brand is, a good place to start is by reviewing the online profiles of people you admire the most. Then make an honest assessment of yourself, both personally and professionally, answering the question – what do I want to be known for? Everything you do from here needs to align with your personal brand – from your CV through to your online footprint.
Online profile
Regardless of your own personal view of online networking sites, the reality is that if you want to be seen by recruiters and hiring managers, you need to have an online profile that is current and appealing. At the absolute minimum we would recommend having a LinkedIn profile that has your up-to-date employment history. You can however take this further and there are plenty of online tools to help you optimise your LinkedIn profile. If you are actively in the job market, other sites to consider are SEEK and Indeed, which allow you to create online profiles.
Job search
If you are actively in the job market, then you need a job search strategy. Finding a new opportunity can be a job in itself. It requires time and focus which starts with having a clear goal of what you want to do next. Tackle it with a marketing or business development approach – identify and coordinate actions, plan follow up, measure results, identify lessons learnt.
Online job boards are a useful source of roles vacant; they also provide other useful information like salary levels. Now is also the time to reach out to your networks and connections. Your network keeps you informed, and this could be in relation to new opportunities or simply asking for advice. Well cultivated professional networks are one of the most crucial resources for your job and career.
Prepare for next steps
A fundamental step in any recruitment process is the interview stage and quite often it’s where some candidates fail to impress. While it does depend on the role and the organisation, at the very least your objective for interviewing is to convey the value you can add to a role, team and/or business. As well as imparting your personality. Take the time to brush up on your interviewing skills. And remember that current day interviewing could include the likes of group/panel interviews and potentially may be done online and not face-to-face.
Reach out to a specialist recruiter
You’ve decided you want a change but are not sure what that may look like. Interviewing for a role isn’t the time to share your uncertainty about where you are at in your career. If you are considering embarking on a career-change journey, then start by having a conversation with a recruiter – they understand the job market and can provide insight and direction that may help with clarity around what that next step looks like.
Think outside the square
The majority of the tips above are tried and tested ‘conventional’ approaches to job search. It is important however that you remain true to yourself both in how you present yourself but also in terms of your career journey. Not every new opportunity will be a “step up” but rather it could be a step in the direction you want to head.
Need help?
If you are considering a kick start to your career, reach out to us today. We’d love to chat.
The Decipher Team
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