A positive outlook can be your greatest asset when searching for a new job or your next career development opportunity.
The Christchurch rebuild and subsequent region-wide economic boom has created a lucrative market in some industry sectors. However while some organisations are striving to get ahead and expanding their ranks, others are being forced to restructure and find a better way of doing business.
For highly skilled professionals this dual business market can be a double-edged sword presenting a host of new opportunities for successful career progression on one hand – or signalling a time to go back to the drawing board in search of a new direction on the other.
To be well placed to take on new opportunities in our highly competitive market, professionals should:
Find an Executive Career Coach
Seeking professional career coaching advice can make a big difference in your career trajectory, particularly if you want to confidently position yourself in the market. Clarifying your career objectives and understanding your strengths and weaknesses will help you develop a sound strategy to achieve your goals. While career coaching cannot guarantee you a better job or promotion, it will ensure you take a proactive, not reactive approach to developing your career.
Get your CV and LinkedIn profile looking sharp
LinkedIn is an incredibly powerful way to connect and forge relationships with people, and it’s a tool astute recruiters are making the most of. As a general rule, your CV should be the more formal of the two components with your LinkedIn profile telling “the story of who you are”. This online story includes the content you share and publish, the relevance of your professional networks as well as recommendations submitted by other industry leaders, key stakeholders, clients or former employers. Make sure your online story is up-to-date, relevant to your industry and professional interests because it will be noticed by recruiters and potential employers.
TOP TIP: Ensuring you have great online testimonials from other industry leaders, key stakeholders and/or clients speaks volumes about your professional credibility. A successful LinkedIn profile all comes down to being active.
Work your professional networks
Start thinking about your professional networks and how you can tap into them, particularly if you’re a senior manager or executive. Recruiters will evaluate the quality and relevance of your professional network on LinkedIn because it shows how well you cultivate relationships and demonstrate thought leadership in your field.
INSIDE SCOOP: Many senior management and executive level positions we recruit for aren’t advertised to an open market so it’s highly likely you may get your next job as a result of your relationship with a recruiter or someone in your professional network.
Seek outplacement support
If you find yourself in a position where your role is being restructured, you’re facing redundancy or simply out of a job, seeking outplacement support is a great way to open your eyes to new employment opportunities. Recruitment specialists are highly adept at recognising the professional attributes and transferrable skills a candidate should possess in order to add value to a business or particular role. Moreover if your former employer engages a recruitment company on your behalf to offer you outplacement support make the most of the situation and be positive because everyone will notice the confident, progressive attitude you have chosen – including a future employer.
Technology is constantly changing the face of recruitment and an agile, forward-thinking approach is required to achieve the best results.
Need help?
As a professional recruitment and human resources firm, we are regularly tasked with finding the right people to lead key management, executive and governance roles for high profile businesses in New Zealand. We facilitate placements across various industry sectors including agribusiness, transport, manufacturing, utilities, tourism and finance.
Our goal is to help candidates find great jobs that provide a positive and proactive working environment in which staff feel valued, motivated and supported.
If you want to find out more about our specialist services in leadership and career coaching, role development, outplacement and professional development planning, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
The Decipher Team
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