It’s remarkable how some “down time” over the Christmas holidays, away from the office, can make you want to start job hunting. However, before you hit the internet there is a certain amount of job hunting preparation that needs to be done to get you into the right mindset.
The average job pays the bills and will keep you busy during working hours. Unfortunately, if you want to pursue a new career, you may need to retrain, move industry or take a pay cut to move in the right direction.
Think about what your ideal position would look like and ask yourself a few questions. For example, compared to your last job, what do you want to do more of? What do you want to do less of? Who is your ideal manager? Do you want to manage other staff members or budgets?
If you are employed and want to leave, think carefully about what you ‘reason for leaving’ is and how you will manage the transition from one workplace to another. Telling a prospective employer that you were ‘bored and needed more money’ isn’t the best answer. Whereas, “there was no chance of promotion and limited career development opportunities” sounds more professional.
If you are returning to the workforce, having been away for whatever reason think carefully about how working full time will affect those people close to you. You may need to ask yourself ‘Are there any hidden barriers to me returning to work?’
In my next blog, I’ll talk a little bit about the mechanics of job hunting. In the meantime, go somewhere quiet with a pen and paper and truly focus what you want from your next role and let the job hunting begin!