Perhaps you are burned out or bored, or you have reached your limits at your current company, so now you are looking for a change of environment. Before you submit your resume or CV to multinational companies, top recruiting agencies in the country and online portals, take a few moments to reflect and assess the situation.
What is it about your situation that you don’t like? Is it your job, or perhaps the fact that you need a career change?
To find your way out of this situation, ask yourself the following questions:
1. Why are you searching for a new job?
Finding a new job or building a career from scratch in a different field is an endeavor filled with many uncertainties. Sometimes it is easier to solve your issues at your current job than jump into a new line of work. Maybe your feelings of dissatisfaction will pass after a few days or weeks. Try talking to your boss or a staff member at the human resources department. They could offer solutions that could help you change your mind.
If you still have the same feelings of dissatisfaction after a few weeks or months, then it is time to move on and start searching for greener pastures somewhere else.
Whether it’s a new job or a career, you need to identify the reasons why you would prefer to move on. Are you looking to take your career to the next level? Are you looking for a job that pays better or one that gives you a challenge? Your answers to these questions will help you find the right opportunities that suit your needs.
2. What motivates you?
What are the things that fire you up and encourage you to get out of bed every morning? How you answer this question can help reveal what your passions are. Identifying what you are good at and what you enjoy doing can help you find jobs that suit your skills and talents.
3. Do you have what they are looking for?
According to an expert, there are two critical aspects to think about before sending your credentials to companies and various recruitment agencies. The first is to identify what it is that you want to do and what your goals are. Second is to identify what the market or field is looking for.
For the second aspect, you need to determine what hiring managers want in aspiring applicants in terms of experience, expertise and skills. Next, you need to compare those with what you know and already have.
If you are lacking in what the industry demands from its employees, then you will need to do more research and think about it carefully. Do you have what it takes to develop those skills? Perhaps you need to attend a few workshops, take a short course or go back to college to get the skills needed for the job.
What else are you willing to do to get the knowledge and experience that the company requires?
4. Can you use the skills you have now in your next position?
You many not have the knowledge or experience that the company is looking for but perhaps you can apply some of the skills you have already learned over the years in this new job or career.
For example, you spent several years working in a print shop where you created designs for T-shirts and corporate giveaways. Your experience and skills could prove useful if you want to work for a web design company. You may not have direct experience in working as a web designer and you may have to learn new software, but you have some of the skills needed for the transition.
5. How stable is your prospective new job or career?
Try to find out as much as you can about the job or career that you plan to pursue and its future. If it is in an industry that continues to expand and grow, then shifting to it might be a practical option.
However, if the opportunities appear to be decreasing, then you may need to think twice about changing jobs or shifting careers.
Embarking on a job search can be a daunting task, especially if you are planning to go into an entirely new field, but may just be the right move to get you to where you need to be. Find the answers to the questions posted above. Your answers to the above questions will help guide you into finding a new job or career that synchronises with your skills while fulfilling your objectives.
About Guest Writer Payal Bhatia
A passionate recruiter with more than 12 years in the executive search industry, Payal Bhatia is an international headhunter and business partner for RM & Associates in the MENA region specializing in the FMCG, retail, telecom and engineering sectors.
Payal has been featured in the Gulf 2020 CEO Report, ZAWYA BusinessPulse and Eniday, speaking about changing trends in the recruitment industry, upcoming jobs in energy, oil and gas by 2020-2025 and how RM & Associates is focusing and growing in the MENA region.
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