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What is it about the new year that makes us want to reassess our lives and ensure we are on the right track?
The new year is a stone's throw away, take a moment to stop and evaluate if your career is worthwhile. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Do I wake up with a bounce in my step looking forward to each and every day or do I wake up with a sense of dread and impending doom? Is this the right job for me?
- Am I at the stage of my career that I expected to be by this point – if not, why not?
- Am I earning a competitive salary that reflects my seniority and what I bring to the role?
- Am I up to date on changes occurring within my specialisation – will my role, as it stands now, look the same in five years’ time? Do I need to upskill or look at a change of career direction to ensure that I stay relevant?
- What opportunities does my organisation offer to assist in my growth? Am I fully taking advantage of these?
- Have I shared with my manager what my aspirations within the organisation are? Will they/can they assist me to develop in a way that will assist with my aspirations?
If you’re happy with your job, the people you work with, environment, the opportunities and the direction you are heading, then that is great. Keep doing what you are doing! However, if these questions made you pause and think seriously that the New Year may be a good time to consider a change, then where to from here?
Advice for Taking the Next Step in Your Career
It’s well worthwhile doing some research before you launch off onto a new direction. Make sure you know what your choices are, as they may be wider than you anticipated.
Set up Seek alerts with keywords that may bring up a different range of roles. For example, if you feel that “relationship management” is an area that you excel in, and a part of your current and previous roles that you truly enjoy, set up an alert on every role that mentions “relationship management”. You’ll be surprised at the choices out there.
If you enjoy the organisation you are with, set aside some time with your manager to talk through what your future within the organisation looks like. They may think that you are perfectly happy with what you are doing now. If they see you as a valued employee, it will be in their best interests to offer you opportunities as they arise.
Make contact with a recruitment consultant or career advisor, particularly if you are keen to change direction or organisations. What will you need to be relevant for the roles you would like to be considered for? Will you need some extra training? Are there networks that you can join so that you can mingle and learn from those that are already in those roles?
As far as salary is concerned, it is important that you have a clear understanding of whether you are being paid at the right level currently and what other roles typically receive. There’s no point in changing career paths if you can’t thrive on the salary on offer. If you’re unsure what the going rate is for your role, we have a salary guide that provides a good indication of current market salaries.
Once you have decided on your direction, make a plan and stick to it. Don’t let it be one of those resolutions that seemed such a good idea at the time, but in reality, goes nowhere. Your plan needs to have dates set as to when you wish to achieve each of the changes. A plan without a timeline is likely to dissolve into everyday life and not become a reality.
2021 can be an exciting year, full of opportunity. It is up to you to make it so.
If you’re in need of career advice or want to make a change, reach out to the Beyond Recruitment team today.
