Do You Need a New Job or a New Career?
Are you ready for new career challenges or are you looking for a lateral move to a company where you might be a better fit? Perhaps it’s time to take on more responsibility, or, perhaps you love what you do, just not where you do it. There are many reasons to switch employers, whether you want a whole new career or the same position in a place with more opportunity.
Question is – how do you know the difference?
If you want a new career, you might be looking for:
Higher pay
Role as a decision -maker
Opportunities to improve productivity
Different ways to use your skills
More meaningful work
If you’re looking for a new job, some of the previous still applies, but you also might want:
To build your resume and skills
A position with a company that has similar values and ethics
More flexible scheduling
More time with family
Better benefits
When you’re looking for a new job, you need to understand how to highlight your skills to help you land a job with more opportunity.
Explain Your Ideal Work Environment: The hiring manager is going to want to know why you want to leave your current position, especially if you’re making a lateral move. This is tricky because you don’t want to ‘bad mouth’ your current employer, but you are clearly not satisfied. Try to explain this in terms of what you want and need to be successful, without every mentioning what your current employer lacks or does poorly. Keep it focused on your abilities to be a top performer, and the kind of work environment you need to thrive.
If you’re looking for a new career, you’ll want to really play up your experience and transferable skills, especially if you’re transitioning into a new field entirely.
Be an effective communicator: Work on building your communication skills so you can be seen as an employee who is seen as an asset to the company. As a strong communicator, you can work with employees at all levels and play a more substantial role in the decision-making process. Every company, no matter the industry, needs effective communicators. This skill establishes you as a trustworthy team member to your co-workers. That kind of experience and influence can open doors to new and innovative careers.
Network: In order to move into a new career, you may need to pull out your biggest champions. Maintaining your professional connections can help you explain to them what you hope to get out of this opportunity, so they’ll be likely to go to bat for you during a reference check. If your job search is something you’d like to keep off your boss’s radar, then a trustworthy network is key.
After you’ve been working in your industry for three-to-five years, you might feel it’s the right time to move up in your career. Or, you may have learned this job wasn’t the right fit at all. At Burnett Specialists and Choice Specialists, we have decades of experience finding job seekers just like you the best, often secret, job opportunities. A job that fits just right won’t just change your profession; it will change your life. Contact us today!
