Most of us spend more than 8 hours a day during the week at our place of employment so it isn’t a good idea to not enjoy our work. You need to ensure this huge part of your life is one where you are happy. If you are not – change. I know it is easier said than done however here are some tips to assist you consider how to move and what you need to do.
Decide what you are unhappy about
Make a list of things that you aren’t happy with in your job. Then go through the list and assess whether they are in your control or not. If they are in your control decide if you want to change them and if you can. Then assess if the investment is worthwhile.
Educate yourself
Ensure you have the adequate skills and knowledge to complete your job – if not, do a course. If you want to move into another area investigate what skills you require and register for courses.
Interview people in the companies you would like to work for
It are simple to do. Simply determine which companies you would like to work for. Then find the relevant position you would be reporting to and phone the person. Introduce yourself and ask if you can buy them a coffee, as you are interested in knowing more about the company. If you ask people about themselves they will talk for hours. People love to talk about themselves – they are their favourite topic. Once you secure the appointment have a list of things you want to know about the company, the roles, the recruitment process etc. You are simply investigating the company – this is not a job interview. You mustn’t ask for a job but simply investigate. Once you decide if this is the sort of company you are interested in working for, then stay in touch with this person and ask them to notify you if any roles come up you would be suitable for.
Interview people in the roles you want
Either internally or in another company. Do your homework. Make sure you find out about the role, the manger’s style, the deadlines, things they enjoy about the role, things they dislike, who are the key stakeholders, what is the reporting process. This will be beneficial for you to totally decide if you want that role or not.
Get your Resume up to date
Make sure you have a brief resume that outlines your personal capability statement (a few sentences about your key attributes), personal contact information and career summary outlining your responsibilities and achievements. A Resume should be brief and formatted in bullet points so that it is easy for your reader and you generate enough interest for them to arrange an interview with you.
Brush up on your interview techniques
Read books, ask others for tips and make sure you can answer some standard interview questions:
- What 3 things are you good at?
- What are your key strengths?
- What do you think your development areas are?
- Why should we employ you for this role?
- How do you handle difficult customers?
- How would the company benefit from employing you?
Be confident
It is vital you appear confident in your own ability and are able to answer questions clearly.
Check your personal image
Invest in spending time with an image consultant – have your colours done to ensure you are maximizing your personal image.
I was unhappy with a position I was in working for a major bank in Australia and I was reading the internal vacancies and noticed a job that was several levels above my capability with a name of a department I noticed was new. Even though I wasn’t qualified for the role advertised, I phoned the contact name and spoke to her and advised I was aware I didn’t have the skill set she required for this add however I was interested in what she was doing and could I meet with her to discuss other opportunities in the team she was building. She advised I could meet her for 10 mins at 7.50 AM as she had an 8.00 AM appointment. I went along with my resume and met with her – as a result she created a position for me and I received a promotion as part of the role she developed – it was an exciting role with no precedence – all I did was make a phone call.
Job searching is all about confidence and persistence. Try some of these techniques when you want to find a new job.
