Every career has its turning point, but there comes a point when you simply need a new job!! Last year, during of COVID-19, I changed jobs, and I really can tell you that it was one of the best things that I’ve done!!!
So if you are in need of a new job or are thinking of going back after a break have you considered the following:
1️⃣ Reach out to your network...yes it’s hard but it’s one of the best ways of getting a new job. In my 25 years of experience, I’ve changed roles a few times and it was through reaching out to friends & colleagues past abs present. Half the battle of getting a job is for the hiring person to get to know you, if they know you already it’s just easier!
2️⃣ If you’ve decided that you want a new job, then you need to do your research. Look on job sites, read the roles that are available, do I want this role? Do I have the right skills? Do some research on the company. But make sure you are clear on what you want to do and don’t want to do.
3️⃣ Make the time to job hunt! The amount of people that say “I hate my job, I need a new one, but I’m so busy I’ve not got time to find one!” If you have decided that this is what you want to do you have assign time for it everyday, using I’m busy as an excuse isn’t going to help you in the long run.
High Performers Don’t Follow the Application Rules
The standard approach to applying for a position is to follow the application instructions outlined in the job post and get in touch with an internal recruiter. But high performers know that there’s a back door—and that it’s often a better bet, which is through your network.
High Performers Don’t Focus on the Interview
Instead of focusing on scoring an interview at any cost, they decide whether or not a company or position is even worthy of their time. They want to know whether it’s a fit before they sit down across the table from a hiring manager. In other words, it’s having the confidence to remind yourself you’re in control.
For example, you can do a little private investigation work on the company, hiring manager, and other employees. See how they’re talked in the news, and how management responds to press (both good and bad). Regarding your prospective teammates: What kinds of causes do they support? What types of people seem to be employed there? What do they all do in their off hours?
Ironically, this confidence makes these professionals more desirable than the average candidate. When you’re being selective, you do your homework, and that means going into the interview process with a greater level of knowledge and conviction about the organization.
High Performers Don’t Just Accept What They’re Given
They’re looking for the right job, not just any job. While a lot of people are grateful to get an offer, this group wants a position that gets them closer to their career goals, and, as such, they’re willing to negotiate, ask for more, or turn down an offer that doesn’t meet their minimum requirements.
Instead of thinking this will cut out too many options and leave you with nothing, remind yourself that being focused on your ideal will help you sort through all the possibilities out there. And it just takes one offer to get you to the next step.
Once high performers know what they’re looking for, they focus on the outcome versus the process. They’re willing to change things up, move pieces around, try something different in order to get where they want to go. Keep your eyes on the prize, and know that you too can be a high performer—if you just know how to play the game.