As we step into 2020 with our New Year’s Resolutions at the forefront of our mind, it’s important to ensure your ‘New Year New Me’ mentality includes the professional you, too.
January is a great month to update your CV. You’ve reflected on your successes of the previous year, you’ve learnt more and developed as a professional – and you might now be looking for a change in direction that aligns better with your ambitions.
My return to the office this January will be met with an inbox filled with updated CV’s and job applications – which is great, but generally only 50% of these will be truly authentic. The first job for me is finding out who really wants the change, and which applications were knee jerk reactions to hearing about how wonderful Uncle Buck’s new job in London is, or how cousin Jane quit her job and is enjoying a new found work / life balance.
So I ask you, before step out into the big wide world, as yourself these two questions;
- Is leaving my current position my only option?
- What do I really want?
Your motivation for moving could be money focused, a shorter commute, more responsibility or just to get away from the people you’re working with if you just don’t see eye to eye. All these reasons and more are very valid reasons for wanting change, but before you start speaking to recruiters and potential new bosses make sure you know exactly what it is you want going forward. Leave the past behind you and make sure your conversations are future focused.
Changing your mindset and identifying your priorities will also help you shape your CV, as well as make your conversations with recruiters and hiring managers far more effective. In Procurement, a really common reason for moving on is wanting more responsibility. If this is the case, instead of focusing on what you don’t have, make sure you highlight all the responsibilities you currently have that have given you the experience you need to take the next step.
Something else I’d like you to do is create a wish list. Divide this into two parts – the “must haves” and the “nice to haves”. For example, the new role must have line management responsibility, and it would be nice to have 1 day working from home. Be specific with the must haves, and realistic with the nice to haves. We’d all love 2 or 3 days working from home, of course, but with a more senior role with more responsibility – just how realistic is that? Once you’ve identified your priorities, ensure your CV includes everything that will ensure you can tick every box in your must have list.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to what you want from your next role – that is an entirely personal preference. The more honest and realistic you are with prospective businesses, the more they will value this and the more likely you are to secure the very best role for you.
So, Happy New Year job seekers – here’s to finding the right job not just the next job in 2020. If you are looking for a new Procurement or Supply Chain opportunity in 2020, I’d love to hear from you.
