RSI LONDON Group | Russian Specialist Recruitment Consultancy
Nowadays, people change jobs more often, even as often as every second year, according to our internal statistics. There is an increase in horizontal mobility, meaning one changes roles not to a higher one, but to the same type of position, usually to something more convenient in terms of location or flexible hours, a better package, more responsibility, or just to a different team within the same organisation.
What does help people to change to better jobs? Their skillset and motivation!
Often defining “a good job” begins with you understanding your needs and values. For every single one of us “a good job” is a completely different thing. It’s linked to a person’s perception of their career, as well as personality, social and family commitments, education level and goals. Take time to think about what is “a good job” for you? Write it down and have a look at what is out there that meets your criteria. Evaluate the requirements to understand where you are now and what will help you to reach your destination. In this article we will speak about the skills that will help you to get a job you truly want.
Clear and assertive communication is the key to success.
First of all, try to determine your own communication style (quizzes and descriptions available online can help with this). That will help you to understand how you come across to your colleagues and increase your awareness. You’ll find out whether or not it may benefit you to adjust your communication style.
Assertive communicators take ownership, express themselves openly, but they also consider the needs of others. The aim of assertive communication is to find a win-win situation of any interaction and maintaining the balance of rights and respect.
Handy tips:
When you apply for a role online, you will see what skills the employer expects you to have. By defining where you want to head with your career, you will understand what skills you need to gain. After doing that, form a plan and ask yourself the following questions: “how will I obtain the skills I need?” And “when will I obtain them by?”
Have a look at free online courses. There are platforms that provide hundreds of valuable training courses, which are reviewed and are able to be taken at a self-set pace. You define what you want and then find a solution to get it. Some platforms to get you started are:
Once again, everyone is different. Some people motivate themselves easily and take ownership of their lives; other people may take a different route and postpone or procrastinate about what has to be done at work now (read soon in our blog on how to improve your concentration).
Planning will help you to figure out what works best for you. It is important not to rely on another person’s way of working, but to define your own.
Ability to prioritise is essential. What is your “morning frog”? By this I mean out of the list of things that you have to do today, what is the most important task for you to complete today? (Or the most unpleasant task!) Aim to do this task first thing in the morning (congratulations, you’ve managed to “eat” your “morning frog” – the most unpleasant thing that day) and from that point on your day will feel much easier. This approach will also help you to reduce any psychological tension.
Remove the things that disturb you: social media, checking your emails fifteen times an hour, phone notifications. Set a timer for 30 minutes to allow yourself to focus on completing a task and to be free from distraction.
Buy a diary that you will enjoy using, find your lucky pen, use stickers, pin things on a board, draw up schematics. Anything that will help you to develop the skill of time management. You will soon be on you way to becoming motivated and prepared for a upcoming job opportunities!
When you are ready,
Any job role that you see online has specific requirements and some of them are non-negotiable. Prior to applying, take time to read those requirements through properly, as well as the overall job description. If the company publishes the vacancy itself (i.e. not through an agency), you can track this down and run a search about the company. This will help you to prepare for questions if you do happen to speak to a recruiter about it. It will also give you an understanding if this is the type of job that you’re truly looking for.
Before you apply:
Read the job description thoroughly. Some companies add a tricky line or question in the advertisement to see who reads it. For example, recently I saw a few jobs in LinkedIn which ended with the phrase: please apply by sending your CV to this email. Those who don’t read, only click ‘LinkedIn Apply’ and lose their chances to be considered.
Make sure your application meets the criteria. Let’s say it’s written that you have to have three years of experience in the field, but you have none – don’t waste your time. Or, if it says you must have a specific qualification, it might not work out for you if you don’t.
Prepare your CV and upload it in Word format. A lot of companies use ATS (Applicants Tracking System), a computer run search by keywords. Basically, the ATS won’t be able to read your PDF file accurately. Name your experience section ‘Work Experience’. And do not use your photograph, as chances are high your CV won’t be considered.
Send a follow-up email. If you apply through an agency, you may want to drop them an email. Make sure it’s a friendly one. Do this to check if your application has been received, or you may want to inquire about a phone/face-to-face registration.
For the employer, it’s important to see relevant experience and your understanding of what the job entails. Even though we all know that many skills nowadays are definitely transferable, it’s still more cost-effective for a company to hire someone with experience in the field. Companies write job specifications to make it clear who they are looking for. Due to high volumes of applications, it is sometimes impossible to respond to every single applicant. Irrelevant CVs simply won’t be considered.
In some cases, it is a good idea to get in touch with a hiring manager or a recruiter, but not to write about how great you are and what you have accomplished. Ask relevant questions. For example, if you have a different degree from what’s listed in the advert, ask them if this will affect your chances of going through to the first stage. Write a short list of your relevant experience and ask how it might fit with the role. Think about the value you can add to the business and ask if you can send your CV to them for their evaluation directly.
Making human contact with a recruiter, especially if you show understanding of a job role you enquire about, may help you with that role and help you in the future to be considered for similar positions.
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