Stop putting off your job search Viewpoint careers advice blog

Stop putting off your job search Many, if not most of us, have felt unhappy in a job we’ve had at some point in our careers.  We can get stuck in a rut where the same old, same old pays the bills but it doesnt excite us; we feel unchallenged and long for a change.   How many of us have stuck in a role were comfortable in, hoping that one day well get a promotion that will automatically make everything better? Too many of us is the truth, but the reasons for sticking with what we know can be pretty compelling. 5 reasons youre putting off your job search: Here are some of the reasons we find for not looking for a new job: An unfavourable economy and employment rate Holding out for progression in your current role A reluctance to step outside of our daily routine An unfamiliarity with what roles are available, where to look and what salary to expect Personal circumstances mean the time isn’t right What’s your excuse? Instead of just telling yourself what’s stopping you, think in ink and write your excuses down The above includes just some of the excuses we use to convince ourselves that we should stay put even when we feel as though we could achieve more what’s your excuse? Instead of just telling yourself what’s stopping you, think in ink and write your excuses down. This is an excellent way of seeing them for what they are. You may have some pretty powerful reasons for not searching for a new job; chances are, however, that when you look closely, you’ll see that the one thing they all have in common is the fear factor. Just do it If you haven’t looked for a new job in a while, you’re bound to feel a certain amount of apprehension about putting yourself out there, but just tell yourself that you’re going to power through this time. That doesn’t mean giving up your present job and throwing caution to the wind, but it does mean making a pact with yourself that you’re going to make a focused effort to do whatever it takes to find the right career move or a more challenging job. Create a plan of attack Commit to making one step forward each day, and sticking with it There’s never been a better time to start looking for a new job. There’s so much information readily available out there. Start looking online and you’ll soon get an idea of the state of the job market in your particular field, and what the going rate is for someone with your experience â€" the Hays Salary Guide is a very useful tool for this purpose. Now you can start to devise a plan, the more detailed the better. Make sure to refine and evolve it every day. That could mean updating your CV, brushing up on your interview skills, applying for jobs, contacting professional recruitment consultants to let them know youre in the job market and so on â€" just commit to making one step forward each day, and sticking with it. A rough plan of action, as divulged in greater detail in this previous Viewpoint blog about building a career plan, could be: Decide what sort of position it is you’re after and establish your goals Update your CV and optimise your LinkedIn profile towards these ambitions Spring clean your professional social media presence Explore your options; you can either do this individually or you can contact a recruitment consultant to help you in your search; make sure to effectively utilise technology at each stage of your search, whilst also avoiding  these common job search mistakes Get applying â€" apply for relevant roles, tailoring your application each time It’s not going to be easy Don’t ever expect someone else to take responsibility for your career. If your present situation is not to your liking, then you and you alone must do something about it. Don’t become someone who languishes in the same uninspiring role for a decade, waiting on the promotion that never comes. Do something about it and get yourself out there. Does that mean finding a better and more rewarding job is going to be easy? Probably not. However there are few rewards in life that don’t require risk. You could be lucky and find your dream job straight away, but you should also be prepared for rejection â€" here’s how to not take it personally. By steeling yourself to the task and just getting on with it, you’ll find yourself swept up in a cyclone of energy, resilience and positivity â€" all the ingredients that you need to lead you to career success. About to start your job search? Reading our job searching tips will help ensure it’s a success Dont accept a job unless it scares you A simple guide to writing the perfect resume/CV How to optimise your LinkedIn profile How to make full use of technology during your job search Common cover letter mistakes How to market yourself in your job search Ready to risk it all and take the jump? Stop making these common job search mistakes Make your interviewer love you