BUSINESS
NEW YEAR,
NEW CAREER
WITH CHRISTMAS FAST BECOMING A DISTANT MEMORY AND JANUARY PAY DAY SEEMING A
LONG WAY OFF, IT’S NO WONDER MANY PEOPLE THINK ABOUT LOOKING FOR A NEW CAREER
AT THE START OF THE YEAR. PERHAPS YOU FANCY A CHANGE, FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE
ACCOMPLISHED EVERYTHING YOU CAN IN YOUR CURRENT ROLE, OR ARE LOOKING TO FIND A
BETTER WORK/LIFE BALANCE. WHATEVER THE REASON, MAKE SURE YOU CAN GET YOUR
CAREER TO WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE DURING THE YEAR AHEAD.
Firstly, thanks to looming Brexit and the current
political uncertainty, it is difficult to determine the
state of our economy in 2020. However, research
on the latest employment trends shows that there
are certain areas experiencing skills shortages. Areas
such as the construction industry and healthcare,
which will be hit harder still without workers from
the EU, are struggling to recruit and retain skilled
workers. So, if you are looking for a career in these
sectors, 2020 could be the best year to go for it.
For the wider job market, what can you do to give
yourself a better chance of securing your dream job?
Well, quite a bit as it happens...
First up is self-marketing. To help you stand out
from the crowd, and ultimately increase your personal
market value, you need to sell yourself. An up-to-
date CV is a given, but in today’s world you also
need a good LinkedIn profile. Whilst LinkedIn is
considered your online CV for prospective employers,
it is also worth checking that other social media
profiles are suitable – not every employer will want
to see your drunken karaoke at New Years!
Remember, LinkedIn is not just limited to your
profile. Build and keep in touch with your
connections, and actively connect with recruiters. It
is a great platform for recruiters to directly approach
you about suitable opportunities.
To stand out from the competition, you must make
your CV attention grabbing and compelling reading.
CVs are all too overwhelmingly similar, everyone is
a motivated team player nowadays with excellent
communication and problem solving skills. Write
something a bit different and bold about yourself. It
may not be every employer’s cup of tea, but it is
much better than being bland and disappearing into
the sea of neverending CVs.
Be aware of how recruiters search for candidates.
Most recruitment websites use an Applicant Tracking
System (ATS) to pick up relevant keywords from
your CV. This allows recruiters to shortlist candidates
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