After a hectic year, it's nice to relax, recharge, and take a well-earned break over Christmas, and refresh for the upcoming year.
However, the festive period also brings a great opportunity to evaluate your professional life and set a new direction for the year ahead. If a new job is on the horizon for you, then you need to take a proactive approach to job searching during at least some of your time off.
Our advice is: Instead of forgetting about work altogether, take some time to really reflect and consider the year gone by. What parts of your work have you enjoyed? What have you achieved? What would you have done differently? What would you like to do differently going forward?
As mentioned, the New Year is a great time to set a new direction for your career and explore your options. Indeed many professionals will be thinking this, and many of them will make job hunting their New Year's resolution and put off looking until after the New Year.
Why not put yourself at an advantage and get ahead of the competition: start your job hunt over Christmas. Even if it’s just updating your CV and doing some research at this stage, beginning the process early will pay off when competition heats up in the New Year.
Steps to help you get starting with your job hunt:
Ask yourself what you want from a new job. Not just salary and job title, but the sort of employer you want to work for, and what kind of company culture you need to thrive.
Get researching. Browse recruitment websites, job boards and LinkedIn to get a sense of what’s out there and get inspired.
Polish your CV. Ensure it’s up to date and include some of the key words and phrases you’ve picked up during your research.
Refresh your LinkedIn profile. Check all the information is correct, relevant, and any certificates or training you have are all included.
Reach out to any relevant contacts who could help you make your next step.
Brush up on your interview skills. Be ready to impress.
Balancing your break with some investment in your career will see you have a positive and successful start to the New Year.
If you’re considering your next step, get in contact with one of our expert recruitment consultants for a confidential chat.
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