A motivated employee recently asked our Recruitment Consultants:
“How and when should I decide to make a move in my career?”
As a high achieving and progressive recruiter, we asked Senior Recruitment Consultant Sam Lawson to share his advice on how to make a change.
If you are a proactive individual that is focused on advancing your career you need to have a strategy in place. How and when to make the right move is often a difficult decision to make. As a first step in your journey, a recruiter can be an excellent resource. A good recruitment consultant, with knowledge of their industry, may provide insights into the current market conditions. The best recruiters will create a road map for you based on current skill set/gaps, and future needs in the workforce. In addition to meeting with a recruiter here is how you can prepare for your next stage of career growth:
1. Stay informed: Presently, the economy is going through a massive transformation; economists, Governments and C-level executives are scrambling to understand this transition of the modern corporate job. It is important for you to stay informed – read, listen, and ask questions. Some ideas include:
- Understand employment numbers and know what they mean.
- Keep an eye on outperforming sectors, ones in transition or decline.
- News & Resources such as CBC: The Current, NPR: Planet Money, Canadian Business Magazine, The Economist.
2. Know what motivates you: As you create a road map, know what will keep you engaged long term. You may be in search of one, or a combination of the following:
- Stimulation: Which can come in the form of learning, increased responsibility or complexity of tasks.
- Prestige: Which can come in the form of job title, the associated brand, and growth trajectory.
- Security, Peace of mind &/or Compensation: What this means varies from person to person, but ultimately comes down to feeling that you are fairly rewarded for your contribution.
During interviews, ask questions that will uncover how success is measured. If the job expectations match your personal motivators, there is likely a fit.
3. Be optimistic: In addition to skill set and cultural fit, your attitude can be a deciding factor in the direction that your career takes. Be positive and open to new opportunities in your current role and network.
4. Know the current market conditions: Currently the battle for strong talent is fierce, but not in all industries. Every economy, and industry for that matter, goes through cycles of expansion and contraction. The most informed candidates will be aware of the best times to search and have a good idea of which industries are expanding. If you plan to grow your career be sure to find an expanding industry.
Questions to ask the experts in your industry:
- What did your career growth look like?
- What is expected in the industry for the coming years?
- Given current market conditions, how can I grow within the industry?
5. Leverage globalization and technology: It’s a big world out there, but it’s getting smaller with the melding of markets and explosion of technology. You speak English and have experience in a strong Western Economy – that’s valuable. The Global work force is changing and your skill set may bring more value abroad. Research your options, but know what relocating means. Most highly successful people in the corporate world are prepared to relocate in order to move their career forward.
6. Appreciate the time it takes to grow: Achieving significant career growth can take time. Manage your expectations by knowing the right time to move.
- Is there opportunity in the market currently? Make a habit to take a glance at the market and analyze existing opportunities (recruiters, open job postings, personal network).
- Succession planning is real – be patient and position yourself well for those future opportunities.
Timing can be everything but in the interim keep committed to your current role; finding a job out of necessity will rarely result in career growth.
ABOUT SAM LAWSON
Sam specializes in the recruitment of sales professionals in the Greater Vancouver Area. Sam is a natural communicator and relationship-builder. From his sporting background and in-depth sales experience, Sam has developed a keen sense for seeking out high performance professionals. Sam comes from a highly competitive upbringing and found success as a competitive swimmer and won multiple national medals; but later headed east to study at Ryerson University in Toronto. With over 7 years in a high intensity sales environment, Sam understands what it takes to excel in a sales role. Sam genuinely enjoys building and maintaining close working relationships with his clients as he helps them build stronger, successful sales teams.
