“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and ‘happened to things’.” Leonardo Da Vinci
I’m very much about positivity and pushing forward, to keep going and I think this quote summarises that perfectly. If you want something in life you have to get out there and go for it! And if you don’t succeed the first time, try, try again!
The very same applies if you are unhappy if you’re in a job. When you acknowledge this, then it’s time to go and find yourself something that you really do want to do, life is too short to be unhappy right?!
Although it can be a real struggle, sometimes we have to find that motivation and courage to move forward, and if you’re not happy with things the way they are, to change things.
So, how can you make this career move a successful one? I’ve spent years recruiting thousands and thousands of people and I’ve got some really good tips to share with you today.
Step 1 – Your CV
This will be the first impression your potential employer will see of you, so you’re going to want to make it stand out. Make sure you’re clear and concise, 2 pages is an ideal length. I’ve literally experienced receiving 10 page CV’s through (urgh!) and I’ll be honest, the minute I receive something like that, I just think I can’t even be bothered reading it, let alone like having to go through all 10 pages.
Another top tip is to keep the layout simple, and place things in order. With all kinds of apps available giving, you 1000s of templates it’s all too easy to get carried away here, think simple is best! People have short attention spans…. If you’re really struggling with your CV, we have some expert partners who focus on CV writing and helping people prepare for job moves so head to the website and check out the MPC shop! HR Community Shop | Browse Our HR Community Shop (mypeopleclub.com)
Step 2 – Applying for Jobs
Tailoring your CV to the job that you’re applying for will definitely help you stand out. So, you might have your basic CV, but you might apply for a few different roles, or in different sectors, adjusting your CV slightly to suit where you’re applying, will help you keep focused and stand out.
Take time to scan the JD/advert and pick out the main points the employer is looking for, then make your experience in those stand out on your CV, that’s going to help your chances of progressing further in the process.
This may sound petty but check your email address and ask what it says about you. Is it professional? Honestly the amount of email addresses I’ve seen that have things like hotbabe@hotmail.com or something similar can be off putting, especially if you’re going for a professional role.
Another biggie is grammar and typo’s, most jobs do need people to be able to write emails and other communication/correspondence in a presentable manner. make sure you’ve got no errors in your CV.
Step 3 – Preparing for Interviews
Preparation is key! Do your research on your potential employer, research their websites, LinkedIn stalk people to get a feel for what they’re about, what their pain points are. This is going to really help you in your conversation in the interview.
Be pro-active and prepare some questions for them. Things like growth plans, promotional opportunities and how the team structure is. There’s no harm in taking written questions in with you – you don’t have to remember everything!
Now it’s likely your emotions/nerves will be running high in the approach to the interview and so preparing any presentations and questions or what you plan to talk through ahead of the interview itself will certainly help alleviate some of that nervous energy and help prepare your mindset too.
Step 4 – The Interview
The most important thing at an interview is to try and remain calm, speak clearly and concisely. It’s really easy when you’re nervous to waffle or go completely off the subject, it’s OK to give a little bit of additional information or whatever if you think that will showcase your background, your skills, whatever it might be in a little bit more detail, but don’t don’t don’t go completely off on a tangent.
A top tip is to always ask for a drink, or make sure you have one with you, because if you’re asked a question that you perhaps need to think about a little bit you can take a sip of that drink. This will afford you a little time to think through your response. By the time you put your glass down, then you’re ready to answer the question.
If you really suffer with nerves, trying breathing exercises to calm you down, do visualisations of the interview going really well – sounds daft but there’s science behind these things!
Finally, be mindful of your body language, it can be off putting to recruiters. You want to appear open, friendly, engaged – so no slouching or crossed arms!
Step 5 – The Follow-up
Be proactive here, especially if you got a good vibe for the role. Don’t be afraid to call the recruiter the following day and ask for feedback, if you haven’t heard back be sure to follow up then too, ask for timescales.
If you are unsuccessful ask for feedback, this will be valuable especially if you have other interviews lined up. It can also be an opportunity to chat again to the recruiter/employer and build up a relationship should any other roles come up within the company in future. Remember, feedback helps us grow and get better so any tips will help you 😊