Help, I’m in the Job Market.
The good news is that New Zealand job opportunities are beginning to rise after a challenging few years as a job seeker. In fact job adverts on Seek NZ have risen for the eighth consecutive month. It has not been an easy time for those looking in the market, yet many of those I work with continue to defy the statistics. Yes for some timing is a factor, or networking to tap into the ‘hidden job market’ (*more on that below), but for many, it comes down to getting the job search basics right.
I will cover a few tips here and if you require support to optimise your CV, access tailored career expertise, or cut down on the time you’re spending job searching, please reach out to schedule a 1:1 career session.
Some Top Tips:
Be Realistic. I’m not a prolific LinkedIn user but I do review profiles and provide feedback for those I coach, so I’m on LinkedIn from time to time. Sometimes my attention is grabbed by a post that goes something like this; “…it’s been 18 months and 100s of applications and I am still looking…” I read on to find they have been applying for roles that don’t match their skillset and don’t align with their most recent career or job titles. When I see something like this, it takes a lot of willpower to not provide unsolicited advice. It is important to be realistic and target roles that align to your skills and experience, unless you’re studying or training in a new area.
Sense Check Your Job Title. The job title you use on your CV is important because most recruiters or hiring managers don’t spend time reading the responsibilities or achievements of your job if the job title above doesn’t match (or at least closely match) the job title of the vacancy they are recruiting. To demonstrate, when I led the technology recruitment for a company, what was commonly called a Senior Software Developer in the external market, was instead given the job title Senior Analyst Programmer (a what what?). So I invite you to think about whether the job title on your CV is the most relevant job title to reflect accurately what you were doing, to the external market.
Leverage Your Networks. Yes you may feel uncomfortable requesting help or ‘putting yourself out there’ but this is how you can tap into vacancies before they hit the external market and hundreds of eyes. The jobs that are not advertised on job boards or company websites or traditional public channels such as LinkedIn, are what is referred to as the *hidden job market. It’s estimated that these jobs represent up to ~70% of vacancies. Leverage your networks where you can, including employees you know at organisations for employee referrals. This approach will help you tap into the vacancies that are not always advertised.
Be Clear on Your Trade Offs. What are you willing to trade off to gain employment or change jobs? Make a list of your priorities. Now review this list and decide if there is anything there that you may be willing to trade off for what would otherwise be a great opportunity. As the saying goes, perfection is the enemy of progress. Choose progress over perfection.
Start Slow to Go Fast. This is where some qualified support can be very helpful but whatever path you choose, first get clear on what type of job is most aligned to your strengths, values, and also your potential longer-term. Be intentional in your job search. Avoid a ‘spray and pray’ approach when applying for jobs. Instead, be targeted; know what you want and don’t want, and refine your search accordingly. This saves on time and energy in the long run.
These are just a few basics to get right to maximise your time investment when searching in the job market. If you would like to discuss working together via career coaching or a one-off career strategy session to shift you from where you are, to where you want to be, please reach out to schedule a no obligation initial conversation.