Maybe you have sensed that your organisation is going to be re-structuring or downsizing in the next six months, or maybe you have decided that you will find a new job. But, how do you actually get started on an efficient job hunt? Many people decide the first thing they need to do is write their CV. Wrong. In fact, less than 10 percent of all job hunters who start their job search with writing their CV find a new job.
I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner – and when you get there, stay there (5 ways to work with me)
The first thing you need to do is work out what your next career step is going to be. Until you are clear about your end goal, chances are that you will waste a lot of your precious time and emotional energy in getting there.
I have adapted a method, invented by the late John Crystal, which simply helps you to do your homework, before you write your CV – and job seekers which have used the original method, have an 86% success rate of finding a new role. What… Think of all the activities you have done in and out of work.
What skills do you enjoy using the most? Note the word, enjoy, it’s not what skills you are seen to be best at, it’s what you enjoy doing. If we spend more than two-thirds of our waking hours at work, it would make sense to do the stuff that you enjoy in these hours.
These skills are called your transferable skills, and your next role needs to focus on you using these skills. Where… In what environments do you thrive?
Does the hustle and bustle of working with clients do it for you, or do you crave the chance to work in a supporting role in-house? Do you get a kick out of working with high profile and large corporate clients, or would you prefer a more intimate relationship with a small business owner?
Some people love the buzz of working in a large corporate office environment, whereas others like being in a small satellite office.
How… This is the hard bit, how are you going to get to where you want to go? How do you find the right job in the right organisation, in the right geographical area for you? Who do you know, who may know, who is the right person to speak to approach to get onto this organisation’s radar?
And finally, When… When do you want to be moving into your new role? Fixing a date for being in your new role, makes it real – and forces you to think of timescales!
I’m Heather Townsend, author of Poised for Partnership and co-author of How to Make Partner & Still Have a Life. I’m the leading global expert in what it takes to move from senior fee earner to partner – and when you get there, stay there (5 ways to work with me)
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What color is your parachute, 2009, Richard Nelson Bolles
What color is your parachute, 2009, Richard Nelson Bolles
