January and February are traditionally very busy times for job seekers, hiring managers and recruiters alike but why do so many people change jobs in January? There are of course many reasons why people change roles but there are several reasons why they do so en masse.
There is a myth that the job market stalls in November and December. This is more of a self-fulfilling prophecy than anything else. Yes, it can take longer for the interview process to progress to offer stage, but hiring managers are still looking to fill their vacancies and typically would like new starters to join the team in January. The myth though can mean that people delay starting their search until the New Year.
A lot of companies shut down over the Christmas period which gives two more reasons for the spike in job seekers. Any long break from work increases the likelihood of people considering a job change. Time off can make people reassess their day to day lives and make them realise that they are dreading going back to work. If that is the case, then it’s probably time to change. Job hunting can be a very time-consuming process, particularly in the early stages when you have to write a CV and find jobs to apply for and recruiters to work with. The long break means that people finally have time to do that. – Don’t wait, do it now, get ahead of the crowds, get the advice you need and let us help you get your CV ready, with our £250 free CV review. Yes, sometimes Christmas does come early.
So, to ensure you’re ready for the ‘New Year, New Me’… why don’t you focus on what you really want from a job and consider these 5 things now, so you can make 2019 a year to remember. Ask yourself these 5 simple questions:
- What have I achieved?
List everything you achieved over the last year that make you valuable to your current company and how that can be transferred. Being able to explain the value of your achievements can be a sound basis to begin discussing a raise in Salary.
- What do I want?
You need to be prepared to articulate what you want. You’ve sometimes got to be explicit. What stage are you at within your career, what type of organisation do you want to work within; large corporate, SME, Contractor etc. Mapping out the path you need to take to achieve your goals is something you have to do for yourself.
- What is the bigger picture?
January is theoretically when the job market starts moving, so it’s a good time to look for opportunities. But before you start applying for a new role, taking a step back and considering what you want from life generally as this will influence the next move you make in your career.
If you want to buy a house in the next couple of years, or if you are thinking of starting a family, these life goals will have a profound influence on the career decisions you will want to make.
- Who is my dream employer?
Make a list of the top 10 organisations you would love to work for, then research them, follow them on Twitter and like them on Facebook. Look beyond the obvious large corporations as we have many SMEs that are more agile, flexible, and somewhere your ideas can really make a difference.
Take a few hours researching the internet and checking out their company culture, environment, locations etc and then understanding does this align with what you are looking for.
- Who can I talk to?
Career experts agree that talking your options through with somebody is often helpful. Partnering with a specialist recruitment agency can often spark new ideas on jobs you might not know exist and give you some helpful advice on local companies that would be interested in someone with your skills.
We know changing jobs can be time consuming and frustrating, let us help reduce that or even take it away. Chat to us now, and we can give you some free impartial, relevant career advice.
