Top 5 Tips for Changing Jobs in 2021

Happy New Year! 

Maybe over the holiday period you have decided that you can no longer put off the decision to change jobs and you are determined that 2021 will be the year when you take action. Or maybe you are in the unfortunate position of having no choice but to seek out a new role.

Here are five simple but effective tips about how you can rapidly turn your good intent or urgent need to find a new job into a tangible reality in the year ahead.

1. A Persistent and Patient Plan - self-evidently 2021 will be a challenging time to seek out and secure a new role. Competition for each job will be high and there may be fewer jobs on the market. The key therefore will be to be particularly patient and persistent in your job search. Allow yourself the luxury of starting the process early and give yourself a clear plan on how to make regular progress. Be prepared for setbacks and difficulties but don’t give up at the first hurdle. Plan your time carefully so you can dedicate small chunks of time each week to the task as you would for other activities like working-out at the gym or learning a new skill. 

2. Define What You Really Want Next - front-end your job search with a hard look at what it is you really want to do next. Give yourself some clear criteria for planning your job search e.g. type of role, size and type of organisation, preferred location, desired culture, future growth potential and rewards. Decide which of these criteria are priorities and therefore non-negotiable and where you would be prepared to compromise to secure the right role. Don’t settle for second best but do explore different options for matching your most important criteria.

3. Build Your Narrative - based on your aspirations, what is the message you want to put out into the jobs market that will project your unique and distinctive capabilities? What are the elements of your career to date and successes that will grab the attention of recruiters and employers and make you personally very marketable? Change your CV and Linked In profile to clearly illustrate these distinctive strengths and successes. Most importantly make sure you have a compelling verbal response to the question “ Tell me about yourself and why I should consider you for this (or any) role” . Practice and refine your narrative until it is a powerful and convincing response. Never under-sell yourself.

4. Network with Purpose - so many new jobs arise from long-standing personal networks and contacts and so an absolute priority if you are a job seeker is to refresh, build, extend and then actively use your network. Make sure that you revisit contacts that you valued from your past as well as your most recent active connections. Do not be afraid or reticent to confidentially reach out to these contacts. Not only might they have early warning of impending job vacancies but they may well know others from their contacts who might be able to help you. Successful job winners are almost always persistent networkers. Ensure your networking embraces recommended recruiters, potential future employers and of course personal contacts accumulated over the years.

5. Invest in Help - seeking out a new job in difficult times can be a lonely and sometimes a frustrating and dispiriting experience. So don’t do it alone, seek out a skilled coach or guide who can work with you and help you to formulate your thinking, challenge your assumptions, articulate your capabilities, build and utilise your network and prepare you for that ultimate test of standing out at interview. Regard this as a wise investment in your future that will give you a sharp advantage in a very competitive jobs market. 

Very best wishes for your job search in 2021. If Brosna Career Consulting can help or advise you on your important journey then please do not hesitate to contact us at tim@brosna-consulting.com for an initial confidential discussion. We are specialists in career transition and we are regularly helping many talented individuals around the world to seek out and secure new roles.

Tim Chapman