Before you start your job hunt, do these things
When it comes to landing your next gig, very rarely does it happen in ‘at the perfect time’, or when we feel absolutely ready — sometimes you’ll get an unexpected tap on the shoulder from a recruiter, or you’ll stumble across a dream role while you’re scrolling. Next minute, you’re scrambling to update your CV and ‘winging it’ in interviews.
Preparation well ahead of time can not only ensure you ace it in-front of the hiring team, it helps ensure you make a considered career move that is best for you. Here’s a few things you should do, before, your job hunt begins.
Figure out what you want
Have you ever taken a role and later thought, this was the wrong role or company for me. It’s easy to have rose coloured glasses when you’re having success in the hiring process, so spending time thinking about what you actually want from a role and a company is vital before you join. Consider:
- What roles/titles would you consider?
- Do you want be in practice, or industry?
- What size company do you want to join?
- Where do they need to be located?
- Would you consider a start-up or does it need to be an established company?
Understand your overarching needs
We will all have a different ‘why’ that motivates us to turn up to work everyday — this ‘why’ may change with each stage of your life. Understanding and holding true to what your overarching needs are means you are not compromising on achieving your personal and professional goals.
Perhaps for you that is salary, working part-time, great employee entitlements (like healthcare), being able to leave work at 3pm, or career progression?
Do a little soul searching
While we all may have an idea of what our values are (our drivers, the things that help us make decisions), rarely do we sit and reflect on them, ensuring our personal and professional life align with our core.
Sit down with a pen and paper, and establish what your top-5 values are (use Google to help give you some starters, think about the things that light you up, and the things that drain you — and why). Then, when it comes to selecting a company, you can ask yourself if the role aligns with you.
Know your worth
Very early on in the job application process, you will be asked what your salary expectations are — this is something you should have a clear idea about from the get-go to ensure you’re applying for the right roles, and not wasting your time on roles that wont meet your needs.
To understand your worth research where the industry is at — look at salary guides, check out other job advertisements and speak to peers to understand the market rate and where your experience sits with that.
Check out the Atlas Partners 2024 Salary Guide
Have your CV and LinkedIn ready-to-go
The last minute CV scramble is a story we all know too well. Trying to update your CV under pressure means you’re probably going to leave out important details and potentially not represent yourself in the best possible light. Use your preparation time to get your CV up-to-date with your current experience so that it’s ready to hand over.
The same goes for your LinkedIn, if you’re hoping to be head-hunted, then your profile needs to showcase your latest experience.
Check out our Atlas LinkedIn guide
Nail your professional pitch
Generally before you get to the interview phase, recruiters and hiring managers will screen applicants with a quick phone call. This is your time to make a great first impression and cement all your hard preparation work. To avoid going blank and give yourself the best shot, practice your professional pitch:
- Who are you, what do you do
- Where you are at in your career (a brief overview of your success to date)
- Why you’re looking to move
- What excites you about this role
