Look before you make the career leap, experts advise
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Look before you make the career leap, experts advise
While many people use the New Year to reflect on their career, they should avoid making a hasty or flippant decision at this time, a career management expert has warned.
Bridget Beattie, Regional General Manager of Right Management, a leading career management company, said employees should take the time to consider their unique strengths, skills, and interests to ensure they are doing what they do best. However, she warns against making impulsive career decisions.
“The number of job advertisements increased in December to their highest level in 31 months, and we are seeing some strengthening of the economy. However, this shouldn’t be an automatic cue for employees to cut and run,” Ms Beattie said.
“In particular, avoid making snap decisions based on only one or two factors – such as a recent disagreement with your manager, or a smaller-than-anticipated raise or bonus. Decisions about whether to change jobs or careers need to be based on a complete picture and some genuine self-evaluation. The grass isn’t always greener,” she said.
Ms Beattie recommends workers ask themselves some tough questions to help evaluate career satisfaction and success, by looking at:
- Satisfaction. Consider how much you enjoy the work you do, your career opportunities, and the culture of the organisation.
- Skills and abilities. Are you doing what you do best? Take a look at your skills, abilities and interests, and see if they are aligned with your current role. “People whose skills, abilities, and interests are aligned with their role get the most satisfaction out of their work,” Ms Beattie said.
- Employer’s financial outlook. Consider how well your employer is performing financially, and what the economic future looks like. Are sales, market share, and head count increasing or decreasing? Is your employer an innovator in its field and competitive in its industry?
- Professional development opportunities. Are you satisfied with your current career path? Has your career been moving forward, laterally, standing still, or are you being bypassed for promotions and choice assignments?
- Career ‘net worth’. “Career net worth is the value the market places on your unique abilities and knowledge,” Ms Beattie said. Continually building your skills, knowledge and technical expertise creates demand, keeps you competitive, and generates the highest career net worth.
- Opportunities for 2010. In this dynamic, global market, it is critical to be able to effectively manage changes. “Don’t neglect actively building and maintaining your network, both in person and online. Great places to make new networking contacts include people from both, your personal and professional lives, trade and industry groups, and community organizations. Keep in touch regularly to strengthen those relationships,” Ms Beattie said.
“With this focus, you’ll be prepared to consider ways you can better leverage your talents and identify career paths – whether within your current organisation, or with another employer – and then begin to map out a plan,” Ms Beattie said.
About Right Management
Right Management (www.right.com) is the talent and career management expert within ManpowerGroup, the global leader in employment services. Right Management helps clients win in the changing world of work by designing and executing workforce solutions that align talent strategy with business strategy. Our expertise spans across talent assessment, leadership development, organisational effectiveness, employee engagement and workforce transition. Right Management partners with companies of all sizes. More than 80% of Fortune 500 companies are currently working with us to help them grow talent, reduce costs and accelerate performance.
Right Management is a wholly owned subsidiary of ManpowerGroup., leader in the employment services industry, creating and delivering services that enable its clients to win in the changing world of work.
Media contacts:
Danielle Murdolo, Buchan, 03 9866 4722, 0403 688 980 or
dmurdolo@bcg.com.au
Belinda Thomson, Buchan, 02 9237 2800, 0421 193 668 or
bthomson@bcg.com.au
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