According to a recent poll by TechRepublic, almost 50% of the people who participated indicated they didn’t want to be working in the same job a year from now. The article cites the recession as the primary reason many people are probably staying put, but indicates that once the economy improves, there’s the potential for mass attrition as many of these people move on to better opportunities.
This means that even in a so-called “recession-proof” industry like IT, you could face a lot of competition if you wait until the market improves. A lot of factors will play into whether you decide to actively look for work now, but if you decide it’s the right move, there are some things you can do to increase your chances of getting the job you want.
Educate Yourself
Ever see a job listing and think, “that’s the perfect job for me!” only to realize there are a couple of key skills they want that you’re lacking? Sometimes they’re programs or hardware you’re not familiar with. Sometimes they’re looking for non-IT skills you’re not confident about. Either way, don’t just sit back and wait to get the experience from your current employer. Go out and get it! Take a class, attend some webinars, subscribe to blogs and read them religiously, ask for similar responsibilities in your current position. Many nonprofits would be glad to have some extra help from someone who isn’t exactly an expert if they could get it for free – and they can usually be really flexible if you’re a volunteer.
Professionalize Yourself
If you’ve been in your current position for a while, you’ve likely fallen into your comfort zone. In your free time, do whatever you can to make yourself look like the candidate your future employer just can’t pass up (spruce up your resume, prepare for interviews, etc.)
Seek Outside Help
If you’re currently employed, spending time at work (on someone else’s dime) trying to find a new job could be career suicide. Even if you’re not working, as an individual, you only have so many resources.
You need to take a more global approach. You could go to other job sites, but you have specialized and distinctive skills and both you and your future employer need the personalized service and industry knowledge to ensure you’re really the right match.
Excite Health Partners can help. We’ll do most of the work to help you achieve your goals. We’ll review your skill-set and find out what you want. We’ll search our database of employers for a match. Once you get the job, we’ll even check up on you to ensure we helped you find the right opportunity. We know there are jobs out there. We just need you to contact us so we can fill them.