Now that the market is looking up people will no longer be willing to settle for less..less appreciation, less pay, less work, less responsibility, less respect, less humanity.
The Chase is On.
Consultants are starting to flood mail boxes with job openings, while people are more ardently fishing Naukri, Monster, TimesJobs, JobStreet, Recruit or any of the job portals for a Better tomorrow.
It's a different issue that the tomorrow may not be as anticipated but at least there are options now, unlike last year, when the recession was a much-bandied word.
Before you start hitting the send button, here are a few things you need to PONDER.
- Is this the JOB you are looking for to get you a step further in whatever profession you have chosen?
- Are you choosing this JOB because it is giving you - Better Prospects (read a well-defined career path and responsibilities), Better Pay (and not a marginal hike of a few thousands) and Better HR & Management (takes care of employees, has good work ethics and conducive work hours)
- Are you JUST desperate to get out of the current workplace?
- Are you getting out just because you are bored, unable to get on with your colleagues or supervisors, unable to conform to company policies, unable to see yourself as a good fit to the Organisation?
These are just a few of the Questions it would be wise to ASK yourself, and be HONEST about the answers.
Remember, even though job hopping is accepted and not frowned on, HR is always wary and skeptical about someone who is UNABLE to honestly reason out the decision to move on and Move IN.
The second most important thing, Now that you have decided to Move on. Read the job description of the New role you are applying for.
Again, and Always, be HONEST
- Ask yourself if you have the right skill-sets to take on the responsibilities accompanying the job. DO NOT OVERESTIMATE your capabilities and OVERSELL your talents.
- Ask yourself if the JD is what you see yourself performing at and excelling
- Ask yourself what is the MORE that you can bring to the Table
- Do some soul-searching, but more importantly, Research the Company. With 24/7 social networking available at your fingertips it has never been this easy to find out second-hand what the company has to offer - be it growth, promotion, work environment, management, etc.
- Find out what the Difficulty levels are - could it get monotonous, could it get too stressful, would it allow you to have a decent work-life balance
- Is this what you want to do
- Will it get you out of bed in the morning without a sense of dread or heaviness in having to work
Third, now that you have figured out The JOB is RIGHT for you. Draft your CV, and always send it along with a decent covering letter that goes beyond a "Hi, PFA my CV for your perusal (WHICH again is OLD WORLD). Thanking You. Yours etc."
Your CV needs to be:
- Tailored in accordance with the opening you are applying for
- Good rule of Thumb, cover the basics - your strengths, which can be explained in a crisp sentence or two; professional brief; educational brief and samples of your work or project. Keep your personal particulars to a minimum. Your hobbies like moonwalking and loving dogs is of no interest to the corporate powers-that-be unless of course, you are applying to be a Choreographer or a Vet, in which case these are the prime attributes and not personal interests ;-)
- Read the JD carefully while drafting your covering letter. More often than not your JD itself will have all the "punch" words or IMPACT words that can spice up your CV and show the recruiter you understand their requirements. But AGAIN, do NOT overdo this.
- Unless a name is mentioned, in which case it is OK to start with a Hi Ms.XX better to stick to the old-fashioned Dear Sir/Madam. Remember, you can never be pulled up for being courteous.
Now that you are ready, keep your fingers crossed and your mobile phone charged for that Tring-tring or whatever ringtone you have set FOR the RECRUITER TO CALL YOU.
