Career Progression in 2017

It’s that time of year when lots of people are taking stock and considering their professional future. Appraisals are underway and a lot of people are testing the waters of the job market. As recruiters we get asked a lot of questions around career progression at this time of year; here are some of the most common queries and my honest answers.

Should I tell my boss that I am thinking about leaving?

This really depends on your situation. If you are not feeling challenged in your current role but enjoy working at the company and with your colleagues you should consider having an honest conversation with your manager. Explain that you are dissatisfied in your current role and are considering your future. While you are considering moving on in order to advance your career, you would prefer to stay and develop internally. It is far better to explore any internal opportunities at this stage while the relationship with your manager is strong. Once you have handed in your notice, any discussion in this direction is likely to be harder given that your dedication to the company is now in question.
If you are confident that there is no long term future at your current company and have decided to leave (perhaps the location, culture, industry isn’t right for you) then it is better to be discrete about your job search. Don’t rock the boat; wait until you have found a new role before you inform your boss or hand in your notice.

My notice period is three months, should I hand in my notice now or once I have found a new role?

This really depends upon your salary and level. If you earn less than £40,000 and are not in a managerial role then a three month notice period could potentially hold you back. If you are applying for sub £40k roles, clients will typically select from candidates who are immediately available and those with a four week notice period. In fact when reviewing applications pre-interview they will often reject any CV with a three month notice period. If this is your situation I would consider handing in your notice sooner rather than later.
If you are in a managerial position and earn above £40,000 then a three month notice period is less of an issue. Clients understand that for managerial positions a longer notice period is standard and are willing to work to the longer lead time. In this case you needn’t hand in your notice until you have accepted a new role.

Should I register with lots of agencies?

Not at first, no. I would register exclusively with a reputable agency for a set period of time, to be reviewed depending on how urgently I needed a job. There are a number of benefits to this approach:
  • You will be a priority candidate. If you are committed to one consultant for the first few weeks of your search your consultant can invest more time and operate more proactively specifically on your behalf.
  • You will develop a better understanding with your consultant and be able to refine your search as you progress.
  • You won’t get pressured into interviewing for or accepting a job you aren’t sure about. Most candidates will have experienced a pushy recruiter at some point – they won’t take no for an answer out of fear that you will accept a role with someone else.
  • You won’t have to repeat yourself to multiple consultants at multiple agencies, only in some cases, to be called about the same job by each agency.
  • Should I apply for lots of jobs and hope for the best?
This is an easy one. No. recruiters have visibility of how many roles that you are applying for and if you are noticed as being the ‘spray & pray’ type of applicant it can reflect badly on you. It may appear that you don’t really know what you want, which presents a risk to us and our clients. It is far better to apply for a few roles that you know you have the required skills for (or at least 60-70% of the required experience).

Is it worth applying for a job online which already has lots of applicants?

Yes, absolutely. If you are being selective and targeted about the type of roles you apply for you are likely to have a good chance. For example if a role has 50 applications already, it is highly likely that 40 don’t have the required experience and have already been rejected.

Common CV Questions:

  • How much detail should I include?

    Be as detailed as possible. Include tasks which you took responsibility for and detail the scale and scope of those tasks. Also include systems you have used and how much experience you have with them.
     
  • Should I include my achievements or just discuss them at interview?

    Definitely include achievements in your CV – if you don’t you might not get an interview at all! I have a number of clients who share the opinion that if you haven’t taken the initiative to include your achievements then you may not have the initiative required to succeed in their business.
     
  • What kind of achievement? Do I have any I can use?

    An achievement can be anything from a process you have changed, improved or implemented, to a time you covered for a colleague. It could be a commercial decision you made that increased profitability or made a cost saving. It’s anything that shows that value you personally added to the business. This will always be seen as a strong indicator of what you can bring to your prospective new employer.
     
  • Should I include my location on my CV?

    If you live locally to where the job is based, yes. If you do not live locally but are willing to relocate you should state this clearly on your CV. Do be mindful that your location is one of the first things that a recruiter will look at.
If you have any more questions or would like to find out more about the finance job market, contact Chris Royce, Senior Business Manager with Page Personnel Finance.
T: 01932 264 264