Professional Documents
Culture Documents
You have to consider your own interests first. If you get a bad feeling
that all is not well, there is probably a good reason for it. Trust your
instincts and do some investigative work to satisfy your suspicions.
After all, knowledge is power, right?
If you’ve got a holiday planned, wait until you get back before
handing in your notice. Your new employer won’t take kindly to you
booking two weeks off during your probation period.
Leave in a position of strength
Once you’ve made the decision to leave, make sure you have
somewhere to go before handing in your notice. Don’t be tempted to
storm off in a huff or make some sort of statement if it means leaving
yourself vulnerable.
It’s much easier to find a job when you already have one. A long
period of unemployment sends out a bad signal to a future employer.
Don’t ignore the consequences of quitting before you have a new job
lined up, no matter how much you dislike where you’re working.
Apart from looking bad as you start applying for new jobs, voluntarily
leaving your former role could compromise your eligibility for
unemployment benefits.
Money shouldn’t be the only reason
If money is the overriding issue in your desire for change, have the
courage to address it before thinking about leaving. If you don’t feel
you’re getting paid enough, ask for more. This can be a scary
experience, but it could solve your problem.
What happens if my
company is taken over?
Takeovers and mergers are becoming commonplace as
companies face growing economic pressure and
competition. And with change come new challenges, new
demands and new personnel.
When a company has been taken over and various departments
merge it’s inevitable that certain roles will no longer be tenable.
In general it’s the employees working for the company who are doing
the buying that tend to keep their roles, although employees in the
company being purchased usually have the chance to re-apply for
their jobs.
It's common for the remaining staff to feel de-motivated, anxious or
sad that former colleagues - and friends - have lost their jobs.
The group dynamic has changed and the introduction of new faces
in the office may be met with a certain element of distrust,
uncertainty and negativity with some staff feeling unclear about roles
as brilliantly portrayed in comedy series, The Office.
Further Reading
- How do I handle office politics?
- How do I integrate myself into a new team?
www.monster.ie
Further Reading
- How can I save money?
Online networking also has its benefits, especially if you can create a
blog, writing about the industry in which you work. It will show
potential employers your expertise and put you in contact with
people you may have otherwise not come across.
Providing articles for trade publications, or volunteering as a speaker
at an industry seminar will also have the same effect.
Consultancy work
Unfortunately, your financial outgoings don't stop when your final
salary does. But before you tap into your savings, consider
marketing the skills and experience you fine-tuned when you were
employed.
Let your former clients and business contacts know that you are
available for consultancy/freelance projects. Even voluntary work will
help fill the gap on your CV. This not only keeps your skills updated,
it also demonstrates your determination to find work and could open
up new career opportunities.
If you can demonstrate to employers that you have been doing
everything you can to find work and to keep your skills and
knowledge up to date, most will overlook the fact that you are
currently unemployed.
Always remain positive - rejections are part of life. Each ‘no' that you
get moves you closer to that all-important ‘yes'.
Further Reading
- What is networking and how do I do it?
- How can I benefit from conferences?
• Eat right - Your environment also includes what you put into
your body. Make sure you eat lots of fruit and vegetables, stay
away from fatty foods and try to limit your alcohol intake. A
healthy body generally leads to a healthy mind.
At every stage of your job search, you should look to get feedback. If
you're not getting asked for interviews then get someone to have a
look through your CV.
If you're getting to the interview, but being rejected there you should
find out what you're doing wrong. Fix these, and you'll find yourself in
a job in no time.
Further Reading
- How can I make my CV more effective?
Making a move
Even if an employer doesn't have any vacancies at the present time,
they will always be willing to create a position if an exceptional
applicant comes along.
This is done by contacting companies on a prospective basis to ask
if they have any opportunities for somebody with your skills.
The courteous way to carry this out initially involves giving them a
call, preferably not during a stressful period, and then following up
with an email thanking them for their time and attaching a copy of
your CV.
As well as searching for hidden vacancies, you still need to continue
applying for the vacancies that are visible through regular search
methods.
They will let you know the kinds of job descriptions that are on the
market and the kinds of people that are being sought to fill them.
If you're hell-bent on working for a certain company and simply can't
find a way in, consider applying for a lower level job and working
your way up.
Then you can use your contacts on the inside and be the first to hear
about vacancies.
Further Reading
- How can I return to work after a career break?
- How do I get headhunted?
- How can I preserve my online reputation?
How do I make a
prospective application?
Sending a speculative application can be a very effective
method of securing a new job and may convince an
employer to create a position for the right person - if you do it
right.
If you've identified the company that you want to work for, then here
are some tips for succeeding with speculative applications.
Identify who has the power to hire you and personalise your letter
accordingly. You may already know their name but, if you don't,
make sure that you find out by looking at the company's website or
simply telephone to ask for their details.
Most job hunters fall into the trap of treating a speculative application
in the same way as an application for a specific advertised position.
Therefore, find out everything you can about the organisation from
the internet, previous job adverts, networking or simply by
telephoning the company themselves and talking informally with a
member of the staff.
Then, clarify in your letter the reasons why you have specifically
targeted the company as your employer of choice. Be as
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Give employers a reason to take note of you and tell them what kind
of position you are seeking and what you can offer them. Sell
yourself on the basis of your skills, expertise, knowledge and
experience and don't limit yourself to one specific role. You're trying
to get a foot in the door and if you take one role within a company,
it's much easier to move internally to your real preferred position.
They say that the grass isn’t greener on the other side, but
often it is. Our series of eBooks brings together expert advice
to help you secure the job you want and build a successful
career.