CCW Urges Learners in ‘Stepping Stone’ Jobs to Career Change Carefully
Training provider CCW urges it’s learners and delegates who are considering a career change to choose their actions carefully. Due to the absence of employment opportunities for people in the job market and increased competition for the jobs that are there, more and more people are employed in organisations that they had not original intention of staying with. “People have adopted a conversational approach to employment” says director Mike Tan. “The more competitive the job market is, the less likely it is that people will find the kind of job they are happy to do”.
Many people are “holding out” for a job that they are interested in (especially graduates). But, there are certain pitfalls that can really threaten your chances of getting out of your ‘Stepping Stone’ job.
“Never leave employment to look for a job” says Dr. Glen Patterson. “This is a mistake that many career changers make.” Job hunting is a time consuming task. Finding the time to job search outside of work hours is soul destroying, especially as you will probably be working somewhere you don’t want to be. Many people think that if they leave their job it will give them the time to find new employment. Although true, it’s an unnecessary risk to take.
Employers will not only take your application more seriously if you are employed, but you will be able to search for the job that you want and not any job that will pay the bills. When funds start to get low the urgency to get paid work outweighs the desire to get a job you want.
“Many people are employed by companies that they had not intended to work for. For these people job hunting becomes a matter of finding the time to job search. But, for those who are not employed, job searching quickly becomes a race between job hunting and your diminishing funds”
If you hope to find a job and employer that you will like, the best advice we at CCW can give is to think of a job search as an ongoing process. Any quick fixes that someone offers you should be taken with a pinch of salt. It’s easy to get blindsided by the potential of a job that you want, but follow these guidelines.
- Don’t burn your bridges, leave in as nice a way as possible and try to resolve as much as you can before you leave. This will help your reference and if things don’t work out you may be able to return there, maybe not in the position you previously had.
- Tell your potential employer you are currently in work. They will; consider you more seriously than someone who is unemployed, respect your professionalism and this will allow you enough time to close all of your current affairs.
- Expect an ongoing process. No matter how bad you think your job is try and stick to it. If it is detrimental to your health due to stress then leaving may be the better decision than risking your health. If you can manage your expectations then you will be able to manage stress and worry related to job search.
To summarise, expect a long up-hill grind to find a job that is worth doing. But know that in the end it will be worth it.
