6 Believe in yourself
In tough times, it’s very easy to get despondent, particularly when you may have been made redundant or have been out of work for a while. But as competition for roles gets tougher, now more than ever it’s crucial that you remain positive and confident. Take time to identify your skills and experience that make you valuable to an employer – there may be aspects of your experience that you have taken for granted in the past but will be highly valuable in certain roles, and will act as a real differentiator. Also look at what you personally bring to the table – character and personality can be highly relevant, and with a greater emphasis on softer skills now, it’s important not to dismiss this aspect of your offering.
If you have confidence in your abilities and believe you can get that job or get that promotion, then this will show through. Likewise, a lack of self-confidence or self-worth can be easily identified and may make an employer suspect that you are not capable of the role. If you don’t believe in yourself, then why should anyone else? Remember, you are your own salesperson, and it’s up to you to highlight your attributes.
7 Be realistic
You’re unlikely to impress your current or future employer if your career demands vastly exceed what they can offer for you.
While a clear focus and drive is essential, you need to be realistic and put your career aspirations into the context of the current market. Career openings and opportunities are naturally limited in a downturn, likewise, the skills and competencies that employers
demand may also adapt – what is in demand in a buoyant economy is often at the bottom of the list in a downturn. Bear in mind that market conditions are constantly changing, and consequently your expectations may need to fluctuate with the times. If you can remain flexible and open-minded, then your chances of fulfilling your longer-term plans are more likely to come to fruition.
8 Maintain momentum
In any market, and perhaps even more crucially in a tight labour market, it is important to keep your focus and energy levels up. It’s been estimated that most of us work at just 65-70% of our potential so it’s not hard to see that the real winners will be those who maximise their opportunities and keep themselves involved. Your lifestyle will help, so regular exercise, plenty of water, loads of fruit and vegetables and a good night’s sleep are all essential. It’s easy to have your confidence knocked so make sure you know where your strengths lie and make time every day to stay abreast of market trends. Knowing what your alternatives are can actually keep you more motivated in your current role – you won’t feel trapped. Look
to the future. There’s no point getting frustrated or angry with your current situation unless it drives you to a better future. Use your strengths to help keep projects on track, honour every commitment and step by step work towards your ultimate career goal.
9 Build on feedback
Other people very often have a different perception of you, than you have of yourself. Where you believe you’re really quite brilliant at something, others might rate you less so, or vice versa. So it makes good sense to regularly check with peers what they see your development points as being. Ask your boss for regular appraisals if you don’t already have them, debrief with your project team after every piece of work, and ask your recruitment consultant for feedback on the best skills to demonstrate for your ideal step up.
More importantly, take constructive feedback and build on it. Seek out the best possible ways of addressing, developing and up-skilling your competencies. That way you’ll soon fill the gaps in your ability and experience that might otherwise hold you back from your next career step.
10 Choose your recruitment consultancies wisely
Effective relationships are so important in any walk of life or business and when times are hard they become even more crucial, particularly with the increased competition for roles.
The type of relationship that exists between a candidate and their recruitment agency, without wishing to dramatise too much, could have a massive impact on your career. Sometimes less is more so when it comes to choosing the number of agencies or recruiters you want to use, do it carefully. Some may be better for certain sectors or levels of roles and will suit you better than others. Be mindful of the number you register with. Registering with several agencies may make it harder to build strong relationships with each of them. And in some circumstances you may lose control over where your CV goes. Plan who you are going to send it to and be very clear whether you have given consent to have it sent by an agency to a potential employer.
