Whether you’re entering the workforce for the first time, or you’re looking for a change and a new opportunity, at Hunterskill Recruitment we understand more than anyone that the job-seeking period can certainly be a difficult one. We’ve helped hundreds of people just like you find their footing, and make that first step down a new and exciting career path – take a look at our blog, we try and gather some of the most useful information you’d need as soon as you step into that interview room or even your first day on the job!
But what if you’re not quite there yet? Starting a new life chapter is no easy task, and the anxiety that arises from what could turn into a career can be too much to even make that first step – believe us, we’ve been there.
The phrase ‘job-search anxiety’ is slowly gaining traction, even more so following such a long period of uncertainty as the lockdown was – the question is, how can we prevent it and turn those working-woes into working-wins?
Finding your own career path is no simple feat, and we can’t promise by the end of this you’ll have your whole life laid out, but hopefully, we can give you a few helpful skills that will help give you a little perspective!
What makes you tick?
What’s the point in doing something for a long time if you don’t enjoy it? Don’t get us wrong, when embarking on any career path, you should expect sometimes difficult or struggling times to crop up – but then again you can’t have the good without the bad.
Your first step should be all out identifying what works for you – what are your interests, your passions and your ideals? In many cases, what we are trying to achieve is finding a career path that matches your personal interests as closely as possible, however, like all things, a balance needs to be struck.
Here’s a useful exercise: try taking a closer look at your hobbies and interests, let’s assume for the moment you won’t find a job doing exactly that activity – try digging deeper into what keeps you interested in that hobby, and find the elements that could transfer over to the business world. This is where we need to bring in some creative thinking, and consider how we can shift our perspectives to help accommodate and feel happier in our jobs.
Are you interested in the creative arts, like cinema or photography? Perhaps a career in a creative sector like marketing or advertisement may have enough creative elements to keep the enjoyable elements fresh and exciting! Are you interested in puzzles and coordination? Then perhaps a career as a project manager or events organiser might make the most out of your natural ability to take control of a task.
Focus on the steps, not the staircase.
You may have heard the saying ‘don’t put all your eggs in one basket’ – well, that couldn’t apply more when you’re making your first step down a new career path. The business world takes time, and your experience will change the longer you work for a company or in a certain industry – it’s not unheard of for people to begin their careers in one field, only for a new opportunity to arise and then completely change their trajectory.
As much as we do need to focus on where we want our lives to head, do not lose sight of the day to day – new opportunities can appear at any moment, and if we’re not paying attention, we may miss out. A plan always works in our minds, enacting our goals effectively is a different story all together.
Furthermore, the value of being a good day to day employee will go a very long way in the right industry – garnering respect from superiors can always lead to promotion, or potentially useful references when applying for other jobs. In other words, accumulating small victories on a day to day basis will add up to something more than the sum of its parts!
Something to consider before you choose a certain career route, is how effective you will be in day to day operations – are you a procrastinator? Do you need motivation from others to get you going? Perhaps a job from home in this instance is not for you at the moment. That’s not to say that it might not happen somewhere down the line, but by keeping realistic, we can take steps forward, and track our progress better.
Knowing your limits
We generally understand that we work for jobs, when finding your place in the working world, we have to understand how jobs can work for us. Your limits will change with more experience, however, we must remain realistic in our abilities to achieve our goals effectively.
No one is an expert, or a seasoned professional when they start their career. Even if you have had lots of experience in a field in an amateur or un-paid capacity, navigating the business world requires a new set of skills that only really come with time and experience.
How prepared are you to take on responsibility? We all like stay busy, but there always comes a point where we can push ourselves too hard and ‘burn out’ – don’t feel like you have to jump into the highest possible position immediately, odds are you won’t know how to manage yourself or others well enough yet, and this could be at the detriment of other opportunities, start small, and walk, don’t run!
How much time are willing to devote, or can realistically expect to devote to a career? If you have children, or those you are caring for in some capacity, this question will be even more important – there are only so many hours in a day, and it’s our job to designate the right amount to the important things. You need to be able to dedicate enough time for both work and rest, because a lack or abundance in either is not sustainable, especially if you have other responsibilities!
We know that there is a lot to take into consideration in this one, but take your time and start making your plan – you can browse through more of our helpful tips and tricks on our blog, or even take a look at some of the current job opportunities that are available here at Hunterskill!
And as always,
Good Luck!