Job hunting tips for 2023

Job hunting tips for 2023

We all know beginning the search for a new role can be tedious and a little daunting. What if the role isn’t right for me? What if I don’t find something?

New year, new job is pushed and advertised, because for most people the start of a new year is a “fresh start”, reflecting on the previous few months and understanding what you want from the future.

Is 2023 your year for a career change? From job boards to LinkedIn there are lots of routes out there to navigate the job market. Working with employers and different job roles every day, we’ve put together our top tips to get you started:

Tips:

1. Be specific to your chosen industry

• Important to research your industry, what is it, what do they do, why do you want to work in it, how do your skills match up?
• You know your work history far more than it says on your CV. Be open with recruiters about this, shout about your achievements.
• Are you looking to change industry? Speak to recruiters about their experience with candidates entering new markets.

2. Build your CV according to it

• It is so important to point your CV in the direction of the chosen role and company. If you know they are looking for experience in a particular area then push this up your CV. Think of keywords that employers will be wanting to see.
• Targeting specific roles if your specialism is for example within polymer, textile, chemical or cnc then utilize this and make this stand out.
• Think about what the advert in particular stood out to you and why you believe you would be a good fit. Use their own keywords within your CV for a better chance of being seen as a good match.

3. Update your LinkedIn profile

This is so important in today’s market. Employers want to put a face to the CV as quickly as possible and one of the easiest ways is to look at your LinkedIn profile. Not only that but employers and recruiters will use LinkedIn to find candidates.

Update both your work history and your skills. A company name and job title is no longer enough. How many direct reports? How big was the budget you managed? Did you implement change?

Update profile to open to work. Let the world know you are active on the market and you will find some roles come to you.

4. Focus on Networking

• Think about your own social media network. LinkedIn especially is a brilliant tool for this. You attended that workshop and added the people on the table to your network…. wasn’t one of them the Head of Manufacturing for a company you would be interested in working for? That recruiter who contacted you 6 months ago but you wasn’t open to opportunities then, check in with them. They may be looking at another similar role or know of one coming up soon.
• Who you know in all business’ will help and having networking opportunities with other people in the industry will always be a benefit when searching for a new role.

• 5.Partner with a great recruitment agency

• Gone are the days where candidates work exclusively with a particular agency and nor should they. The world is your oyster when searching for a role but having an agency who completely understands your work history, personality type and requirements for a role will mean you’re the first person they think to call when something comes up.
• At Handley James we have worked in the Manufacturing industry for 20 years and across that time met hundreds of clients, thousands of candidates. Some of who may have been in an apprentice role when we first spoke to them and are now senior leaders. Knowing these people and being a small part in these individuals career progression is a great achievement for us.

Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up to date with industry must-knows and to grow your own network.