Career Comparison – Reasons why job hunting while employed is essential

Searching for potential job opportunities whilst working can seem like an unnecessary activity at times. It requires you to be thinking about many different factors - your current position, financial change and employment availability within your profession among other stressors. You need to use your personal time to be on the lookout for job opportunities. This is one of the reasons individuals become accustomed to their work lives as it begins to develop into an established routine. It is very easy to find yourself in the same position for many years without knowing what other opportunities are out there. However, being on the lookout puts you at an advantage over your colleagues, and indeed everyone within your industry as work trends show that we move jobs more often and several professions become more competitive than before. For these reasons and more it’s important to stay ahead of the game and keep hunting, and we will show you the best way to balance a work life and a keen job seeking eye!

1.    Being aware of your industry employment status 

Every industry differs in terms of job availability. If your industry is facing low job demand this could suggest that there are limited positions available for your current role. On the positive side your position may be more valuable to your current employer. Alternatively, that if something were to happen and you lost your position, it may be more difficult to obtain another role quickly.
 
It is always worthwhile to conduct a search on available roles in your current industry (or an industry you are hoping to make your way into). How frequently do roles come up? What is the general scope of remuneration against experience? Are most roles full time, part time or contract? By doing so, you can determine the job demand and job security within your desired industry giving you the benefit of planning your career ahead of time. Better yet, such scoping of emerging roles provides you with a competitive advantage over other employees as it allows you to assess the value and worth of your current position in the industry by comparing it to alternatives.

2.    Planning ahead for something better

Reality is that there may always be a position that is better than the one that you currently have. This is OK, however, as it gives you something to work towards. It can be hard to think of another job as you may be comfortable where you are now, but comfortable is not a term successful people use. Thinking ahead in terms of where you want to be and how you are going to get there puts you at an advantage over your colleagues. Scoping your potential next big move could be the best exercise you have undertaken.

This does not mean you have to stress out constantly looking for jobs, but rather look over advertisements within your desired field, and occasionally have a preliminary chat with a potential employer or recruiter, or send your resume out. Be very careful to explicitly state that you want your interest to remain completely confidential and not be placed into a database without your consent. Overall, consider planning ahead, networking, and spending time thinking of what your next job could potentially be.

3.    Networking

Networking is arguably the strongest factor that decides who gets the next available job. Knowing the right people could get you through doors that you would never have believed possible.

Aim at increasing your network. This could mean requesting that your contacts keep their eyes open for job opportunities as they arise. Or attending conferences, workshops and other professional events as well as buying a few coffees for people in order to build your network. Remember, people would rather hire those who they know rather than those they don’t know.

Hopefully these tips will allow you to move away from the comfortable ‘steady as you go’ space that you have fallen into and allow you to expand your network, look beyond your current position, and plan ahead for what job opportunities lie out there. Who knows, your dream job could be around the corner!

Wanting to look for other job opportunities...

Career Exchange is an online Allied Health Career Portal that has been developed to meet the needs of job seekers and advertisers within the Allied Health community. Career Exchange provides job seekers with a platform where they can connect with industry professionals and new employment opportunities. Career Exchange allows you to search for employment opportunities through cutting edge web design and usability. There is always relevant information pertaining to job seekers and you have the ability to upload a copy of your resume through your Applicant Account for free. 

Career Exchange: Active Job Seeking, networking and industry information all in the one place.  

Reassessing your work life balance to rejuvenate your energy

When you feel as though your energy levels are drained in the workplace, it may be a good idea to check in on your work-life balance. While achieving an optimum work-life balance may seem like a wishful dream in wonderland – you are not alone! Here are three steps you can follow that will help you get closer to that seemingly elusive dream-like state of equilibrium in a way that doesn't have to leave your work output in deficit.

Firstly, RECOGNISE the symptoms

If you feel as though you are:

• Experiencing a lack of sleep because you are busy thinking about the tasks you have to complete at work the next day.
• Experiencing a loss of energy in the workplace and an apathy towards your work
• Overwhelmed by your tasks at work when you begin the day or return from your lunch break
• Procrastinating more than you should be (keeping in mind that often any procrastination is too much when it comes to the workplace…)

It may be an indicator that you need to reassess your work-life balance.

Secondly, REASSESS your goals

When you find that your work-life balance is out of line, it is important to ask yourself why this is the case. This will help you re-discover what is important to you and will help you re-gain sight of the bigger picture. Placing your work into perspective can often help if you feel overwhelmed. Additionally, you may re-discover the reason you have been pushing yourself so hard in the first place. This can often serve as a great source of hidden motivation that could push you over the finish line. When re-assessing your goals, it is important to consider where you are now; where you would like to be, and what you need to do to get there. It might feel a bit odd at first, but it can pay off to list these details down in a document or spreadsheet. It is always easy to let some demotivating tasks get neglected - until they become a pattern with no solution. So, keep your eye on the prize of your career and personal goals.

Finally, TAKE ACTION!

• Make necessary changes to your schedule and reprioritise tasks that need to be done in terms of what you need for yourself. Assess what extra tasks are created as a result of mismanaged resources.
• If you suspect that there is a misallocation of resources - begin a discussion with your manager that you believe the misallocation of resources is causing distress and has lowered productivity (just be sure to have a sound solution!)
• Reflect on your personal well-being and think strategically about how this affects your productivity.
• Improve the quality of your “down-time” while you are away from work will help manage your productivity while you are in the workplace. It is important to take time out for yourself … even if that means going for a walk around the block without your phone during your lunch break.
• Always be sure to look back at your original goals, and compare it to how your workplace responsibilities have changed and how that affects your personal life.

If you are still finding it difficult to achieve motivation despite work changes, balance alterations and discussions with management, you could have a career mismatch. Trudging through a field that never suited your personality in the first place will almost always end in low productivity, low satisfaction, burnout and worse. One way to be sure that you’re in the right field or studying the right course is to take a psychologically backed careers test. This weighs your values and attributes to define what career course best suits your abilities and fundamentally, who you are.