How to pick the perfect job for you
Rebecca Kincade asked the experts at Brightwater Recruitment to give NI Business Now some advice on how job seekers should go about matching their skills to the best job for them.
Follow your passion and do what you love! These are mantras that are constantly used when discussing how to choose your ideal job. They may seem like trite clichés but nonetheless they are true to a certain degree. However, how do you know what you are good at until you’ve already tried it? It may be easier to decide on what your expertise is today and how that can help you to move onto your next career opportunity.
Identify your talents
It is important to choose something that fits well with your skills and natural talents. Hard work will only get you so far but an underlying natural talent will help you become outstanding on a consistent basis which will lead to ultimate success. By identifying your talents first, you can narrow down your search focus and streamline your potential career options. Look at your strengths and weaknesses and list what your key skills are. For example, if your skills include creativity, innovation, the ability to work quickly and embrace risk, then careers in sales, marketing, social media, design, development or certain areas of finance may be the ideal options for you. If, on the other hand, planning, details, analytical thinking, accuracy and a methodical approach are among your list of strengths and skills, then a career in law or data analysis would be good options to consider. If you’re currently in a job and want to progress your career, then this is also a great exercise for you to understand where you can improve on your skills and what you can do to enhance your career in your existing field. Tapping into your strengths will allow you to perform at your personal best and make you more appealing to potential employers.
Match your personality to your chosen career
Once you have identified your talents and come up with a list of possible career options, then the next thing to consider is what would be the best environment for your personality. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Does your ideal career involve public speaking or require lot of client facing interaction? This would normally suit an extrovert so if you are naturally introvert, perhaps consider a career that would involve working behind the scenes in this field.
Psychometric testing
There are plenty of tools to help you identify both your strengths and talents including psychometric and aptitude testing. These tests may bolster your own beliefs for your chosen career but they also may open new avenues for you to consider. It is well worth doing one of these tests which can also be found online if needs be. It is also important to understand that while you may currently have or be doing a degree that may not suit you and are worried that this may limit your career options, do remember that employers are now looking beyond qualifications and academic history when hiring. Many employers now use a variety of psychometric and natural ability testing to gauge who would be the best fit for their organisation. Once you have narrowed down your career option choices, you can then look at qualifications and courses that would enhance your knowledge in that particular field.
Targeting jobs and marketing yourself
So you have narrowed down your job search focus to a particular field. What now? It is important to then think of yourself as a product and market yourself accordingly. Look carefully at the industry that you have chosen and then identify your chosen target companies. Familiarise yourself with both the industry and the companies. This can be done via any number of ways:
• Visit the company’s website, especially their careers section but also to ensure that your personal objectives and goals are in line with what they can offer
• Read specialist publications to do with that industry so that you’re up to date with new developments and technologies
• Set up email alerts on job sites so that you’re alerted to potential job opportunities
• Visit the website of any professional institute or body associated with your chosen field and become a member – this will help you increase your network of potential employers
• “Follow” your target companies on social media channels eg: Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Join online groups eg. on LinkedIn – groups often share expertise and have discussions
• Look at existing employees of your target companies on LinkedIn and see what their current job description is. This not only gives you an insight into the role itself but will also give you an idea of how they got to where they are
• Volunteer for unpaid work to get an insight into that particular industry – this will help you gain both experience and contacts
• Talk to people in your chosen field, they may be willing to mentor you
For more information, visit the website on www.brightwaterNI.com
