Why 2022 is the year you get your dream job

For those who are truly motivated to take on a new role, climb to the next level, raise their pay—or all three—the conditions are rarely better. Job listings are plentiful, wages are rising and unemployment is low.

While it can be tempting to jump to the next opportunity you see on LinkedIn or take lateral steps for a 10% increase, career coaches and compensation consultants agree that workers need to seize this advantageous moment. They recommend that job seekers use their leverage, be very specific about what they are looking for and do their homework about the current environment for their chosen field.

“If I’m someone who’s a little stuck in their career and has thought, ‘I want to make a big change, but I don’t know if I’ll actually get hired,’ now is a time.” Where this is more possible has been in the past,” said Corey Cossack, founder and CEO of AspireShip, an online learning platform that connects aspiring software sales reps with job opportunities.

Here’s how to narrow your search, use your leverage, and take the next step in your career.

Zero in on what you hate about your job.

Make a list of the aspects of your job you hate, says Michelle Woodward, a Washington, DC-based career coach who guides executives through their job changes. The exercise will help shed light on what’s bothering you. Get specific and remember that hating “everything” is not an obvious answer, she said.

“You really give yourself to not only think, ‘What do I complain about?’ But, ‘What will be the solution to that complaint?’ To think in detail about pay, limitations, work-life balance and your boss and co-workers,’ said Ms. Woodward.

Some might be tempted to take a laissez-faire approach to career planning right now—after all, many skilled workers already have recruiters—but many career coaches warn that such a sober approach can make them hybrid. Can’t make up – the job position, salary or signing bonus they really want to take a big step forward.

Workers feeling restless should consider what it is, specifically, what is missing from their work life and what they hope to achieve in their next life.

Stay focused, but don’t exhaust yourself.

According to Nashville, Tenn.-based career coach Nakisha Hicks, setting parameters to keep your job search manageable increases your chances of finding, pursuing, and landing a role that’s actually a good fit. .

“Job hunt should not be a job,” said Ms. Hicks, recommending that hunt-goers set aside an hour each day to focus on their search. “When it becomes a job, then people give up. At that, or they take the first thing they can do because they get tired of watching.”

Job seekers should take the time to do the easiest things they can manage each day, advises Lindsay Pollack, a career consultant and speaker on the multi-generational workforce and navigating the changing workplace, whose clients include: Goldman Sachs, Aetna and The Estee Lauder Company Inc.

People often think, “‘I can’t send 20 resumes today, so I won’t send any.’ If you can’t send 20, can you send one?” she asks.

You have leverage. Count how much

The great resignation is real, but conditions vary greatly between industries, sectors, and businesses. Career coaches advise job seekers to personally research the hiring environment they enter.

“People who have worked in a similar job with a similar industry serving a similar customer [or] Product – if you fit all those boxes, you have a lot of profit,” Mr. Cossack said.

He recommends that candidates use their advantage to not only get a new job or salary increase, but to secure a role that will position them for growth and future success. He also cautions against overplaying any perceived upper hand: Job seekers should still focus primarily on the skills they bring to the table in tight labor market conditions.

“Nobody’s running and it’s not like, ‘Why should I work here?’ It doesn’t matter how much leverage you think you have,” he said. “And if it does, it’s going to work in places you don’t want to work and people you don’t want to work for.”

connection count.

Even in a hot recruitment market, jobs are still found more often through networking than by submitting dozens of applications, said career coaches, recruiters and human-resources executives.

“Making a phone call to a former colleague, sending a connection request on LinkedIn to someone you admire is going to [an online job fair] And chatting with a recruiter—who is fueling your job search,” said Ms. Pollack.

The start of the year provides the perfect excuse to reach out and capture the people in your network, said Alisa Kohn, an executive coach who advises companies on recruitment and other talent matters. Simply mentioning that you are looking for a job may be enough to get the conversation moving.

“You should step back and be thoughtful about what company you want to work for, think about who you know who loves their job, and why,” she says.

Get a new job without leaving the job.

If a significant percentage of your coworkers have left, now may be a good time to push for a promotion or raise or find an entirely new job within your current organization—especially if it’s doing well financially. Is.

“If you’re happy, it’s worth living and doubling,” said Ms. Pollack, who warns workers not to look for a job when it comes to the trend.

Don’t expect that your organization will automatically reward you for staying. Ms. Pollack said you need to be assertive and direct, requesting time to “keep on the conversation” – as opposed to an exit interview – to discuss your prospects at the company and highlight your contributions.