5 Step Checklist for a New Job in 2015

Have you decided that now is the time to move on with you career? It’s a big decision but an exciting one. You can make it easy on yourself and get ready for the change by following this 5 Step Checklist.

1. Be honest with yourself and write down all your skills – starting with the things that are your real strengths.
2. Are you in the right shape? After all that festive cheer you may be feeling sluggish – sharpen up both mentally and physically in preparation for finding the right move.
3. Is your CV up to scratch? Does it really communicate the skills and experiences you have identified above? Make sure key information is at the top – what is the first thing you want them to know about you?
4. Is your Social Media 100% – Is your LinkedIn profile complete, with testimonials and a good photo? Does it contain the key words employers might be searching on and have you clicked the right preferences so that everyone can see it?
5. Would you know straight away what the right job looks like? Take some time to get clear on things like location, salary, culture and sector so that you don’t waste time with jobs you don’t really want.

Should you do something outlandish to get your dream job?

Competition for the best jobs is fierce and in an increasingly tight jobs market it is getting harder to stand out from the crowd.

Having a great CV and knowing a few recruiters used to give you the edge and in more recent years an up to date LinkedIn profile would get you noticed over someone with the same skills and experience but even that is starting to lose its novelty. Now you may have to up your game again. At FMCG Central we have seen potential candidates using imaginative ways to help them stand out like Video CVs and a colleague recently reported receiving a picture of a woman holding a 3 foot fish which she claims to have caught herself. Smart? Well it certainly caught his attention!

Is this a good idea? Where does it all end? In short is it ever a wise plan to do something outlandish to land your dream job?

We asked a range of recruitment and HR experts what they think….

Neil Morrison is an HR professional at change-effect.com he reckons if it is legal then why not – life is all about taking chances but it has to feel authentic to the individual and not just a scheme to get the job. Most people can see through a scam so it’s best to stay true to you. So nothing ventured nothing gained, according to Neil – while it’s high stakes the potential rewards are high too.

Doug Shaw who writes the http://www.stopdoingdumbthingstocustomers.com blog is quite an unorthodox guy himself and often sets his hugely influential and funny marketing advice to music. Google him and you’re bound to find a You Tube video of him singing with his guitar. That is the kind of person he is though and his advice is that you need to stay true to yourself. Unorthodox yes but unethical no – says Doug – so stay authentic and stay within the law!

Steve Ward from @CloudNineReccruitment is at the leading edge of social media recruitment and  reckons that you do need to do something suitably creative to stand out from the crowd but he is wary of what unorthodox might mean to some people – so again keep it authentic and within the law.

Lastly Ken Edwards, an experienced FMCG Management Consultant from the Sphere Organisation says it’s important to remember how hard it is to get noticed out there. So his advice is to make sure that you pay attention to detail and tailor each and every communication to what the business is looking for. Do your research and work hard to send non standardised communications if you want to make your mark.

We agree that you should always have all the basics in place first and that you know what an employer is looking for before you start getting creative – that means;

• A sharply written up to date CV with career achievements and no spelling mistakes.
• An up to date LinkedIn profile with a picture and career details.
• LinkedIn recommendations from trusted sources.
• Also start to endorse people on LinkedIn and see who then endorses you
• Try joining some LinkedIn groups like our group which has over 850 members The FMCG Central Network (UK)

In Summary; you may not want to be outlandish but if you want to be noticed and get that great next job you need to stand out from the crowd.

Good luck!

www.fmcgcentral.co.uk