Resume Writing for the Unemployed

Trying to get back into the workforce after you have been unemployed for some time can be challenging.

Employers and search consultants will often want evidence that your skills, strengths and proactivity have been maintained throughout your unemployed period.

 

When it comes to resume writing for the unemployed, here are some useful ideas on how to account for your down time:

Volunteer Work

Employers like to see that you are striving to remain active while you are unemployed and volunteer work is a great way to fill that gap. You should list any volunteer experience you have taken on, as well as any new skills and responsibilities you have gained. Including any key accomplishments will also be beneficial and demonstrates that you are still motivated and capable of achieving goals.

Consulting Work

Consulting work is a fantastic way to bridge the gap in your resume if you have been providing advice to other businesses during your time off. This will give you the opportunity to showcase your ongoing expertise and knowledge and demonstrate to employers the value you can bring to an organisation.

Temporary Work

Many job applicants also assume that temporary work is not beneficial enough to include in their resume or they worry that it will affect the consistency of their experience. Temporary work, however, can be a useful addition to your resume and shows the employer that you have made efforts to stay within the workforce, even if it has been in a role that is not entirely relevant to your career goals.

Education & Training

Any training, skill enhancement or education that you have undertaken while unemployed should also be mentioned in your resume. Courses, workshops, certifications and conferences are all valuable and mean that you have made the most of your time while unemployed and that you still have a passion for improvement and self-development.

Personal Time

It is perfectly reasonable to be unemployed for personal reasons. This can include time off for things like travel, study or caring for your family and kids. If you mention these factors in your resume, make sure that you make it clear why you decided to embark on these journeys in the first place and why you are now heading back into the workforce.

Other Things to Remember When Resume Writing:

• Be honest about your unemployment; there is no point in trying to cover up the fact that you are out of work. An employer or recruiter will most probably uncover the truth anyway, so it is important to be upfront and honest in your approach
• If you are quizzed about how or why your previous role ended, be truthful, but accentuate the positive rather than the negative aspects of what occurred
• Resume writing can be a difficult balancing act between including just enough detail and not giving too much away. If you are struggling with how to depict your unemployment, consider whether a qualified resume writer could make a difference to your applications

Lost your job? Resumes Australia offers a range of career services, including resume writing and interview coaching, to help you get back into the workforce. Contact Us today for a confidential discussion or email your resume to: resume@resumes-australia.com.au.

Regards,

Company Perks That Can Enhance Your Career

Today, many job hunters want much more than a simple salary boost or a good retirement package from their employers.

Overall happiness and a work-life balance are at the forefront of executive demands these days, and top employers are responding by offering additional perks and benefits to attract and retain top talent.

 

If you are searching for a new job, keep your eyes out for some of these amazing perks that could make a real difference to your job and your career:

Day Care Programs

With the new parental leave benefits recently announced for hardworking executives, many corporate organisations are recognising the need to be ‘family friendly.’ Providing in-house Day Care Programs for parents is one of the biggest ways that companies seek to retain their valued employees full-time or even part-time even after they have made the decision to have children. This is a great perk to look out for if you’ve got young kids or if you are looking to have children in the future!

Work Flexibility

Many employers are also conceding to executives’ demands for more flexible work arrangements. This could include the chance to work from home on a regular basis or opportunities to start or finish the workday either earlier or later. This gives employers the chance to attract a wider net of quality employees who may have family commitments to take on or who don’t want a long commute to and from work each day – and who otherwise wouldn’t consider joining the company without some flexibility. Most organisations, however, may not advertise or promote their flexibility, so be sure to ask this when approaching employers or recruiters.

Opportunities for Fitness & Health

Promoting greater health is the key to having happier and more productive staff. For this reason, lots of organisations offer gym memberships and discounts for health and fitness facilities. Sports teams, clubs, lunch time activity classes and access to local recreation facilities are all perks that show how dedicated an employer is to the health of their workforce.

Education & Training

Providing career training and advancement opportunities are perks that prove loyalty to employees by encouraging personal growth within the company. Executives keen to learn and gain further education can look for a position in an organisation that provides instructor-led, web-based or even video-based training, or one that will reimburse your tuition should you pursue advanced training or education at university or another institute.

Company Car

If you have to travel a lot within your job or simply to get to/from your job, a company car is an excellent perk to keep an eye out for. This can both maximise your time and productivity and it will also save you money since you won’t need to pay for your own vehicle. If you are having trouble negotiating the kind of salary you want with a new employer, asking for a company car instead may be a great compromise that benefits both parties.

Private Health Care

In Australia, health care costs seems to be endlessly on the rise and yet many executives consider comprehensive health care essential to their wellbeing. You may find that many larger, corporate organisations will offer healthcare cover for their employees (and in some cases, their families, too) or they will provide a monthly benefit to help pay for your private health care. If you are trying to negotiate with an employer over salary, health care benefits can be a great perk to ask for as well.

Profit Sharing

Profit sharing is often limited to corporate organisations, but this can be a great perk, as you will get to share a percentage of the company’s profits, which can be a nice little bonus to complement your job.

Socialising

It’s important to remember that work isn’t all about sitting at a desk, too. Lots of great friends and valuable contacts can be made on the job – and often, these come to fruition through socialising. If you love the idea of being part of a team or community, look for organisational perks that include social clubs or activities. It might be as simple as monthly company lunches or organised team days off-site.

Taking control of every aspect of your career is essential in achieving success fulfilment. Resumes Australia provides leading career services, such as career coaching and resume writing, to help your career flourish.

Regards,

The Secret to Successful Career Goals

The secret to a successful career is all about developing a clear vision.

The questions surrounding this might involve what you want from your career, where you see yourself in 10 years time and the reasons why you want to reach these goals.

 

Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Yet I’ve also seen many candidates fail in achieving their career objectives and this can often be because the goals they’ve set are misaligned, not properly planned or just unrealistic.

Define Your Idea of Success

We all want to be successful in our careers, but “success” means different things to different people. To begin with, think about what “success” means to you. Is it about achieving a specific salary so that you can live comfortably? It is about having that dream CEO job or is it really about making a difference to others in your community or country?

Consider what you truly want to achieve from your career and what values and factors are important to you. Once you understand what you really want, you’ll be able to develop career goals that automatically grow from your wants and needs and that will eventually bring you much career fulfilment.

Identify Your Strengths

If you are having trouble figuring out what you want out of your career, try thinking about your strengths. They could be technical strengths, behavioural strengths or business strengths.
Creating goals around your strengths and key talents is essential, since many of us gain career satisfaction and happiness from utilising our strengths on the job.

Consider how your strengths can give rise to your career goals; for example, if you enjoy working with facts and figures, your goal might be to secure an analyst position. If your strength is communicating and helping others, one of your goals might be to find employment that involves mentoring, coaching or volunteering.

Want, Not Should

A significant part of career happiness is also making sure you choose goals that you think you can achieve or want to achieve, not goals that you feel you should achieve. While we all face pressure in our lives, such as the need to pay rent and bills, making sure that your goals also bring you fulfilment in one way or another is crucial. If you develop your goals around what you or others think you should be doing, your goals are most likely going to be unattainable; and even if they are achieved, they won’t bring you any satisfaction.

Successful Support

One of the biggest secrets behind successful career goals is also having the right support. Mentors, managers, career coaches, recruiters, search consultants and even resume writers can all form your career support network and many will be invaluable in helping you achieve your goals. These people will ideally possess expertise in certain areas and will be able to assist you throughout the course of your career.

If you are lacking support in some areas, now may be the ideal time to make some great connections and find support from people you trust.

Need help with your career goal setting? Resumes Australia offers comprehensive career consulting services for executives and CEOs, as well as graduates and aspiring professionals.

Regards

Changing Jobs, Is It Right For Your Career?

Every career needs stability, whether you are in a CEO role or simply your first graduate position. However, there will be times throughout your career when a job change is needed, possibly because your current role is not fulfilling your requirements or because you are simply striving for more.

But how do you know if jumping ship and changing jobs is the right move for your carer overall?

Career Goals

Your career goals will be instrumental in shaping your career and helping you decide what type of experience you need to achieve your objectives. Your present position must offer you something that progresses your journey, whether it is the chance to develop a specific skill set, more experience, further education or the possibility of promotion or growth. If your everyday role is no longer contributing to your greater career goal, changing jobs may be more beneficial than staying where you are.

Your Skills and Strengths Are Under Utilised

Using your strengths and skills in your day-to-day job is essential for job satisfaction. It is also crucial for your productivity and career progression, since your strengths will be key in forwarding your success. If you find that your strengths or skills aren’t being utilised in your current role, you could consider taking on new responsibilities that allow you to use these skills. However, if there isn’t any room for your skills to develop or be utilised regularly, it could be a sign that you’re in the wrong role altogether.

No Room to Grow

Some businesses are often limited in what they can offer employees; they can only grant so much career development (at least in the foreseeable future) before a maximum level is reached. This can particularly apply to employees in smaller businesses or even large, corporate companies where progression is not likely. If you find yourself in an organisation where there is limited space for growth, promotion or development, a job change is likely needed if you want to take that next career step.

Your Needs Have Changed

External factors can also influence your decision about whether or not to change jobs. You might want find yourself in a situation where more money is needed (e.g. if you buy a house or have children) or you may have developed new career aspirations that now need implementing. Whatever changes are affecting your life, you’ll need to consider whether your current job is fulfilling your needs and if a job change has the potential to meet your new requirements.

You Hate Going To Work

Enjoyment in any job role can be like a rollercoaster; it has its ups and downs. But being unhappy or unfulfilled on a daily is a clear sign that your job is not giving you any satisfaction. This can breed stress, anxiety and unhappiness and it also means that you are holding your career back from making any real progress. The best solution here, if you can’t find any areas of satisfaction in your role, may be to change jobs. You could choose to simply move roles within the same company or find a new employer altogether.

You Are Constantly Frustrated

Frustration can be a common aspect of any job, but having ambitious plans and ideas that you don’t have the tools, resources or support to effectively implement can create much on-the-job frustration. Other frustration-fuelling issues include being under-appreciated, working with difficult colleagues or feeling mismatched in terms of culture or values. While these may not be enough to warrant a job change, you’ll need to weigh up whether finding new employment may be better and more rewarding for your career.

Resumes Australia is a leading career coaching and consulting and executive resume writing agency based in Sydney. If you need help managing your career, simply Contact Us or visit our website for more information.

Regards,

Using Keywords In Your Resumes & Profiles

The art of resume writing has changed significantly in recent times, particularly with online platforms and social media technology playing a huge part in the way employers and search consultants work.

In the same way that websites rely on keywords to get to the top of search engine results, job seekers must also use keywords to get their resumes to the top of candidate searches.

Many consultants and employers rely on databases and digital searches nowadays when aiming to fill positions. As a result, resumes and online profiles must be much more keyword driven.

Step 1: Choosing the Right Keywords

The most difficult part about using keywords in your professional resume is understanding which ones will resonate with a particular employer or resume database. Luckily, job seekers can employ several techniques to help them choose the right keywords for their resumes and profiles:

1. Consider the job title: Job titles are one of the most common keywords employers will use when conducting searches. If you are set on a particular job role, include this keyword at least 2-5 times in your resume. A good way to determine if your keyword is effective is to conduct a search using this keyword yourself, either on a job site or via a search engine. If relevant job listings come up, you will know you’re using the right words.

2. Review the job posting: Job descriptions will often contain important keywords in the way of skills, credentials, responsibilities and competencies. Consider what your own ideal role involves and which keywords are being used consistently by employers across various job postings related to your field or industry. For example, if you notice that ‘thought leadership’ is used frequently, you will need to include ‘thought leadership’ as a keyword in your resume.

3. Visit the company website: The website of the hiring company will generally offer industry specific terms that can be used as keywords. By reading through the website content, job seekers will quickly learn the industry terminology or product/service titles that are most relevant to the employer.

Step 2: Using Keywords Properly

Choosing the right keywords is only half the battle when it comes to effective resume writing. Using keywords organically in your resume is important, and will prevent you from turning your resume or online profile into ‘spam.’ My best tips for effective keyword inclusion are:

• Use the most important keywords at the start of your document, such as in the ‘summary’ or ‘profile’ sections.
• Present your keywords in context. That is, write relevant sentences and descriptions that include your desired keywords. Don’t simply list your keywords, as this is ineffective and lazy.
• Using keywords when describing your accomplishments can also be very beneficial. This will draw the reader to your achievements and show them in a clear and concrete way what you are capable of.
• Include the most important keywords throughout your resume or profile, but only when they can be used naturally and relevantly. Many databases and engines will rank resumes/profiles based on how many times a specific keyword is used. However, if you include certain keywords for the sake it, your content will appear sloppy and unprofessional and the recruiter will instantly reject your resume.

Step 3: Adapting Your Keywords

Every resume should be tailored specifically for each different job application, but without compromising the quality or integrity of your experience and achievements. Although your online profile can remain the same, you should tweak each resume application to include keywords that are relevant to that position, job description or employer. This will help maximise your success and means that you’ll stay one step ahead of those keyword-driven databases and searches.

Resumes Australia is a leading resume writing and career guidance firm specialising in executive resume writing and online profile writing. Contact Us to learn more about how we can help you find and use the right keywords during your job search.

Regards,

5 Social Media Mistakes That Will Kill Your Job Search

In the last five years, social media has significantly altered the job seeking and recruitment landscape.

Executive job hunters now have a much better chance of connecting with industry leaders and participating in online activities that can ultimately enhance their careers.

 

Yet while social media sites are considered to be beneficial to job seekers, there are instances when social media can lead to rejected resumes and lost opportunities, which can ultimately affect your chances of employment. Here is best advice for avoiding these social media blunders:

1. Avoid Inappropriate Content

When employers check your social media profiles, they are looking for clues about your personality that will help them decide whether or not you are the ideal candidate for their company. While your profile on LinkedIn should be useful, platforms like Twitter and Facebook can be harmful if inappropriate content (photographs, posts, comments) exists on your profile. While these are only meant to be shared between friends, they can harm your chances of employment significantly if viewed by a prospective employer or recruiter.

To avoid this social media blunder, you should either avoid sharing inappropriate messages or pictures via your profile or set your profile to ‘private’ rather than ‘public,’ so that prospective employers can’t gain access to it. In addition, you may wish to set up a second profile for yourself that is purely professional.

2. Complete Your Profiles

Keeping your personal profiles updated regularly is essential in contributing to your overall professional brand. When it comes to more professional social media sites, such as LinkedIn, failing to update or complete your social media profile can also create a negative impression with employers and recruiters.

It shows that you don’t complete tasks when you start them and that you don’t consider the social media platform to be worthy of your time and effort. This can be detrimental in your job search, especially when so many employers use social media to verify information and connect with job seekers.

3. Write Engaging Content

Consistent and well-written content on social media sites is also expected these days. No matter how comprehensive your content is, grammatical errors or discrepancies in information will leave employers assuming that you are sloppy in your work and that you don’t pay attention to detail.

Both resume writing and profile writing should be given your utmost time and dedication, especially if you are searching for work. If your resume writing skills are not up to scratch, consider utilising a professional resume writing service who can write your profile for you.

4. Sharing Thoughts & Opinions

Participating in social media groups and discussions is a fantastic way to make new connections and improve your professional standing. Yet if your opinions are too strong, one-sided or even biased, you may find yourself alienating potential employers. While it’s great to be passionate about many things, my best advice to those sharing their viewpoints on social media sites is to remain professional at all times. Unethical, ignorant or slanderous comments can ruin your chances of employment on the spot.

5. Badmouthing Employers

Badmouthing their past or present employers is one of the biggest mistakes many job seekers and even current employees make on the social media scene. Negative comments about your company in general or any of your colleagues or bosses should be avoided at all times. This tells a prospective employer that you lack integrity and professionalism and that you don’t respect others around you. Although venting can be useful, make sure that any complaints you have about your past employment are shared in confidence with someone you trust – and not online.

Are you an executive looking for work? Resumes Australia is a full career service firm offering unique resume writing, social media profile writing and career coaching solutions. Learn more today at: http://www.resumes-australia.com.au/.

Regards

Executive Work – Life Balance – How Do You Achieve It?

Along with higher salaries and increased company benefits, finding employment that offers a work-life balance is one of the top desires for working Australians this year.

But obtaining that ideal work-life balance is not always simple or feasible.

 

Under all of the pressure of executive employment, how can you achieve a work-life balance without losing a grip on your responsibilities?

Remember Your Priorities

If you are seeking a better work-life balance, you probably have a list of personal aspects in your life that you consider important. But have you lost sight of these? Reminding yourself of your priorities outside of work, such as family, friends or hobbies, can help give you much more focus and perspective when it comes time to approach your work-life strategy.

Be Proactive About It

Achieving a work-life balance is not always simple and it’s not something that happens on its own. We all know that as a busy executive you easily could work 15 hours a day, 7 days a week, sacrificing many other areas of your life. Yet if you crave more personal time, it is up to you to proactively manage your hours so that a work-life balance is achieved. Getting into the right mindset and being proactive about creating a work-life balance plan is crucial.

Delegate Your Tasks

If you are an executive, your job description is probably several pages long. But if you do want to reach a work-life balance, it’s important to remember that you can’t do everything alone. Consider off-loading some of your responsibilities or delegating specific tasks to other managers and staff members. This allows you to reduce your workload and also generate a great opportunity for another employee who is keen to take on more responsibility and grow within the company.

Reduce or Change Your Hours

Reducing your work hours is the most ideal way to enhance your work-life balance and you can come up with various ways of doing this. You might want to make a resolution to be out the door by 7pm everyday or you could put a rule in place where you finish by 5pm each Friday.

Alternatively, if you can’t cut back your hours, consider changing your hours to better suit your work-life balance needs.

Work From Home

As an executive, many organisations will ideally give you the flexibility to work from home. Although you’ll still need to work throughout the day, it also gives you the opportunity to spend pockets of time – like a lunch break – doing what you like. It also means that at the end of the day, you can maximise the time you’d ordinarily spent commuting and use this time to give attention to something in your personal life.

Use Your Leave

How many leave days have you built up over the course of your career? You’ll likely have many days up your sleeve and taking these regularly throughout the year (rather than in one, big hit) can enhance your work-life balance substantially.

Force Yourself to Take a Lunch Break

Lunch breaks are a great time to implement a better work-life balance. You can utilise lunch breaks to meet up with a partner or friend, eat out with a colleague or head to the gym. Consider how you can better utilise your lunch break for ‘non work’ activities. If you eat lunch at your desk or skip lunch, you’ll need to force yourself to take a break – even if it is only for one or two days a week.

Start small

Your perfect work-life balance structure isn’t going to happen overnight. If you are concerned about how changes to the structure or routine of your work day will affect your success, start small and simply change one thing at a time. If you’re still stuck, make a list of the things you feel comfortable changing immediately and implement these first.

Need more of a balance? Resumes Australia provides tailored career coaching services that can help you achieve a more fulfilling work-life balance and a more satisfying career and life overall.

Good luck!

5 Myths About Search Consultants You Should Know

Search consultants and executive recruiters can be invaluable people to connect with over the course of your career.

They can deliver key opportunities to your door, provide advice on the industry in general and offer you precious insights when meeting with particular organisations and employers.
Yet there are many common myths surrounding Search Consultants and their roles within the recruitment industry.

What are these myths and how can you navigate around them to strengthen and solidify your Search Consultant relationships?

Myth #1: Search Consultants Work For Me

Many job seekers enter into a search consultant relationship under the assumption that they are the only person the search consultant is trying to find work for and that they deserve special attention or regular phone calls.

On the contrary, search consultants will often have many executives they are working with and are usually so busy networking with employers and leaders that they don’t have time to act like your personal assistant. Once you’ve met them, be patient with your search consultant; it can take time to develop opportunities and find the right role in the marketplace that is best suited to you.

Myth #2: Search Consultants Only Care About Their Clients

This is a common myth surrounding search consultants, since a consultant essentially works to fill an organisation’s vacancies. While this is true, it doesn’t mean that a search consultant’s interests are only one-sided.

Building strong relationships with both client companies and quality job seekers is the key to a search consultant’s success and matching the right executive with the right company is something they take very seriously. As a job seeker, they will be concerned about whether the role available is right for you and will want you, as well as the client, to gain much from the placement, both now and in future.

Myth #3: Search Consultants Read Every Resume

Many executives think that because Search Consultants work at such a top level, they pour their efforts into reading every resume that lands on their desk. This is not true.

Like any other agent in the recruitment and HR industries, Search Consultants are extremely busy people and they often don’t have time for hours of desk work; instead, they will simply scan and screen resumes quickly. For this reason, your executive resume must grab their attention quickly and it must highlight the talents, skills and experience you have to offer. Failing to do this will result in your resume being passed over.

If you are not confident about our resume, seek assistance from a qualified resume writer who has experience writing for senior level positions.

Myth #4: Search Consultants Don’t Check Resume Details

If you think a search consultant simply acts as a middle man and flicks your resume over to the employer once they’ve read it, think again.

Search consultants will conduct thorough research into a candidate’s background, scrutinising their skills, salary and other qualifications before recommending them for a position. When they send your application through to an employer, it is also their reputation, as well as yours, that is on the line.

For this reason, being honest on your resume is essential, no matter who you are applying for a job with. Exaggerating your experience, skills or salary is not a smart move and it’s likely a search consultant will uncover your lies or embellishments quickly.

Myth #5: Search Consultants Are Lazy

This couldn’t be further from the truth. However, I have had some candidates approach me with the impression that Search Consultants are lazy or self-serving simply because they don’t return phone calls or respond to emails.

What executives need to keep in mind is that search consultants are extremely busy, with a multitude of meetings, interviews and networking to be conducted each day, plenty of which also takes place out of usual business hours. Search Consultants are also never simply recruiting for only one role or working with only one employer. Instead, they are often juggling a huge volume of clients, positions and executive candidates.

They key to working with Search Consultants is to be patient – they will get in touch with you, particularly if they are making progress with your application. In the meantime, consider expanding your opportunities elsewhere or doing some networking of your own.

Resumes Australia is a leading Australian organisation specialising in job seeking, career management and executive resume writing. For expert career assistance, Contact Us or visit http://www.resumes-australia.com.au.

Kind Regards,

Promoting Yourself at Career Expos

Whether you are starting out in your career, wanting to change industries or simply looking for ways to climb up that corporate ladder, career expos offer many opportunities. Attending a career expo is one of the most valued ways to find new employment, meet new executives and get in touch with potential employers.

Achieving success at these events is all about selling yourself, networking with the right people and setting the groundwork for future relationships.

Be Resume Ready

Your resume is one of the most important tools that will help you secure new employment. It is a good idea to bring several copies of your resume with you to any career expo – and make sure that you have too many, rather than too few.

You should also ensure that your resume is professional, expertly written and targeted to the kind of position/s you are looking for. It may even benefit you to have a few different versions of your resume to hand to different employers. If resume writing is not your strength, you should consider obtaining the services of an experienced resume writer.

Bringing along your portfolio or any other marketing materials you have can also help you stand out from the competition.

Know Your Targets

Career expos tend to showcase a multitude of organisations and businesses, all of which are looking to exhibit their worth and attract potential employees. As a job seeker, you will achieve much more success if you find out in advance which companies will be attending the expo and then create a shortlist of the companies you wish to target/visit.

The more you know about each of these businesses, the more you will be able to tailor your approach and master any conversations you have with company representatives. If you are currently looking for work, finding out about any specific vacancies that each company has can also be beneficial, but be wary of being too pushy about these.

Dress the Part

First impressions always make a significant difference when it comes to meeting employers, so if you are heading to a career event, make sure you dress appropriately. This is particularly important if you plan to target high-end corporate companies. Even if you don’t dress in full business attire, a smart-casual outfit will help present you professionally to potential employers.

Value Proposition

Industry events and career expos are often extremely busy places, meaning you may only have a minute or two to make a strong impression. Part of this process is making sure that you know exactly what to say to representatives and employers. Highlight your strengths, skills or talents and make sure they are relevant to the organisation. Rehearsing your value proposition beforehand can be extremely beneficial, as can formal interview coaching.

Know Your Goals

Finally, make sure that you understand what you want to get out of the career expo and what you want to achieve on a long term basis in your career. It’s fine to attend knowing that you want a job, but have you thought about what kind of job, what kind of organisation and what kind of people you want to work with?

Knowing both your long term and short term goals will allow you to devise a successful strategy for connecting with the right people and employers at the event, and if you factor your goals into your approaches and discussions, you will also create the impression that you are a forward-thinking candidate.

Need an outstanding resume? The expert resume writing team at Resumes Australia can produce specialist resumes for career events, expos or job applications, whether you are a graduate or a senior at the CEO level.

Regards,

Getting the Most Out of a Job You Hate

Being unhappy or unsatisfied in a job is something that we all experience at least once in our lifetime.

Looking for a new job can be refreshing, but you may also find yourself bound by financial constraints or challenged by the competition in the market. Until the time comes when you can hand in your resignation, it is important that you try to remain positive and continue to get the most out of your job.

Change Your Attitude

A negative attitude can make your job feel ten times more difficult or unsatisfying than it really is. Instead of being unenthusiastic or negative, try taking a proactive and positive approach to your daily tasks. If there is lots of politics or conflict going on, try and rise above it and find feasible solutions for dealing with it. This can lift some of the weight off your shoulders and make your work much more enjoyable.

Keep Up the Job Search

It’s easy to fall into the trap of laziness in a stale job, even when it comes to job searching. To keep active about your job hunt, consider setting weekly goals for yourself. You might decide to send off your resume for 1-2 jobs per week or you may want to get in touch with at least one new recruiter at the start of each week. Whatever you choose, it will help you stay positive and will keep your job searching on the right track.

Network

Networking and making connections is a fantastic way to find new job opportunities. You can either network online, on social media sites like LinkedIn or you can try and network in person by attending seminars and other industry events. Networking within your organisation can also be beneficial too, however you should be discreet about the fact you are searching for other employment.

Talk to Your Boss

If you feel that your job discontent can be resolved it might be worthwhile talking to your boss about how you feel (but without mentioning your desire to find another job). You may want to point out why you are not enjoying your role and ask whether it is possible to change your job description.  A change in duties can refresh your perspective and make your role much more rewarding. If you do ask for new responsibilities, make sure these align with the strengths and skills you want to develop, as well as your long term plans.

Get More Involved

Is boredom one of the driving factors of your job dissatisfaction? Sometimes, the best way to cope is to keep yourself busy! For example, you could ask for more responsibility, take on extra tasks, get involved with more projects or put your hand up for a committee. Keeping busy each day will mean the days go faster and extra work will also give you extra experience, skills and credentials to add to your professional resume.

Get Educated

Training and education is one of the best ways to get more out of your job. Investigate what training programs or courses are open to you and determine if any of these could benefit your skills or knowledge. If you are keen to enroll in a course outside of your company, consider whether the company will contribute towards the fees. In return, however, you may be required to stay in your role longer.

Prioritise Your Life Outside of Work

If your job is not enjoyable, consider giving priority to the other important factors in your life. You could consider changing your hours to spend more time with your family, spending your lunch break working out, taking up a new hobby after work or simply socialising after hours with other colleagues you’d like to get to know better.

Become a Mentor – or Gain One

If you are bored in your role but don’t necessarily want to jump ship, becoming a mentor or finding one can make a huge difference to your career and your everyday accountabilities. Mentors can gain much fulfillment from guiding others and passing on their knowledge, while those under mentorship can find their goals and strengths changing and growing, and this alone can bring much satisfaction and structure to an otherwise mundane role.

Not sure where your career is headed or what to do about your next job move? Resumes Australia provides expert career coaching services, as well as executive resume writing and interview coaching programs.

Regards,