How to Change Jobs: Planning your Next Career Move

Do you feel stuck in your current job? Is your current work situation toxic? Perhaps, you’re simply coming to the end of your contract. Whatever your reason for moving jobs, it can make all the difference if you take some time to plan your next career move.

In this article, I’ll share 3 simple steps to help set you up for success, when planning to change jobs.

Assess your current situation and goals

The most important step, before you do anything when moving careers, is to assess where you are in your career, and your ambitions alongside it. This is about reflecting on what’s working for you and what’s not so you can decide your next steps.

The first question to ask is – do you feel satisfied and fulfilled in your role? Look at your values and consider if they are built into your day-to-day role. Whilst your core values will likely not change, how you prioritise them might. For example, in your early career you may have valued experience over money. When you grow in your career, skillset and personal goals change, you might find that having financial security will become much more prevalent, i.e. through prioritising family.

A big factor in job satisfaction is whether you are learning and developing. If you aren’t, this could be a sign you’ve become comfortable, stuck, or even bored, and it’s time to seek out a new skill or challenge.

A simple way to assess your current job satisfaction is to create a list of pros and cons, then highlight the most significant ones. This helps you to see what you enjoy, and what you might look for in a new role.

Finally consider your longer-term career plans, and if your current role is helping you reach that. Consider how long you have been in the role, what you have learned so far, and if there is room for further career development, learning and/or promotion? If not, it could be time to move.

Conduct your own market research and discover your preferences

This is about taking away the pressure of applying for jobs, while you get a feel for the market, current salaries/pay rates, and job availability in the areas you are interested in.

Take the time to look at the types of companies that excite you, how well matched are you to the roles, are there any different sectors or areas you’d like to pivot into? This helps you to think outside the box and get intentional about your next move.

Perhaps you’ve always worked in the private sector, but want to try working in the public sector? Or maybe you want to try and get a role in Greentech to help make a difference to the planet. Maybe you’ve always worked in a permanent role, and want to consider becoming a contractor? Whatever your motivation, this step helps you to find out what’s out there, and how it fits your goals and values.

If you are considering moving from permanent employment to contract, read our guide on how to become an IT Contractor.

Polish off your CV and digital profile

Now you know what type of roles you are going to apply for, it’s time to get practical. Update your CV with your most recent role and achievements. Consider how you can clearly and concisely showcase your skills based on your research. Personally, my main piece of advice in creating a solid CV is to add figures or statistics to back up and quantify outputs and achievements you’ve had in your previous roles and projects. We have two blogs to help you tailor your CV and update your digital profile.

• If you work in technology, read our blog on how to tailor your CV.

• Discover how to make your LinkedIn profile stand out here.

People often forget that your digital profile is often more important than your CV nowadays. This is how recruiters and Hiring Managers find you. It’s also where a company will start their research, to see a more rounded version of you outside of your CV.

LinkedIn tends to be the key digital channel for professionals in many countries like the UK, Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Singapore, but if you are in Germany you may want to also consider Xing, and in China, look at WeChat. Whatever the channel, considering how you are interacting with your network, what you are posting, and the comments you make. All of this will contribute to your digital profile. With a great digital profile, you could end up being approached with an exciting new job, rather than having to spend time job searching.

Are you ready to change jobs and find more job satisfaction?

Now you have spent a little time planning your next career move, it’s time to take action. The first and easiest step is to work with a reputable recruiter like Gravitas.

We work across the niche areas of technology, insurance and banking, helping candidates in Europe and Asia to find their next exciting opportunity. Our consultants are specialists in market knowledge and insight, salary benchmarking, CV advice, and career planning.

Browse our jobs here or upload your CV and we will help match you with a role to suit your skills.

About the author

Michael Cormell, Senior Recruitment Consultant, has been with Gravitas for five years in the Clients Solutions team. With over for 8 years of recruitment experience, he specialises in placing Change & Transformation professionals on an interim basis across Public, Non-profit and Higher Education sectors. He has a passion for networking, co-hosting monthly and quarterly events, providing insight around prevalent topics such as technology, DEI and contracting guidance (IR35 and more).