Monday 18th January is reportedly the most depressing day of the year. This day is calculated based on trends and other factors including weather, the time lapsed since Christmas, low motivation and the need to take action.
With lots of people debunking the way this is calculated (I think it’s just a really good marketing campaign that got out of hand), this is still a time where after the Christmas decorations are packed away, the New Year hangover is well and truly gone, most people are back into their normal routines both at work and at home, the disruption of the holidays, various parties and social gatherings, people start to dream of bigger and better things.
Maybe you are planning on booking a holiday, setting up savings for that brand new car or even looking for a new job.
January is a great time to start job hunting. Companies are ready to start the New Year off filling in those gaps from the workforce and with fewer managers taking holiday early in the year it is a perfect time to set up interviews.
Vacancies that have been put off in December suddenly flood the market with a wide range of exciting new roles to choose from (see ours here).
Before you start applying for that dream job, here’s a checklist to aide your desire for a new job!
- Do you really want a new job? Do you actually want to leave where you are, or are you just fantasising about what it might be like somewhere else to fill the time? Think about all the good things in your job (people, hours, benefits, security etc.) and how you would feel if the new job didn’t have all thing things that are important to you. You don’t always know what you’ve got until it’s gone or in this case you’ve gone.
- Update your CV. So you’ve decided you really do want a new job, now to make sure your CV is up to date. Is it clear what you do and what you’re looking for in your next role? Keep it simple highlighting a few choice achievements relevant to your job search.
- Social media profiles are next. Did you know that lots of recruiters and companies will search for you online to see your web presence? Make sure that your LinkedIn profile job history matches your CV, if they don’t match up this can look very bad for attention to detail. How does your Facebook profile look? Is it set to private so only friends and family can see your posts or is it public where the world (and future employers) can see how drunk you got over the weekend?
- Get your CV up on the job boards. This is key so lovely recruiters can find your CV and talk to you about roles that might be a good fit for you. We can’t talk, if we can’t find you!
Once you’ve sorted all these things, start applying and talking to recruiters and companies about new opportunities and Monday’s won’t seem so blue anymore!
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