Taking the Plunge - Career Move Advice
We have all been in this situation before. It’s time to move on. What now?
You have made the decision that you are going to look for your next career challenge. Whilst exciting, you will be going through a rollercoaster of emotions:
When is the right time?
I cannot remember how to write a CV!
How do I do it?
Who do I tell and who do I trust?
I will go through each in turn and try and provide a bit of guidance.
When is the right time?
Sometimes it will come as a eureka moment, suddenly you decide that now is when you are going to change things up. Most often it will be a result of either conflict, lack of progression or that your current job has become mundane. Whichever it is, if you are thinking it then you are 90% of the way there and the final 10% nudge will come when you are comfortable with your plan.
The outliers will have an open two-way relationship with their boss, clear career development hurdles to achieve before ultimately taking the leadership reins. When achieved, and if your boss is not ready to move aside, mutually you will agree that it is time for you to fly the nest with their support and blessing. Remember, this is the boss you should strive to be!
The bottom line is that the right time is dictated by you. You need to think about the wider economy and whether timing works for you personally, have clarity about what your next role will be called, and how it will help you to achieve your ultimate goal of Finance Director or CFO. It is important to take your time and to find the right next role, not the first one that presents itself.
I cannot remember how to write a CV!
There are countless resources, templates and conflicting opinions out there. The truth is that there is no right answer. Here are a few tips that should help:
Have a base document that you can tailor for each application or network introduction. This should be a long and comprehensive account of what you have done in each of the roles that you have had.
Your CV needs to be chronological and present logical progression in each of the moves that you have made. Make your last bullet point for each role your reason for leaving.
In terms of content think about daily/weekly/monthly/quarterly/annual responsibilities. Make sure you mention any projects that you have identified, led, executed. Pick one knockout achievement for each role that reflects the stage of your career. Lastly, remember to include a comprehensive list of software packages that you are proficient in. (Although remember, no one uses Lotus notes anymore).
Put yourself in the shoes of the reader – If you are applying for a role that requires specific things, make sure that they feature prominently in your CV.
How do I do it?
In a careful and considered way. Do not rush. Once you have established what you would like to do next - job title, type of business and reward package - and crafted a great CV, you need to do your groundwork. You need a strategy – here are some pointers:
Start to review specialist job advertising boards
As an accountant the main ones are:
If you see a role advertised that you like the look of, pick up the phone and try and speak to the relevant consultant. Don’t send your CV until you have spoken to that person. If after a few attempts you cannot get hold of the relevant person, forget about the role.
Through friends and peers that you trust
Ask for recommendations of recruiters.
Try and focus on recruiters that focus on your area of expertise. There are hundreds to choose from, meet a handful and then stay close to those that you ‘like’ and you feel would best represent you. Put your trust in experience, recruiters are often rewarded on a commission basis so if they have a decent amount of experience, the chances are they have established relationships and they attract assignments.
Develop your networking strategy.
I recommend this method: www.myexecloop.com
The main point that I will make here is that you need to start with who you know and then work outwards. Trying to contact people that you don’t know via social media, (and I put LinkedIn here), is difficult and more often than not, disappointing.
Who do I tell and who do I trust?
Remember my point on having a great boss? If you can, this is the best starting point. They will have stood in your shoes. Keep your cards close to your chest and the circle small. Tell your closest friends, those that will encourage and be excited for you, and a few trusted recruiters. The fewer people that know the less chance their will be of the wrong people finding out!
If you do get found out, blame it on the recruiter – you had a headhunt call, were flattered and now you know better!
