Articles From the Team

How do you know if you are really looking for a new job?

Looking for a new job is a stressful and time consuming undertaking, requiring commitment to the process. Some of the burden can be eased by good recruitment consultants who will provide you with much of the information you require; help to tailor your CV, bring new positions to your attention and generally organise things for you. However, as a job seeker you will still need to consider job specs, provide additional information, prepare for interviews and obviously attend those interviews.

Therefore, before entering into the process it is worth taking a moment to establish whether you are really looking for a new job.

Generally speaking there will be a number of factors that are pushing you out of your current position. These can include salary, progression opportunities, perceived status, relationships with colleagues, type of work and possibility of redundancy.

In many cases it is worth talking to your current employer and highlighting your concerns as a first step. It may be that they can resolve your issues satisfactorily and quickly. If you are not satisfied with the response then it may be worth talking to a knowledgeable recruitment consultant to see if your issues could be resolved with a move elsewhere. On many occasions candidates will finish the conversation re assured that the situation is not “that bad” with their current firm.

I manage the team at BCL Legal that is responsible for our activity recruiting into business services and insurance teams in the West, East and South Midlands. We speak to candidates who have a wide variety of reasons for seeking new employment. Interestingly atmospheric reasons, particularly work/ life balance are the most prevalent. Whilst salary, type of work or even supervisor can often be easily changed by your current employer, it is pretty much impossible to change the culture of a team.

Once you have ascertained that your know issues cannot be resolved internally but can be resolved externally you are then in a position to judge whether you are really looking for a new job. If this is the case then it is likely that you should be! Not only will this conviction help as you go through the process but it will also mean that you have a clear idea what you are looking for and will be able to select which roles are most appropriate. Finally it means that when you hand in your notice, you will be able to consider the inevitable counter-offer with your previous conversations in mind.

At BCL Legal we are always happy to have a confidential discussion with potential candidates about their job search. Feel free to get in touch to access how realistic it is that you will achieve your goals in your next move.

For more information please contact BCL Legal or email info@bcllegal.com.