SET SIGHTS FURTHER FOR CAREER SUCCESS

The Centre for Cities’ report last week revealing that there will be an uneven road to economic recovery across the UK will be hard news to take for jobseekers looking for a positive start to 2010.

The report showed that areas with highly educated workforces like Cambridge and Edinburgh are in a better position to recover than locations such as Stoke-on-Trent, Burnley and Newport with a less qualified population and fewer business start-ups in these areas.

For “non-University” cities the news isn’t all bad - Brighton has been tipped as one of the first places in the UK to see recovery with 20,000 new jobs added in the past decade. In other cities including Milton Keynes, Reading, Cambridge and Edinburgh the outlook is more positive as they have the key ingredients necessary for recovery; strong private sectors, high levels of entrepreneurship, highly educated workforces and large shares of knowledge intensive jobs.

Derek Pilcher, Managing Director of TheLadders.co.uk says that the research may be a setback for some people that are currently job hunting but it also sends the message to candidates that they need to be more flexible and open to relocation for a new role.

‘‘Job seekers need to realise that the perfect role may not be right outside their door and looking further a field should be seriously considered, especially in these areas of where recovery will be as they are where the opportunities lie.’ says Pilcher.

If you are looking for a new role or career path TheLadders.co.uk has produced five tips to help you in the right direction:
1. Do your industry research - firstly it’s important to read up on your industry – who are the major companies and where they are based. Find out who are the key people are, and any news and developments will help you in your job search. Have a look at industry associations, networking groups online and offline, read up on news and trade publications on stories about your chosen business.
2. Locate the jobs - The Centre for Cities report gives us an idea of where future job opportunities may be, however they may not be suitable for everyone. Start looking at job sites and in jobs pages to see where advertised roles are based, and increase your search area. Many job sites have regional search functionality or distance settings.
3. Search out the opportunities – If you are looking for a new direction you may need to take a new route to finding roles. Looking on sites that are suited to your specific skills and requirements will help for example TheLadders.co.uk specialises in executive jobs. See which companies and recruiters are advertising for positions and create a list of companies to target.
4. Have the tools to succeed – put yourself in the best possible position for success by making yourself as appealing as possible to potential employers. Create a CV that is concise, focussed and sums you up as it’s your chance to tell recruiters and employers who you are. For each role draft a short covering letter that states why you are perfect for job and company, why you’re different from other candidate applying, or what you’ve accomplished in similar positions in the past.
5. Weigh up the benefits of moving – moving to a new location for a job doesn’t have to be all bad. There are many benefits that can come from a change of scenery – a chance to meet new people and further your networks, broadening your horizons, better education opportunities for children etc. Also in some cases, especially at the executive level companies may assist with relocation or commuting costs.