Getting Monday Morning Blues on a Friday?
It’s not unusual to be thinking about getting a fresh start in January when it comes to work and your career. Happens to the best and most committed of us! For many this feeling of ‘I need to do something different’ tends to wear off by mid January and we settle back into our everyday tasks. But if you’ve been getting the Monday morning blues everyday of the week then maybe it’s time to take on your next challenge.
In the world of Further Education, there is no ‘best time to start looking’. Whether you’re looking for temporary lecturing roles, landing your dream permanent teaching role, taking on the challenging world of Interim Management or heading up a department or entire college; Protocol’s recruitment teams are busy recruiting all year round.
So how do you know if it’s time to move on?
- You’re getting itchy feet
Do your eye’s get drawn towards the jobs section of FE News and do you find yourself on FE Careers? Are you tempted to do a quick job search “just to see what’s out there” during your lunch break? These could well be indicators that subconsciously you’re getting itchy feet and that you’re starting to wonder if the grass is greener.
- You REALLY look forward to Fridays
Don’t get me wrong, everyone loves Fridays. Nothing like a glass of wine and a moan about your week on Friday night. But when you’re thinking about that glass of wine on a Tuesday morning… start updating your CV!
- You stop looking for new experiences in your current job
Remember when you started your job and you were always looking for things to get involved in and contribute to? Has that need gone? Do you find yourself doing ‘your job’ and only your job? This could be a sign that you’ve lost interest in your organisation, or that you’ve already done everything you can to add value.
How to make job hunting easier
Ok, so you’ve answered yes to the above. You’ve decide “that’s it! I’m doing something about it”. Where to start? To lighten the blow and make job hunting that little less arduous here are a few of my top tips to getting prepared to start your official job hunt.
Keep your CV constantly updated
I find this a useful and even therapeutic process. To consistently update your achievements and keep your CV ‘live’ is a great way to monitor your career development. And ultimately means you don’t have to spend hours remembering and perfecting your CV – so if you happen to come across your dream job and the closing date is tomorrow you’ve already done most of the hard work.
Google yourself! – Regularly
This isn’t for fun… Social media is part of our lives, personal and professional. There’s no getting away from it. Employers WILL check your online presence before interviewing you. So check your Facebook privacy settings, make sure your latest tweets put you in a good light and ensure your LinkedIn profile is as up to date as your CV – you know, the one you’ve been updating on a regular basis.
Up skill yourself
That’s just a fancy way of saying, do some self training. Is there anything missing off your CV that you know you’ll need for your dream job? Are there any skills you would like to improve on? Use this time to fill those gaps so that you’re not compromising on your next role. Read articles, attend events, do some part time training- anything that will give you the confidence you need to take the next step.
So, don’t let the January blues get you down. Make this the year you take control of your career and start taking these simple steps to job satisfaction.
Joanna Jagiello, Marketing Manager, Protocol
About Protocol: Protocol is the leading supplier of flexible staffing solutions and HR outsourcing to the FE Sector. Recruiting visiting lecturers, Permanent academic staff, Interim Managers and Senior Executives and non academic support staff.
Responses