There are very few things in life more personal than looking for a job. Asking yourself “whether the time is now,” is probably one of the first questions that will come to mind before launching a search. But which time are you considering? Is it the time in your career, the time in your life, or is it the time related to market conditions? Timing the job market is tricky. The adage “now is not the time,” tends to be one used during times of uncertainty. Many job seekers casually peruse open jobs on the internet, for the pleasure of viewing them over and over again, as if they will remain open forever. I can assure you, even if you see a job opening that appears to linger on the internet, the time will come for that job to be officially closed. Open jobs exist in time and are available when the company has a need, regardless of overall job market conditions. Once the job is filled, the opportunity is gone, and the recruitment process stops.
There are endless reasons why someone will conduct a job search. As we all know life happens and when it does, you may need to find a new job at a time which is unexpected. The reasons why job searches begin are as individual as the people themselves. But if you’re grooming your career for steady upward mobility and your goal is to work at a high level in a company, the relevance and quality of the positions you accept each step along the way, will be critical. Equally as important is making your move at the right time in your career, regardless of whether the economy is perfect.
Those who wait too long for the time to be right, often lose the momentum necessary to get where they would like to be. Over the years I have watched many executives guide their own careers. Those who are true career trailblazers have certain behaviors in common with each other. These have been my observations:
Moving upward is taken very seriously by trailblazing executives and they make difficult personal sacrifices for their career.
Not only do they rehearse every detail of the interview process, but also they readily ask for help.
Trailblazers aggressively pursue relevant career opportunities in any economy and are confident while doing so.
They relocate and honor their commitments.
Good luck!