The End of the Recruitment Freeze

Firstly, thank you to the many of you who reached out after my somewhat morose newsletter of last week. It was greatly appreciated.

It wasn’t my intention to vent my spleen but things “got abit much!”

Normal service is now resumed.

Last Friday was Groundhog Day. The day when Punxsutawney Phil announces whether there will be an early Spring or 6 more weeks of Winter.

“What did he predict?” , I don’t hear you ask - well , it’s going to be an Early Spring.

And you know what, I think he’s right - for out of the gloom of the Recruitment Winter there are now the early signs of a Recruitment thaw!

The phone is ringing and emails are arriving which heralds the news of businesses looking for candidates just like you… well not you, Ben - but everyone else reading this!

For those of you looking for a change this is great news. So , fire up the laptop, update your CV and start thinking about what you really want from your next job.

More holiday perhaps?

Obviously, everyone wants more money - it’s the number 1 reason that most people start looking in the first place but if that’s your main concern , then start an OnlyFans page!

I would but the internet is already saturated with bald , 40 something men with middle age spread doing stuff that no one should ever see!!

To start with, you need to think about where you are in your career - have you hit a ceiling with the firm you are part of? If so, have you approached the powers that be about it?

The percentage of candidates who contact me saying that they need to move without having had this conversation with their current employer is around 80%

Either through embarrassment - no one likes having to “ask for a promotion” or through fear - they can’t approach their line manager because they’ll be told to fornicate off.

It’s perceived to be easier to just leave…

It really isn’t. Have the conversation, no matter how awkward it is, then you know you have given them the opportunity to show they want you to stay.

They might surprise you!

Or you might well be right!!

Either way - you will know.

Which then leads to the next stage. Applying to jobs, interviews and eventually handing in your notice.

Obviously, you know that I can help with all of the above and I do in any role I work on. However, with the latter, some people harbour a desire to leave a place and “burn all their bridges”.

You should always seek to avoid doing this when you’re handing in your resignation. You never know who you truly piss off when you burn a bridge, and that may come to haunt you down the road.

Why it matters: It takes years to build up a reputation, but only seconds to lose it. On top of that, you may intend to get back at just a manager, but you never know who’s watching and who you effect indirectly.

Regardless of how disgruntled you are, you should try to leave on good terms. There is literally no upside. The only thing it’s good for is 5 minutes of a dopamine hit, a couple texts in your group chat with your friends, and then you’re done.

It might take a few years, but don’t be surprised if burning a bridge comes back to haunt you down the road. Especially in a sector as small as this one, we need all the help we can get and it does nothing but shoot yourself in the foot.

Here Endeth the Lesson!

All the above has made me think. And I would be very grateful for any feedback.

Do you think that there is a need or want for someone to offer a CV / LinkedIn review service?

The idea would be to go through a client’s CV and LinkedIn profile and other Social Media accounts.

We’d have a phone call where everything would be reviewed together and I would critique or validate it where applicable and then follow up with the changes to be made. Going over everything until it all looks great.

I’ve other ideas for coaching people along too - Job search strategies. Job offers. Networking. Going on the search and being proactive. Working on your CV, LinkedIn, X handle, as well as a brief of what you want to discuss over a 60 minute call. Think of it as a bespoke job seeking option to make you a 24 carat candidate in a world of 18 carat hopefuls!

Please feel free to tell me if I’m barking up the wrong tree!

Thanks for reading - have a great week!!

And now… the bit everyone comes here for!!