Career advice - Is it time for a new role?

After a long hard year at work, it’s just days now until you can leave it all behind and take a very well-earned holiday over the Christmas-New Year period. Then start the year refreshed and ready to charge back into things again.  

A well-earned break from the job?

But for many of us, it’s also a good time to think quietly about our current job and work satisfaction. By the end of the year – it’s normal to be tired and burned out from hard work on busy projects, juggling resources and meeting tight deadlines. 

It could be that some of those frustrations won’t be helped by the time off and you’ll just come back to face the same problems, or realise that your employer is not going to appreciate or reward you appropriately for your input next year either. Let alone give you a promotion you want. 

Time for a change?

Could it be time to explore new role or even consider a career change?  Around the country, combined with massive Federal, State and private investment in major infrastructure developments is injecting substantial funds into the Australian economy and creating excellent construction career opportunities on civil and associated projects. If you are thinking about a change, this is an excellent time out there on the job market.

But beware, the grass always looks greener, so before you take it any further than just thinking about it, the first question you need to answer is why you’re considering changing jobs. Having a conversation with someone you trust, who is a good sounding board and can help you. By talking through the pros and cons, what’s making you happy or unhappy in your current situation and talking through it objectively, helps give clarity on what’s important to you. 

Whether you’re bouncing ideas off a friend or an industry colleague, discussing what you like and don’t like about your current position and assessing your skills and goals and whether they can be met in your current company. Remember to consider personal factors, such as what is available in your location or whether a move would be required, and your financial and family situation. 

You want to be sure that your reason for looking for another job is a good one, as the question ‘why do you want to make a move?’ will always come up in an interview.  Be ready with an honest and positive answer – to yourself as well. It’s up to you to earn a good reputation in your career and in a connected marketplace and it does get around if you’re actually leaving because you don’t like hard work or just can’t rub along with your workmates.

Tap into experience

As you consider your options, decide what you really want from your next position and what’s most important to you. Talking to a specialist construction industry recruiter can help you understand what roles you could step up to and what your skills are a good fit for.

This is particularly helpful for those who are currently playing a great ‘second in charge’ role and probably have the skills, but not the confidence, to be stepping up to a management role with more responsibility.  Recruiters are also on top of professional advice about good companies to work for, big projects, construction trends and local and national opportunities.

“Having consulted in the Construction Sector over 15 years, I still take great pleasure in advising people on how to plan their career progression, market conditions and opportunities – we are talking to candidates and companies in the sector every day so we are really in-tune with what’s happening in the industry” said Carmel Jones, Principal Consultant- Building Team at CGC Recruitment “ I’m always happy to have a chat or offer advice”.

3 key skills

A recent survey among Australasian construction professionals, found that ambitious construction professions need a diverse technical skill base and strong communication, problem-solving and decision-making skills. 

This could be the time to build your expertise in those skills, ready for change and new challenges.  What skills might you need to get ahead in construction management? People, problem-solving and organisational skills are three important requirements for project managers and are skills that some contractors don’t necessarily have under their belt.

Problem-solving

This is a key skill in stepping up to a project manager role.  No longer can you ‘delegate up’ to a manager – you’re now in charge and your team is looking to you to manage inevitable problems that arise and decide on solutions.

Organising skills

These skills are all-important and if yours need improving, now is a good time to think about steps or training you need to be better organised on the job.  Construction managers need to plan carefully and keep projects on track and running smoothly. This capability is even more vital on large and complex projects with multiple employees.  

People skills

How are your people skills?  In a management role, it’s all about managing and motivating your team. You may need to work on how you talk and interact with people and how to get the best from a group of very different individuals.  Your negotiation skills may need developing. You will need to understand how to get people to cooperate and work with difficult people, as well as being able to assess people’s strengths and factor in any weaknesses.

Are you marketing yourself?

Next, it’s time to think about how to make yourself more marketable. Is your resume up to date and does it make you sound like the best new hire ever?  When updating your resume, keep it short and readable, usually just 2-3 pages. An online search will quickly show you examples and templates to follow to help you put your best foot forward or contact one of our consultants for some straight feedback. 

Your portfolio

Include a project portfolio that highlights your experience and focus on your career achievements.

Your job qualifications

Summarise the most relevant responsibilities you’ve had in your career, so a recruiter or potential employer can quickly see what you’re capable of, both now and in the future.

Customise your CV

If you can, customise your resume – and always your email or cover letter – to the advertised requirements of the position that you want.

Stand out from the crowd

Improve your prospects and chances of being found with a LinkedIn online profile or remember to bring yours up to date if you’ve forgotten about it for years. Recruiters and HR departments use LinkedIn as a daily resource to search for candidates and view their career experience and capabilities.

Last but not least, be realistic in your career expectations and broad-minded about what roles you might suit.  Of course, we all want a higher salary, but there are many other motivations for switching jobs too, such as the chance to work on a major project or for a company that can offer ongoing promotion opportunities.

If you want to know more about the career moves and opportunities it pays to seek the help of specialist recruitment professionals such as CGC. We can help you position yourself as an excellent candidate for topflight companies in many areas of engineering, infrastructure and construction.

Contact CGC Recruitment today.

Sources

• Hays Jobs Report: recruitment hotspots & skills in demand 
• Ready for a career change? These are the first steps to take
• Infrastructure boom driving job growth in NSW and QLD