Recruiter insights - Part 2: How to land the perfect career in Rail

Job hunting can be a challenging and frustrating experience. On a positive note, candidates in the rail sector are currently in very high demand - so luck is on your side!  

Use the following proactive strategies and tips to make your job search a bit easier and get the job you want.

Identify what you really want in a role

Before starting your job search, take the time to reflect on why you want to leave your current role.  What exactly are you looking for in your next position?  

Below are some important questions to ask yourself before beginning your search.

• Are you after work/life balance?  The key here is to be specific about what work/life balance means to you. Are you after flexible work hours or the ability to work from home? 

• What sort of projects do you want to work on? While working for a large Tier 1 contractor may sound desirable, be aware that employees may be expected to work long hours. Furthermore, they mightn’t be able to offer you the flexibility of working remotely. Be clear on the type of projects you want to work on and why.

• What is my desired salary? Be realistic when thinking about your salary expectations. At the same time, know your worth and don’t be afraid to aim for more highly paid jobs if you have the required skills and experience.  Pleasingly, salary offers in the rail sector are at an all time high. However, it’s also important to consider other benefits and to not solely base your decision on salary alone.  Does the company offer health insurance or wellness programs?  Is there an option for them to help pay for your chartership? Ensure your project salary matches your lifestyle and standards of living. 

• Does the company offer career progression/development? What other areas do you want to potentially develop in? Try to find businesses that are able to offer you that exposure and cater for your career goals.  

If you identify the above, you’re more likely to find a new job that provides you with greater satisfaction.

 The importance of career planning

Here at CGC Recruitment, we champion your needs and help you align your career goals and objectives. An important aspect of that journey is having an effective career plan. If you don't have a career plan in place, our career plan template can assist you.

For job seekers, a plan helps you focus on what you need to do to achieve goals and track how you are performing.  

The benefits of working with a recruiter

Working with recruiters, such as CGC Recruitment, doesn’t just help you save time. We can help you network on a larger scale and provide the right opportunities.  

Once you partner with a specialist agency like ours, you can expect the following topics to be discussed when meeting with us:

• Are you already in the right job?  It’s important to consider if a change - such as shifting to a new project or receiving a higher salary - will give you greater job satisfaction.  

We perform all the necessary checks first, such as making sure you’ve given your current employer an opportunity to ‘fix’ any issues.  For example, if the issue is purely around salary, have you approached your current employer for a pay rise? 

• What to do with counter offers - Due to the abundance and multitude of job opportunities in the rail sector, we’ve observed a trend of candidates rejecting job offers. To avoid wasting anyone’s time, it’s crucial to understand what salary offer you would be comfortable with.  

Be prepared for your counter-offer, as your current employer won’t want you to leave in a skills shortage market. It’s imperative to remember that counter-offers don’t necessarily resolve the issues that led to you wanting to leave in the first place.  So unless you're unless your motivations are purely financial, not much else will change.

Conclusion

Thinking about a new job or career change may be daunting.  However, once you determine what is important to you in a job, you can better evaluate and seek the right career for you.  

Exploring and identifying why you’re thinking of leaving is key to starting the process, as is creating an effective career plan.  

CGC Recruitment can help you advance to the next stage of your career and provide ample specialist advice.

For more rail infrastructure trends and insights, checkout CGC in Focus 2.0.

About CGC Recruitment

There are currently strong opportunities to grow your career in the rail infrastructure sector.  If you think you meet the criteria for roles in this sector, contact us today.

Advice on how to acquire new skills, career planning, and tips on how to find the right recruitment agency are just some of the tools CGC recruitment can assist you on your professional journey.  

CGC Recruitment is a team of highly-motivated, experienced recruitment consultants, offering candidates unique industry insights.  We ensure our candidates are offered a consistently high level of service at every engagement. Contact us today to find out more.

You can search our latest vacancies here, or alternatively, upload your CV and we’ll contact you when we have a suitable vacancy available.