Developing Your Career in the London Market
If you’re working in London or you are thinking of moving to London to work, you can be happy in the knowledge that you’re in one of the best places in the world to make headway in your career!
We’ve helped many candidates kickstart their careers in London over the years, and gained some valuable insights along the way. We hope that these, coupled with your research, can help to guide you in the right direction.
Why developing your career in the London job market should be at the top of your agenda
London is an international business hub, home to the head offices of many global organisations. It has an incredibly buoyant job market and attracts talented candidates from all over the world. Competition is tough, but opportunities are there for the taking. So how do you ensure you stand out and set yourself up for career success?
Having a plan is key
What does “career progression” mean to you? For many, it evokes the image of getting promoted to the next senior role within your organisation. But in fact, career progression can take on many forms.
While what’s most important to you may be rising up the ranks of seniority at your current employer, progression can equally be gained by taking those same skills to a different organisation to help improve the way they do things. Or moving sideways into a different department – or a completely different industry! It could simply be growing your network to ensure you have lots of opportunities to choose from.
To start with, it helps to take stock of where you are now, and map out all the possible routes you could take to get to where you want to be. Here are some key considerations when embarking on career planning:
- Identify your goals and the timeframes you would like to like to hit them in: are you looking forward by six months, two years or 10 years? (There is no right or wrong answer to this question!)
- Consider your skills, interests and values and research the potential career paths these could take you down. Could your current skillset take you into an equivalent role in an industry you’re really passionate about?
- Rather than fixating on the overarching goal, which can feel overwhelming, try splitting your plan into manageable chunks. Ask yourself what steps you can take today to begin building up a bank of experience that will elevate your career over time.
- Network! There is no better place to do this than in London. Do your research and join some networking groups on platforms such as LinkedIn. There is a wealth of free or inexpensive events in London pretty much daily, so keep an eye on what’s coming up and sign up for those that take your interest. Networking events can seem intimidating, but everybody is there for the same reason – this alone is a conversation starter! They are an opportunity to make invaluable contacts, whilst having access to a wealth of content and learning experiences.
- Take advantage of any opportunities to upskill. Your employer may provide training at work. If so, sign up for as much as you can and make a point of asking if not. Read around your topics of interest and aim to be the “go-to” person on them. Investing in your personal development is a signal to employers that you are someone who is driven and passionate.
- Finally, stay motivated and be willing to adjust your plan as needed. You may find that over time your interest is taken in a whole new direction. Don’t see this as detrimental: rather adapt and adjust accordingly.
Our personal experience of career development – from Australasian Recruitment Company employees
Holly Finlayson, Director – Holly, who has recently been promoted to Director here at Australasian Recruitment Company, is an advocate for taking responsibility for your own career success and learning from those around you with more experience. “Once you have the basics down and some results under your belt, learn, and then find your own way, style and approach.”
As Holly found, “You need to be patient, find the positive in situations and most importantly have fun. I would never have started as a Consultant and progressed through to Associate Director and now Director if I wasn’t willing to go through challenges, stick around, and learn from my mistakes. Always be listening, learning and writing things down!”
Ruth Mojzis, Commercial and Operations Director – Ruth did not anticipate a career in Operations when she was working in an EA role in Australia. “I’d never even heard of the job title ‘Business Operations’ before I walked through the doors here…but the job aligned perfectly with what I had been doing: payroll, accounts, events, projects and HR. Everything else – I can always learn!”
With numerous achievements under her belt including three CRM system migrations, two website launches, and a wealth of commercial experience obtained via working within the recruitment industry in London, Ruth says, “From Reception, to EA, Business Ops Administrator, Manager, Director, and now Commercial and Operations Director – I wouldn’t have had the past 13 years any other way.”
Minta Smith, Associate Director – Minta arrived in London back in 2014 from New Zealand, “landing on the doorstep of a long-lost distant family friend’s daughter of my grandparents who they’ve not seen for decades!”.
A chance opportunity to work the Australasian Recruitment Company phones for a day led to a long and exciting career within recruitment. Moving through Candidate Management to Consultant, then Senior Consultant before carving out the opportunity to ‘bottle’ the essence of Australasian Recruitment Company for audiences overseas.
Then in 2018, Minta partnered with Samantha Webster and Jeremy Nicholls to launch our sister agency in Auckland, HOME Recruitment. HOME Recruitment supports Kiwi talent returning home after working overseas. Minta has just been made Associate Director and credits it to “adapting, learning and loads of resilience!” as she leads this exciting new step.
Are you ready to elevate your career?
Are you looking to progress and develop your career in London? Talk to our experienced team. We have an established network of employers and exciting live roles available right now in business and office support, admin, HR and recruitment, sales and marketing and customer service.
Call us today on (+44) 207 625 3300, or drop us an email at hello@australasian.co.uk.