Which Job Shall I Take?!
It is hard to recall a time as a leading recruitment agency in London when the market has been so positive for job seekers! We have lived through a thoroughly bizarre time where we experienced the sharpest and deepest recession in over 300 years, and where we learned the world “furlough” – and everything associated with it.
Ordinarily, deep recessions impact unemployment figures for several years. Instead, after the worst one of the lot, we find ourselves in a “pent-up demand snap-back” recovery. Bizarre, but true!
The demand and number of available jobs for business support roles in London is as high as it has been for years, but where is the supply, the number of people keen, available and suitably skilled to do those jobs to meet that demand? It is missing.
Overseas business support candidates either can’t get to, or are not yet ready to, relocate to London to work; or people in the UK are on furlough and are choosing to stay on furlough rather than look for work (you can see the staff shortages in many restaurants across the UK for evidence of this phenomenon); or, shaken by the last 12 months’ feeling of a lack of security, people are reluctant to move jobs until they are wholly confident that the worst is really over.
London recruitment news is this: if you are someone who is looking for business support work right now (and if you’re not, maybe now is the time to reconsider), the chances are that you will have a great deal of choice, and that you may have a decision to make over which role of potentially several roles to take – what a wonderful “problem” to have! And here’s how to work out what to do:
- Write down your motivations and key career goals before you start looking (or if applicable do it now, it’s never too late) – refer back to them to help guide you when it comes to decision time
- This could be your opportunity to change sector. If you have worked in one sector for a long time and want to move, now is a great time to go for it. Perhaps you want to get into Technology or Renewable Energy – these sectors are growing and are willing to look outside of their usual channels to attract business support talent in a severely talent-short environment
- It’s not all about the money. It can be tempting to go for the highest paid offer but don’t forget what the people and the culture are like that you’ll be joining, the role you wanted to do, and the growth path that is more likely to become available to you if you join one company over another
- And closely related to the above…..it is often not about the money or the job title on Day 1. It is more about how happy you will be and how you can progress your business support career over time at your new company. You will gravitate to the right role and the right salary faster than you might think if you join the right company to start with
- And finally – ask your trusted advisers – people who want the best for you whether they be friends, family or professionals who have your best interests at heart. One of our favourite calls we receive at Australasian Recruitment Company is asking for career advice when you are at that crossroads moment. We get to offer you completely objective advice with you at its heart. We have an overview of the whole London market, so we often know the companies and the sectors and the business support opportunities. We also know you. We are highly skilled at helping you find the right match for you, after all, one of our core values is: “it’s not about us, it’s about you” We live that value for your benefit – so make that call when the time comes, and we’ll do all we can to help you make the right choice. Especially in a market like this (and it won’t last forever) now is the time to take us up on that offer!
If you are a candidate looking to take your next career step, or a hiring manager looking for your next business support team member in London, please contact us at ARC so we can help you with your search on 0207 625 3300 or hello@australasian.co.uk