Successful job hunting advice

[Greekholiday]

I have decided to leave my current position but have 3 months notice. I am in the process of job hunting and would be grateful for advice regarding successful job hunting. I know is a tricky market at the moment but need to stay positive and persevere.

What sort of jobs are you looking for? Different types of jobs might have different strategies.

But generic advice;
cv and covering letter should be tailored to specific job you are applying for - this can be done using AI if you are ok putting your personal info into it, but should be thoroughly checked afterwards.
be polite and professional in all communications, even if you decide you don’t want a job or don’t like something about a company
you can make speculative applications, I have employed people this way.
be open minded about applying for jobs, even if it doesn’t look like exactly what you are looking for you don’t really know that much until you get there. you can ask for more info as part of the process and can always turn a job offer down if it’s not for you.

good luck 🍀

What kind of job are you looking for?

Thank you. Looking for Head of Finance or Financial Controller.

Try your professional body, they may have jobs listed; I’m guessing those roles would be a promotion?

Agree with PP that professional body would be good place to look for that type of vacancy. You can also try a recruitment consultant, they can put you forward for jobs that may be suitable. Also being active on LinkedIn can help you get spotted by a head hunter or recruitment consultant. If you have already handed your notice in you can change profile picture to state looking for work, if not just like a few posts and update your profile.

When I was looking a few years ago (I was looking internally, large, public organisation) - I applied for a lot of jobs, just to get the experience of higher grade interviews. I was well rehearsed by the time the job I really wanted came up (8 applications, 5 interviews, 3 offers).

When DH changed jobs earlier this year, he negotiated his way out of his 3 month notice period, but “discussing” that he could tie up or hand over all his loose ends in x weeks, and they owed him y weeks holiday, so it made no sense to anyone if he worked the whole notice period. I imagine processes might be a little tighter in Finance though.

Good luck.

Great idea. Thank you

Thanks; I have updated my linkedin to open for work now,

Thank you. Finding tricky to update my CV. Will look at AI.

Personally at senior grade I think that is a bit odd having that in the profile

But anyway, you presumably know who the active recruitment consultants are in the Finance areas. Pick up the phone and speak to them and talk about the job market and what you are looking for. Ensure that you keep an eye on job pages in LinkedIn and network with colleages from the past who you know you'd work with again

Terrible advice. Everyone I know using LinkedIn in senior roles uses the open to work banner.

Also, don't use AI. Recruiters can spot it a mile away and it doesn't make you stand out from everyone else.

Thank you. I have put it on and will se how it goes. Never used it before.

Well we know different people then ! I am C suite and looking for a new job but I certainly don't want my current employer to know and so I have not put the banner on.
I am in a community of similar level people and only a minority use it.
We can disagree but I think saying "terrible advice " is a bit strong .. I literally said "personally" I wouldn't do it

Find companies you align with and reach out to specific people on LinkedIn as opposed to just getting stuck in the masses of applicants.

@Whyherewego you can make it visible to recruiters only. I've done it many times. As someone who successfully got a new job this year via LinkedIn, I stand by my 'terrible advice' comment.

If your co.pany internal recruitment team has LinkedIn recruitment licences then they will be able to see it too.
It's a personal choice.

Thank you. I put it visible to everyone as I already resigned but may make it visible to recruiters only. I just thought the more networking and the more people know the better as they may know someone who is looking.

Thanks, will do this too

Me too and all the c-suite people I now would readily do so. It’s a small world anyway and c-suite usually know when someone is looking afield. It’s never found out by seeing it on LinkedIn. In my experience of c suite in any case.

I just got approached by a recruiter with an opportunity which seems exactly what I am looking for, which came through my banner in linkedin.

To be honest I suggested it because I’ve recruited experienced roles that way. If you need to keep the fact that you are looking for work secret then it might not be the best option.

Good luck 🤞