Often, it's like letting a pet out into the wild. After years of working in a corporate format, usually within the same "western" company, you find yourself face to face with potential employers. You can meet a recruiter with the question: "Why it took you so long working for the same company? Haven't you been taken anywhere else?" By the way, this is a real case. So they asked one of the most successful HRs in the country :)
What is going on in the labor market? How not to sink in the bubbling sea? What are the options? Below are my tips.
The risky way. To try on your own. Unfortunately, most often, you will have to face difficulties, the deceit of employers, incompetence of those who make decisions in the recruitment process. Such situations end up with the fact that the professional finds himself in a culturally unpleasant environment, the initially declared level (systematic processes, authority, even money) does not correspond to reality. Such cases in my practice are 8 out of 10.
The ideal way - to get a pilot-consultant. In the labor market, as well as in any other, there are trends. They concern both the demand for specialists of a specific profession and progress - regression of the whole branches. For example, high demand for brand managers or a decline in demand for manufacturing professionals. Sales supervisors are needed, but regional managers are not - supply exceeds demand. FMCG is stagnating while agrarians grow. Communication channels are changing. You think that Headhunter is working, but in reality, it's not. Telegram channels overtook the role!
But there are also some rough spots in the ideal way. Some recruiters immediately claim that you are not in the market, out of the trend, and they, therefore, cannot help.
Find in the market a consultant, a recruiter, whom you trust, who is competent. If there is no suitable vacancy for his client, he will offer you advice and support. It is a formalized process, but it can and must develop into a real partnership.
This specialist will start by studying your resume. He will help make it a working tool, not a mixture of autobiography and job descriptions. He will also advise you of the best tool/ approach to finding a suitable vacancy. The fact is that standard job search sites are no longer useful. More effective now are the mentioned above Telegram channels, groups in the FB, etc. There may be new, successful recruitment companies who newly appeared. LinkedIn is useful, but it is crucial how your profile looks like. These are the benefits of a partnership.
The next issue is how to get through an interview. Most likely, the candidate of the corporate format is used to hiring employees, but he himself has not been an interviewee for ages. So, he needs to practice.
Information. A recruiter, who has long been in the market, is aware of corporate cultures of different companies, knows management approaches. He can clearly distinguish the image the company products have created in an applicant's mind and the image of the company as an employer. Many job seekers do not see the difference, but this is crucial.
So, you've gone through the selection process and appear on the final stages? What are the pitfalls of testing, assessment centers, discussion of offer elements? Here the consultant can also be of great help.
Unfortunately, it is not sufficient to know that you are a competent professional capable of delivering results for any company. It may not work without finding the correct algorithm to get the position. And finding the algorithm is your responsibility.
If you hire a consultant - look for someone who will be responsible and competent, who will be interested in matching the needs and expectations of both you and the potential employer.