I Want To Change My Career. Should I Wait Til Things Settle Down?

I Want To Change My Career. Should I Wait Til Things Settle Down?

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That’s a great question given the current COVID-19 situation we’re all facing. You’ve got a job and you want a change. Do you risk it now and land that dream job or do you go for the security of the status quo?

Firstly, there is no point trading your old job for one that doesn’t exist, i.e. your ideal job needs to have an advertised vacancy

Secondly, rising unemployment means more people will be going for the same job which means you'll be facing more competition. You need to feel confident you have the necessary qualifications and experience before taking the next step.

And last but certainly not least, because of increased competition, you are going to need a first-class resume (which is where we come in).

Having said all that, our advice is that you maintain the security of your current employment whilst you make some general enquiries. The principle of not burning your bridges behind you holds true whether you’re thinking about changing jobs in good times or bad and there is simply no need to “rattle your employer’s cage” until you need to.

Furthermore, most employers understand, you might want to maintain confidentiality while you’re going through the enquiry process. Of course, at some stage your new potential boss is going to want to talk to your current employer to confirm your employment details and the quality of your work but that can be done towards the end of the process.

Potential employers will look at your application and, on the strength of that and the quality of your resume, decide whether they want to meet you (which is why you need a top-notch resume - to get that all important interview). If all goes well with the interview, the potential employer should contact you and tell you that things are looking quite good, they just want to go through your references, and they’ll be in touch. Now you know you have a good chance of securing the position, you can decide if you want to keep going with your application and inform your current employer of what you’ve decided to do.

Just remember, in your application, it is important you clearly indicate if you don’t want your employer contacted without your ok.

All the best with it!

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