The Four R’s in Job Transitioning: Research, Resumè, Resign and Restart.

So, you’re bored? Not feeling challenged? Underpaid?

People always compare love interests to ticking a minimum requirement of boxes, but people don’t necessarily put that same pressure to their job, but let’s be honest, it needs it.

There is so much opportunity out there waiting to be snapped up that only ticking a measly couple of boxes on your dream job list just simply won’t do.

It’s so easy to have a bad day at work and crack out the Seek App, but we all know once you are fully committing to transitioning from one job to the next, it becomes a full-time job in itself.

Here are my top tips, or four R’s if you will, to transitioning from one job to the next.

Research

This is one of the longest, most deflating portions of the process. This part can make or break the actual move, and takes a lot of determination, patience, confidence, perseverance and in-Cognito searching.

Just joking, no-one ever looks for new jobs during business hours.

I think the most pivotal part of this step is to set yourself up correctly, so in turn you are setting up your searches correctly, and ultimately making the most of your time.

You need to set out your exact desires in a new job, what is it you really want? Think things like location, salary, company culture and size. People often overlook the commute, but this is something that really contributes to your happiness day-to-day in in turn, the long run. These are all huge contributing factors to a happy working life, because after all you only want to transition to a place where you intend to stay long-term.

Once you’ve got these in mind, research job titles. This is not a drill. People underestimate job titles, but this is a really important factor in searching for your next role. You need to know the difference between a coordinator, to an executive and a manager. You could be selling yourself short or aiming too high. Both are a waste of time.

Depending on your industry there are many ways to find the right job, some of my favourites include LinkedIn, recruiters and word of mouth. When you are open to opportunities, tell your friends, reach out to old colleagues and follow companies on LinkedIn that you’d love to work for. Set up alerts, go for coffees and make the most of the network you have been working in.

Resumé

Think of your resumé like your personality on paper.

You want this document to be approachable, user-friendly, informative and professional. Of course, it differs from every industry, but I am a strong believer in presenting a visually appealing and succinct CV – think Elle Woods scented resume circa 2001.

I’ve always ensured my resumé is strictly one page and only features the jobs relevant to the industry I’m applying into. I’m not too sure that people are particularly interested in the fact you worked at a local café back in 2010.

You may think it’s cray cray to limit your resumé to one page, “but what about all of my achievements and cultural participation awards?” I hear you asking, well these fit perfectly in a cover letter. While we’re here let’s hash out the difference between the two. Think of your resumé like yourself on paper as I said before, where your skills, education and experience are listed, and then you can deep-dive into why a specific role is right for you on your cover letter. Makes sense right. The two go hand-in-hand.

Before we move on, yes, I have a photo of myself (so they can remember me from paper to interview) and I actually include a blurb about what I’m like as a person. Call me crazy, but my industry heavily relies on fitting in to the team/office culture, and they want to know if I’m going to be coming to their next social do or not.

Now that you’ve got your documents sorted, if you have a friend in the same industry, or really anyone you know that is literate, ask them to take five mins out of their life to proof read for you. One spelling mistake and you’re out.

The moral of this story is to create this with a lens like you’re the employer. The employer who will literally scan over for 30 seconds, look for key call outs and move on to the next.

This is your opportunity to pounce.

Resign

You’ve made it! You got the job. Well done, knew you had it in you.

Resigning is probably the most daunting part of the whole process. You have to choose your time, hold an unprecedented meeting, talk off the cuff and once those magic words have been said, BAM it’s done.

I guess there is no easy way to resign. But there is an easy metaphor. Like a bandaid.

I would always choose to do this first thing; you don’t want to simmer at your desk all day catastrophizing to the ends of the earth. Get it out there early.

When actually doing so, making like Kendrick Lamar and stay humble. After all, they were the ones who gifted you your stepping stone on to your next desirable job. Thank them for all the opportunities, for giving you a chance and be gracious. Never burn a bridge.

Restart

So, your first day has arrived. You’re preparing for the information overload, but this is actually the best part. You’re no longer working at your old job, and you have no idea of what’s required at your new job, you are literally in momentary, guilt-free freedom. Cherish that.

Be yourself. Be friendly. Smile. Remember people’s names. Be open minded, polite and take a fish oil tablet first thing in the morning. Your first few weeks are really about fitting in and getting to know your way around the place. Befriend a range of people who can tell you where the best coffee is, where the stationery is kept, and where you can find the foot stools.

Once settled in your new role, you’ll receive a blissful grace period of up to 3 months where you get to make mistakes, cherish that too.

In no time, you’ll be right where you started, but hopefully a lot happier this time round.

Sarah FritzJuly 24, 2019