The Great Resignation’ has swept the nation, with more and more people quitting their jobs every day. This may seem like a great way to get out of a job you hate, but what happens when you regret your decision? In this blog post, we will discuss how to step back into a role you love even with a recession looming.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, more than likely you’ve heard about the large number of people considering a career change or outright quitting their jobs. In case you aren’t familiar, an unprecedented mass exit from the workforce, spurred on by Covid-19, is now widely recognized as ‘The Great Resignation’ and the phenomenon has now entered its second year, with workers quitting in greater numbers than ever before. The March Bureau of Labor Statistics data reported the overall quit rate return to its previous high of 3 percent of all employment, with a record 4.5 million people leaving their jobs during that month alone.

If you were a part of ‘the great resignation’ and left your job, you’re not alone. If you regret it, the good news is as of April, there were roughly two job openings for every worker who wanted one and 372,000 jobs were added in the US in the month of June with the unemployment rate holding steady at a near near 50-year low.   Even though there is instability in some areas and we are , the labor market (currently) remains strong with employment opportunities in many industries still in high demand.

Preparation is Key

Research can help you identify occupations that are projected to have openings. For example, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections program can help identify occupations that are growing. It projects information about the labor market for the U.S. for 10 years in the future.

Learn more here:

https://www.bls.gov/emp/

You can also research employment and wage data to identify how many jobs were in a particular occupation and how much money workers in those professions made. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts 12 surveys or programs to provide information on pay and benefits.

You can find links to the results here:

https://www.bls.gov/bls/wages.htm

Invest Time in Self-Discovery

The great resignation was driven by a variety of factors, but topping the list was better career alignment and purpose with people longing to make a greater impact. A successful job search requires that you identify and articulate your ‘next step’ — the type of work environment, location and lifestyle, and job you want — so that when you look for potential job opportunities, you can see if it will be a good fit, based on your identified values.

  • Clearly define what kind of job you want: You don’t have to limit your search to this company profile but defining what kind of environment is most attractive to you is a good place to start.

Ask yourself:

–   What am I good at?

–    What am I not so good at?

–    What do I like doing?

–    What skills do I need to update in order to stay current?

Think about how you’re able to help an employer meet these “employer buying motivators.”

Research Your Target Companies

When you’re considering a position, learn as much about the company and job as you can. Here are some tips.

Look at the company’s website + social media pages. Pay attention to the company overview, founding, and about us pages. Try to get an idea of the company culture, mission, and values to see if they align with yours.

Search for news about the business. Type in the business name into a search engine to see what news pops up about the company. You can also search for company leaders’ names to research their reputations online.

Speak with your network connections. Search for the company on LinkedIn to find people you’re connected to who also have connections to the company. You can ask those people for their honest evaluations of the business and, potentially, the role you’re considering.

Career Marketing Materials Must Communicate a Return on Investment

Make no mistake, even in a hot job market candidates still need to prove themselves as capable of delivering results and that means your resume must clearly communicate how hiring you will help the company make money, save time, increase productivity, mitigate risk.

Does your resume communicate that you ‘can do’ tasks? (ie: Responsible for protecting and securing technology assets) or does it convey the value you bring. (ie: Mitigated cybersecurity risks, addressing pain points and introducing standard operating procedures for globally dispersed, multimillion-dollar portfolio of technology assets)

The “Great Resignation” may be a global trend, but only you know if the time is right for you to make a change. Even if you’re not ready to make a change just yet, taking some time for self-reflection — and creating a plan — will help you when you’re ready to make your next job or career change

If you’re feeling stuck and don’t know where to start, or if you want help putting your plan into action, I’m here for you. With more than 20 years of experience helping mid- and senior-level professional just like you make a great first impression, we can guide you through the process of creating an amazing resume that will open doors for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help!