28 November 2007
Ride the jobs boom to success
Candidates can ride the current jobs boom to success, provided you know what you want and why you want it, says
specialist recruiter Hays.
“The current job market is booming, with unemployment low and demand for candidates high,” said Jason Walker, Regional
Director of Hays in New Zealand. “In such a market candidates should be able to advance their career and gain a
meaningful and satisfying position related to their skills and experience.
“Yet far too often we still hear candidates say they are unhappy in their current role. When asked about the reasons,
they admit to accepting an offer because the salary was higher than another vacancy or because they wanted to move from
a previous position quickly and didn’t take the time to research the range of opportunities available. Others say they
are finding their search unproductive or frustrating, but then admit they have been haphazardly applying for vacancies
because they really don’t know what they are looking for. These candidates often say: ‘I’m looking for anything’.
“With all this indecisiveness, it’s no wonder good people end up in the wrong organisations or positions! If you are
being told you are overqualified or don’t have enough experience for the roles you are applying for, you are probably
applying for the wrong jobs,” advises Jason.
“The best way to ride a jobs boom is to ensure that you take advantage of the number of jobs available to develop your
career in the direction you ultimately wish to pursue. The current market presents job seekers with an ideal opportunity
to determine exactly what they want to achieve in their career, and then pursue an opportunity that will allow them to
ultimately achieve it. This requires clarity on the part of the job seeker to know exactly what they want, and a clear
plan of action to search for the role that will advance their career in the desired direction.”
According to Hays you should determine where you want to be in five and ten years time, and seek out the roles that will
enable you to work towards this goal. “Given the current positive labour market, there has never been a better time to
map your career and take advantage of the high level of vacancy activity to get to where you ultimately want to be,”
said Jason.
To discuss your career direction, call your local Hays office. Hays has four specialist recruitment offices across New
Zealand in Auckland, South Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. www.hays-hps.co.nz
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