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Q. I have been contemplating a move for a while, I am a senior HR Generalist, my role is great and it certainly keeps me busy but I need a fresh challenge. I had so much on mid year that I decided to put my job search on hold till early ‘09. Now with the market the way it is, I am unsure what approach to take if any at all. Are there still roles out there and is there any industry or role I should focus on.
A. Normally the decision to move from employment is made after close analysis and lengthy deliberation process, especially true in the case of HR practitioners. Although the recruitment market has slowed, there are still opportunities available and if you had resolved to make a move you should investigate further. Be sure that you don't compromise on what you set out to find simply because the market isn't as buoyant as it was when you originally made the decision, the right role will eventuate.
Given the current market you will actually need to be more vigilant in assessing the organisation and team that you will be joining, sometimes in a tighter market candidates are so excited by the prospect of a new opportunity that they may actually lower their guard, sometimes finding themselves back on the job market again quickly without an existing role to fall back on. It is important to utilise that segment of the interview where you are asked if you have any questions. You may want to ask what the strategic direction of the organisation is and what role HR will play, what plans they have to ride out the economic downturn and maybe ask about projects that are on the horizon.
You also need to back up your interview questions with some of your own research. Networking is always an important aspect of any job search, so speak to friends and trusted colleagues to see if they have any information to share on the company, review their annual report and share performance if appropriate. Investigate the company's local performance, leadership team and share price but also if the company is international try and get a sense of how things are going at head office or in the home market.
Although the sharing of information is important don't trust all your information from the one or a few sources, you need to draw on a range of viewpoints.
I think the choice of role and industry is definitely up to you, update your CV and seek advice on the format and content, whilst in the process - determine what transferable skills you have if you are looking to move into a different industry. If you have specialised in a HR discipline it may be a good time to consider if you want to focus on a specialist role in areas of demand such as Remuneration and Benefits and Organisational Development.
It is interesting to see that some areas of the public service are experiencing huge increases in applications as people seek out "recession - proof" roles whilst industries that were fighting to meet head count requirements at the end of 3rd quarter last year are now making wide - scale redundancies. These are interesting times for job seekers but there will always be opportunities for experienced candidates. Industries such as health, FMCG, pharmaceuticals, entertainment and aged care may be worth investigating. Best of luck
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