The manufacturing sector is full of opportunity and innovation, making it an ideal place for those with the right skills and ambitions. Unfortunately, just because you have the talent to thrive in the job of your dreams, doesn’t mean that position will present itself to you on a silver platter.
Now is the perfect time for professionals to think back over the journey that might have lead them to their current position in their chosen industry, and determine whether they’re on the right track for success.
If 2017 didn’t give you the promotion, training, or development opportunities you had hoped for, then now might be the perfect time to start doing something different. With attention and planning, 2018 can become the year that you get the role you really want .
Why Do You Need a Manufacturing Career Plan?
As the job market becomes increasingly competitive, it’s up to you to make sure that you’re ready to win the attention of your ideal employer when a new position emerges on their team.
A career plan is a practical strategy for success that revolves around determining your interests and skills and adjusting your talent development to help you reach specific goals. It’s a great way to make sure that your professional life is moving in the right direction.
If nothing else, a good plan will help you to give more compelling answers at your next interview.
So, how can you get started?
1. Decide What You Want to Get Out of a Role
The manufacturing world is diverse and varied. That means that there are countless opportunities available for experts with the right knowledge, and skills. If you want to improve your chances of acquiring the challenging role you want then you’ll need to begin by deciding what the ideal job looks like to you.
Remember, the position you wanted when you graduated might not be the same as what you’re looking for now. For instance, you might have started off in engineering-based manufacturing, and over the years, you found your passion in developing new medical devices for the healthcare sector.
People change, and their ambitions change with them. Make a list of the things you really want from your career now then you can begin to adjust your path towards your goals accordingly.
2. Think Realistically About Your Options
While you’re looking at the different manufacturing positions that might be available in the marketplace, remember that you’re not necessarily going to be the perfect candidate for all of them. For instance, you might be great for quality control in the engineering world, but life science manufacturing may require you to seek out extra training.
Take a moment to create a refined list of role possibilities based on your skills, interests, and values. You can speak to a professional recruitment agency here and get some advice about where you might need to update your CV to earn a specific interview. Alternatively, you might read up on information from companies you’re interested in working for.
3. Consider Current Job Trends
As the world around us continues to change with new advances in technology, the manufacturing sector has transformed with it. This means that experts in this industry might find that there are more career development options available to them then they had had recently assumed.
If you’re concerned about being competitive enough to get the job of your dreams, then checking out some of the trends in the marketplace can be a great way to make sure that you’re tapping into the right learning opportunities for your future.
Something as simple as knowing how to use new software on a work computer, or getting the most out of an updated machine might help you to impress in your new position.
4. Set Smart Goals
Finally, once you know exactly what you want to accomplish in the year ahead, you can start to create a roadmap for success. Ideally, your plan of action will be filled with attainable and realistic short-term goals, as well as long-term ambitions that you can strive for over the course of your career.
Remember, “SMART” goals are:
- S: Specific
- M: Measurable
- A: Attainable
- R: Relevant
- T: Time-bound
Write your goal down on a computer document, spreadsheet, or piece of paper so that you can come back to it in the future and assess how far you’ve come. Revisit your career plan at least once a year, if not more often to keep yourself on the right path to success.
The Power of a Solid Strategy
Planning can have a host of benefits, from helping you plan your way towards success, to making sure that you know how to impress your potential employers in a recruitment or hiring situation.
The more you review your future using the tips provided in this article, the more likely it is that you’ll be prepared for whatever might be yet to come in your life, and your career.
We are ‘South Wales Recruitment Specialists’ based in Cardiff, Wales.
We offer a full range of permanent recruitment solutions to many of South Wales’ and the South Wests’ leading manufacturing, technical, automotive and life science organisations. This includes companies in Cardiff, Swansea, Newport, Ebbw Vale, Port Talbot, Bridgend and the surrounding areas in South Wales.
Sigma Recruitment has one of the largest and most comprehensive recruitment candidate databases in the area. To get in touch with our team call us now on 02920 450 100. Alternatively, contact us here.
