The employment world is changing.
No longer do people stay in a role for life, especially in the manufacturing sector, which continues to grow.
However, job hunting ethically without upsetting your current employer is a challenge many manufacturing candidates face.
In this post, we want to share some ideas on how to make the process smooth, so you get the role you want and leave your current employer on good terms. Here are the areas we want to explore:
- Do you really want to move?
- Reasons why people leave
- Keeping things under wraps
- Being prepared
Do You ‘Really’ Want To Leave?
First of all, let’s ask a logical question.
Do you really want to move?
I know this might seem a strange question and yet changing companies and possibly changing role, needs to be thought through.
As a specialist manufacturing recruitment company we work closely with candidates and clients to ensure a good match. If you are moving because you have had a disagreement or fall out, stop and think about your longer-term career goals, because moving with this as your only driver, rarely ends well.
It’s easy to overreact, we have seen it happen more than once – before you know where you are you have resigned when that wasn’t really what you wanted to do.
Let’s get real; we can all have a bad day and say the wrong thing – handle it and move on.
If on the other hand, this is the third or fourth time you have felt ‘friction’ or you are motivated to move for other reasons (we’ll explore next) then moving role might be the logical option.
Reasons To Consider Moving Manufacturing Companies
Managers and recruitment companies live in the real world and understand that human beings have different motivations, drivers and some very valid reasons why they want to move organisation.
Over the many years, we have worked in recruitment these are the common reasons we come across.
- Not being paid for their level of manufacturing experience/skill set.
- No viable next step up the ladder.
- Opportunity to work in a different manufacturing sector.
- Lack of training and development.
- Consistently poor first line manager
A quick glance probably doesn’t reveal any main surprises, so now we have that out of the way, what next?
Decide What You Want… You Are In A Strong Position
The manufacturing sector is still in the grip of a skills shortage, which we mentioned in a previous post you can read here, and naturally, our clients want the best available individuals for their roles.
Manufacturing employers’ expectation is that someone who is in post, possibly already delivering in a similar manufacturing role, would be a logical first choice.
Clients are keen to talk to candidates who are already employed; having a job while looking for a new role makes you that much more attractive to a potential employer.
Job Search In Private
Logical I know but search for your new role in private. Though you might think it’s lunchtime and no one is in the office, the last thing you want to do is have a browser open that someone casually sees as they wander past.
Look on your mobile or iPad away from the office by all means; just be sensible about it.
Don’t Share Your Career Goals Outside Your Inner Circle
Mike, Dan or Angela might be your best workmates. However, when it comes to discussing your career aspirations keep them to your significant other or specialist recruiter.
Our experience is that the fewer people that know about your new role search, the better. It’s easy for someone to make a slip-up unintentionally and you don’t want to run the risk of this happening.
Don’t Change Your Behaviour At Work
Human beings communicate through their body language as well as what they say and do. If you are unhappy in your place of work or unstimulated, it’s likely going to show.
You might think your colleagues or manager won’t notice your subtle changes in behaviour but they will.
Being withdrawn, when you normally aren’t (remember you haven’t got that new role yet), disgruntled or dropping hints about how cheesed off you are is not a good idea.
Get Prepared and Organised
If you have been in your current post for a while, it’s likely you won’t have updated the projects or deliverables you are responsible for in your role on your current CV.
Remember it’s not only sales people that are asked for their results.
Let’s say you are an engineer, what examples have you highlighted on your CV about the various projects you have been involved with and how they impacted the results of your current employer?
Job hunting takes both time and effort so plan accordingly.
We have already talked about preparing your CV, and remember to free up your diary too. It’s rarely a smart idea to start a new job search then to decline every interview you are offered or head off to Lanzarote for two weeks just as your recruiting process gets going.
Contact A Specialist Recruiter
Let’s look at the facts.
As a candidate with experience, you will be in demand. Unfortunately, this does not always translate to a manufacturing hiring manager picking up the phone to speak to you; even though you are an experienced manufacturing professional.
As you will be aware as a candidate, you don’t pay a fee for career advice from a recruitment company like ourselves. The bonus is that working with a specialist in the manufacturing sector will save you a lot of time and effort.
People like the team here at Sigma Recruitment have inroads to organisations they have been developing for years, which they can connect you with.
[Remember confidentiality is ALWAYS assured with us.]
We can represent you to companies who would never, in normal circumstances, call you for an interview; something many candidates don’t appreciate.
By the way, if you want to know more about this send us an email here.
What Next?
Take action.
If you are sure that it’s time for a change, get in touch and let’s see if we can help.
Best regards
Rhys
About Sigma Recruitment
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.
