Coaching By Helen is launching affordable group coaching aimed at creatives changing careers. To find out more email Amanda on pa@coachingbyhelen.com

You want a career change or a new job and ‘call a recruiter’ is scrawled at the top of today’s to-do list.

STOP!

Whatever the reason you’re about to email or call that recruitment agency, here are seven things you can do first. Let’s give you the best chance of getting the job you actually want. Following these steps will put you ahead of your competitors.

• Know what you want. Exactly what you want. A recruiter’s job is to filter the best applicants. If you’re unclear about the type of role you’d liked to be matched with, it’s hard for a recruiter to really help you. The point where your experience and passion collide can be a clue to your fulfilling career.
• Visualise or write out a description of that ideal role: whether you prefer to create a moodboard, use Pinterest or write out your ideal job spec in your journal, be clear about what needs to be present in a job role for you to naturally thrive.
• Do a skills audit. If you desperately want to work in social media (for example) but feel out of touch with the latest tech and algorithms, work out what you can do to feel more at ease. Whether it’s a chance to take an online course or simply start reading relevant articles, re-engage with the skills that feel lacking to you.
• Don’t simply dust off your CV, get someone you trust to check it too and help you refresh it. And ask them to be honest. Would they hire you? Do you show your experience and talents in the best light? If you’ve worked with big brands or well-known names for example, then let’s make those names really stand out. And tailor your CV to the job you want.
• Show don’t tell. Saying you have a passion for wildlife is easy. What does this really mean? Are you involved with a relevant charity? Have you read up recently or watched powerful documentaries about your passion? Show them what you love, don’t just tell them.
• Google yourself. What comes up in the search results against your name and how can you improve this? Unless you’re applying to work somewhere with no online presence at all, refreshing your profiles and photos is a wise move. Show yourself authentically but also in the best light.
• Get your mindset work done. Whether you work with a coach or already have your own mindset practices, you want to approach your recruiter already confident about your strengths and ready to show them your best self. Remember, recruiters introduce the strongest candidates to their clients for selection and interviews, they are not there to hand-hold your development, but a careers coach IS there to support you and help give you the best chance of being selected for your dream role.

“For the first time in years, I had a feeling of control over my career and the courage to really put myself out there. The result is that I now have a new job. Without Helen’s coaching I wouldn’t have been in a position to apply for it.”

Mark, Actor, who was a client of Helen’s in 2020