From the latest jobs in Dubai to London’s increasingly global market, today’s job search scene is more competitive than ever. Global mobility and the proliferation of digital technology is increasing the talent pool.
As you climb higher up the corporate ladder, the job pool shrinks, yet the number of applicants per position remains high. If you’re looking for your first management position, how can you stand out against a glut of job seekers, all of whom are vying for the same position as you?
To stand out in today’s competitive job market, you need to be proactive and inventive. If you’ve been out of the job search for a while, here are the new rules for your first management position.
- Technology is the new normal
Technology is a great tool for supercharging your job search efforts. But technology is a double-edged sword. The same tool that can strengthen your job search can be the same tool to screen you out.
Social media, job boards, and mobile apps are just some of the innovative digital technologies available to aid in your search for the right leadership position. This presents greater opportunities for job seekers such as yourself to research companies, hiring managers, and apply for jobs.
But technology also represents transparency. It presents greater opportunities for companies to learn about you. Technology enables thorough background checks, through your social media platforms and credit score, among others.
All of these could be used against you, having a detrimental effect on your ability to land that desirable leadership role.
So how can you leverage technology to your advantage?
Start by putting yourself in the employer’s shoes. Google yourself and assess your digital footprint. Clean up anything that could be perceived as potentially embarrassing or could make employers reject your application.
- Focus on results
When it comes to climbing the corporate ladder, nothing is more important than the bottom line. Businesses today expect leaders to be able to demonstrate how their work and decisions deliver results.
Getting on the path to leadership success requires you to be able to demonstrate business results. Actions, not words, speak business results. But who those results are demonstrated to also matters.
Be sure to impress the right people with your positive actions. Decision makers must be keenly aware of who you are and what you represent to the company.
Research who the decision makers are in your company and make it a point to include them during any major accomplishment.
A simple way to make them aware of your presence and your work could be to add them to important emails that discuss your accomplishments.
Impressing senior management does not mean kissing up to them. It means letting your talent, drive, and positive actions do the talking.
- Expand your network
Networking may not be new, but how one networks in today’s job market certainly is.
While you are still encouraged to attend a professional networking event or two to meet with prospective employers and expand your social circles, technology can be leveraged to do all the hard work for you.
Social media can be a great online professional networking tool to help you get noticed and land that dream leadership role. But networking through social media requires diligence and daily practice.
Tapping into the right online communities will require you to build your online presence, update your professional profile, and ask supervisors and management for recommendations.
Doing all of these things will allow you to grow your online presence while expanding your social circles.
And in time, it may even lead to you networking your way into the “hidden job market.”
- Volunteer to lead
Your department or team are not the only ones you can showcase your ability to lead to.
Volunteering is another key way to impress decision makers and generate business results. Look for projects that cultivate the right skills and experience necessary for that next executive position.
The work you volunteer for should complement your career goals.
As more and more companies focus on their social corporate responsibilities, showing your charitable side can impress decision makers with your ambition. It can also demonstrate your passion, your desire to be team-oriented, and your ability to rise to the occasion.
- Continue developing your skill sets
To help your career’s upward trajectory, you need to continue developing your skills in important areas. Essentially, skills that managers need include:
- Good communication
- Team building
- Good organization
- The ability to deal with changes effectively
- Domain knowledge
Undertaking workshops or seminars, professional qualifications, and higher education can help sharpen your professional and technical know-how while developing your “soft skills.”
In the workplace, get involved in challenging projects. This will allow you to get out of your comfort zone and demonstrate that you’re willing to learn and grow with the company.
Networking within your social circle and through networking events is also a great way to meet mentors who can help you upskill. Keeping your finger on the pulse of the latest industry trends will be crucial and necessary to advance your career.
Cracking the new job market
If it’s been a while since your last job search or you are looking to career-transition into your first leadership role, the new rules of the job search listed above will keep you up-to-date in your job search.
While these rules are important, just remember: No one will just hand you your first management position. Work hard and develop the right skills, and soon you’ll be in the enviable position of landing your first leadership role.
AUTHOR BIO
David Mackenzie
A recruitment professional with over twenty years’ experience in the field and a record of entrepreneurial accomplishment, David is Managing Director and Head of HR at Mackenzie Jones.
