How to take stock of your career in the new year
If you’ve spent the Christmas break dreading a return to work, you might be thinking it’s time for a career change.
But there’s a warning to anyone planning to brave the job market in 2021: Finding a new role might be trickier this year as the economy slowly recovers from Covid-19.
ASB senior economist Jane Turner said that although the economy had been more resilient than expected, it was probably better to play it safe.
Statistics NZ data showed quarterly GDP grew 14 per cent in the third quarter of 2020, breaking the six-month decline brought on by Covid-19 lockdown measures.
However, growth had been slower than the same time last year which meant the number of jobs generated was also fewer, Turner said.
The unemployment rate rose from 4 per cent to 5.3 per cent in the September 2020 quarter, the biggest quarterly increase on record.
Turner said anyone looking for a change would probably be best to look at the fields that were most in demand.
Hays NZ managing director Adam Shapley said skills related to the construction, accountancy and finance, IT, engineering and legal sectors were most in demand.
‘‘Instead of quitting before you even start your next job search, think more positively and understand that when markets change, you must pitch yourself at the right point,’’ Shapley said.
Shapley said that after a year of companies mostly hiring workers on a fixed-term basis or contractors, the permanent roles were bouncing back as business confidence rose.
He said in a highly competitive market it was essential for job seekers to sell themselves by highlighting how their key strengths would add value to the roles they were applying for.
Because most recruiters and employers researched candidates online before short-listing, Shapley said, it was good to Google yourself to see what came up.
‘‘Those memes you think are funny or the scathing product reviews you posted may not present you in a professional light.
‘‘Remove anything that doesn’t align with the professional reputation you wish to present,’’ he said.
Frog Recruitment managing director Shannon Barlow said uncertainty caused by Covid-19 had also made people cautious about negotiating pay rises in their current jobs.
Statistics New Zealand figures showed more women were unemployed than men, a trend that has been steady for more than a decade.
Barlow said women were more likely to feel imposter syndrome in their jobs than men, which made them less likely to ask for a pay rise or get what they were worth.
She said a lack of information shared between colleagues about how much they were paid also affected how workers determined what pay rate was acceptable.
‘‘Don’t be scared to ask for a pay rise. Nothing risked is nothing gained,’’ Barlow said.
She said people often saw their salary as their personal worth rather than professional worth, which could affect how workers negotiated pay.
Approaching a pay negotiation with hard facts, data and KPIs took the emotion out of the conversation and also helped workers feel more confident, Barlow said.