Sales professionals upbeat

WHILE only about half of Australian professionals are confident about the availability of new career opportunities, 84% still intend to apply for a new job this year.

The latest survey from specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Walters questioned more than 400 professionals in Australia, across a range of industries including banking, finance, law and marketing. Only 56% of survey respondents said they felt confident about the job opportunities available to them this year.

When that response rate was further divided by industry, the results indicated that sales, marketing and communications professionals were the most confident (72%), and public sector professionals were the least confident (41%). When searching for a role, Australian professionals cited career progression opportunities (43%) as their first priority, followed by increased remuneration (18%) and better work/life balance (14%).

Brett Rose, director of Commerce and Procurement, Supply Chain and Logistics at Robert Walters in Sydney, said Australian professionals didn’t see money as the deciding factor when considering a new role.

“Australian professionals prioritise career progression over other factors such as remuneration, so it’s imperative that companies follow through on training and development opportunities,” he said.

“Such opportunities are the key to successful retention management in the long term.”