You're taking your first steps on the job-hunting market after several years with the same company. And perhaps you're feeling like you've just split up after a long relationship and don't know how to go about flirting any more... That's normal! In this article, I explore several pitfalls to avoid when you're feeling "rusty".
Contents
- don't dare to look
- with its variant being afraid of taking the wrong decision to change company
- want to change company first and foremost for a bigger salary
- Believing, as some recruiters do, that you haven't developed by staying with the same company
- With its corollary: changing company and the fear of not being able to adapt.
- Confusing having to prove yourself in a new company with having to start from scratch
Don't dare to look
You may be thinking:
- The grass isn't any greener elsewhere, and when you've invested as many years as I have in this business...
- You always know what you're going to lose, but you never know what you're going to find, especially when you set off on a whim.
- There are more unfortunate people than me - when I think of how they treat Bidule from Marketing...
- Whatever your professional experience, the world of work has become a living hell for everyone anyway.
- What's more, if you have to compete with younger people who know perfectly well which websites are the best places to look at job ads and which CV format is most popular with recruiters today...
First of all, just because this company suited you perfectly at a given moment, and you've risen through the ranks and shown your loyalty, doesn't mean that this choice will remain the right one for the rest of your working life, or that this choice means giving up on any career change.
After that, no time is ideal to change company. Unless you've decided to apply in a sector that isn't currently very buoyant (GAFAM, cryptocurrencies...) - in which case, it's best to wait a while and see how these companies develop. In reality, leaving "at the right timeFirst and foremost, this means according to your plans, on a personal, family and professional level.
If you feel that you're in a "looking for / waiting for the ideal moment" loop, the question to ask yourself is: what will happen if you don't "move"?
With its variant, being afraid of taking the wrong decision to change company
Leaving the company you know so well for a new job can of course be frightening. It seems like a big leap into the unknown, especially if you don't have any specific career plans. What if you end up regretting your choice?
To overcome these doubts, this fear of the unknown, go back to the question in the previous section: what will happen if you don't "move"? And also, asking in a very concrete way what you no longer want and what motivates you in the idea of another job can help to begin to make your "dream" tangible. professional transition project.
Wanting to change company first and foremost for a bigger salary
Speaking of motivation, having a salary as your main motivation is all well and good, but it's rarely enough to get you through a day of work without wanting to give it all up.
If your future employer is only buying skills that you have already patiently developed in your sector of activity over the last few years, this type of mobility is not interesting for the development of your career, even if it probably is for your bank account...
After many years in the same company, it's a good thing to be able to add a new string to your bow, to fuel your career development dynamic.
Believing, as some recruiters do, that you haven't developed by staying with the same company
One of the difficulties of starting a job search after so many years is being convinced of your added value, so that you can then convince others. Some recruiters and human resources managers fear that the habits you've acquired over the years will prevent you from adapting to a new way of working and a different corporate culture. Even if they deny it, some will be reluctant to believe you.
It's up to you to show them how you'll be able to break away from this company and how you'll adapt to it. a new corporate culture and the expectations of a new employer. It's up to you to give them proof of your ability to adapt. And yes, staying in the same place for several years has probably given you the opportunity to progress within the company, change jobs, gain experience and develop your skills. Did you know how to negotiate or manage when you first arrived?
Not forgetting that you can also show your tenacity and perseverance through your loyalty to your current company.
With its corollary: changing company and the fear of not being able to adapt.
The less you are exposed to change, the more you doubt your ability to change. But just because you've become monomaniacal about Lindt 99% chocolate as you've got older doesn't mean you're incapable of adapting to a new professional environment.
Yes, changing company means a lot of new information and different processes to integrate, new relationships to forge. In short, a new ecosystem to understand. In the end, it's similar to all the times you've had to change managers, teams and premises in your current company, often without even choosing to do so.
So the question to ask yourself is not "Will you be able to adopt new habits? but rather "Do you want to?
And I would add: do you want to prove yourself in this new company?
A short diversions here to the impostor syndrome that may be lurking outside your window. Changing jobs means leaving your comfort zone. After years with your company, you may even feel that you are putting yourself at risk. Will you be appreciated? Will you live up to the expectations of your new employer? And what if this change of company ends badly, in failure?
And then the horses of the imagination gallop off and your self-confidence plummets. It's time to get back to reality and focus on what you can do well: choosing a sector, a company, writing a CV, preparing for a job interview, etc.
And at the risk of repeating myself: what are the consequences for you if you don't "move"?
Confusing having to prove yourself in a new company with having to start from scratch
After years in the same company, it's normal for you to ask yourself questions and have doubts about your professional life. How do you know if it's time for you to develop a new career? reconversion project or setting up a companyor simply to change companies ?
Wanting to change your life is not the same thing as needing a new lease of life in your professional life. They are two very different things. Retraining is often the culmination of a long process of reflection, a profound search for new meaning. Wanting to change company is a response to the need to renew one's horizons, to evolve in one's field of activity while opening up new professional opportunities.
However, even if you're simply looking for a job in a new company, you may have the impression that you're starting from scratch, and that the risk is too high, or the effort too great. But you won't be as scared if you see it as a gradual, incremental process.
- Because you can count on all the skills you've acquired over the years.
- Because you can count on your network. You may think that you haven't taken the time in recent years to build a network outside your current business. But that's forgetting all the people in your family, friends and professional circle who would be delighted to have a coffee with you to hear how you're getting on and if you have any plans.
To conclude, I'd like to take a little diversions into Latin. You've probably already heard that the word "work" comes from the Latin tripaliumThis would be the direct cause of suffering at work. Well, that's not the case! For sociologist Marie-Anne Dujarier, the root of work comes from "trans", meaning to cross, to move forward by overcoming obstacles. Like the "tra" in the English word travel. We might well wonder how tri-pa-lium could have become tra-vail... This idea of movement, of the journey, of overcoming obstacles in this proposed etymology gives us more room for manoeuvre in our career paths. And it's precisely by taking stock of all the good reasons why you're thinking of changing company that you'll be able to gradually make your way, one step at a time, towards your new career. future professional project.
