The new year might be behind us. But the desire to change or achieve new heights in our career path stays. Despite this desire, there is still a stigma amongst job seekers about seeking help from the outside. Most of us only seek help from the outside when they are trying to choose a career for the first time. But help can also be provided for those looking to transition to a new career and industry.
As a recruitment agency, we’re invested in providing job seekers in Singapore with the right career guidance and advice. In this article, we will be listing the different ways for everyone to seek career support from, no matter the age. Let’s get started!
Information for Fresh Graduates Seeking Career Guidance
After navigating the tough education system for years. Most fresh graduates are surprised to find it hard deciding on a career or job after graduating. This can be a stressful move for most fresh graduates. We know that far too many people are dissatisfied with what they do for a living.
However, these career mistakes can be avoided when you consider these steps listed below:
1. Do you truly understand your career needs?
Let’s be honest, not everyone is cut out for some of their dream careers. As HR specialists, we’re a firm believer that understanding your personality can help you identify careers and industries that you’ll be successful in. Identifying your true personality might sound complicated but this can be done through the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Enneagram tests.
2. Have you spoken to a professional who understands your field?
A career counsellor will be able to identify the resources fresh grads might need. They can also help fresh graduates write their resumes as well as give tips on how to network. Alternatively, a recruiter can also provide fresh graduates with the same advice. All you need is an industry expert to guide you to gaining your first job. Some career counsellors in Singapore to check out are MySkillsFuture, WSG, MyCareersFuture, and BGC Singapore.
3. Have you done enough research?
As recruiters, we’ve spoken to a number of people who fail to understand that research is crucial during the job hunting phase. This might sound daunting but there are a number of free resources on the internet for fresh graduates to check out! We recommend BGC Huddles or reading both the BGC Singapore and BGC Malaysia blogs. There’s a lot to look out for.
Some websites and articles that we recommend fresh graduates to check out include:
3 Major Tips for Mid-Career Employees Looking to Switch Careers
Navigating and planning a career switch is a lot trickier. Most job seekers stuck in this predicament often wonder if switching to a completely new industry would mean discarding the skills and knowledge accumulated throughout their working life. But of course, this is a career myth and not the truth.
Working with a good career counsellor can help mid-career employees transition better. On top of that, if you’re suffering with job burnout, seeking a career counsellor can help you manage your symptoms before it gets out of hand.
Here are 3 major tips for mid-career employees looking to switch careers -
1. Seek counselling
Unfortunately, older employees and job seekers still consider seeking help for mental health to be a taboo. However, a licensed counsellor can help employees mitigate job burnout — stress caused by an individual’s working environment. Job burnout can eventually lead to more cynicism regarding one’s career and eventually depression.
A counsellor will be able to help burnt out employees by giving them the tools needed to identify the root of their stress. In addition, working with a counsellor can help jobseekers manage a healthier lifestyle (e.g. managing proper sleep, adequate amounts of rest and exercise to name a few).
Here at BGC Group, we like to give advice straight from the heart. Learn more about the long term effects job burnout can have on mental health in this article. Alternatively, those working from home might want to check out this article for tips and tricks to prevent job burnout whilst working from home here.
2. Smart upskilling
Upskilling is a popular term amongst most mid-career employees. However, not everyone understands what smart upskilling is. As the working landscape in Singapore changes and incorporates more technology. Upskilling seems to be more important than ever for mid-career employees looking to advance up the career ladder.
Below are some key tips to help job seekers upskill in a smart way:
Identify transferable skills: Transferable skills and abilities that are relevant in more than one industry. Assessing your skills through a test is a good way to identify transferable skills. Once you’ve identified your top transferable skills, you can identify the ideal industry to jump ship to. Click here to take a skills assessment test.
Utilise free tools available: Online courses and SkillsFuture are some free tools available at your disposal. We recommend utilising the free tools available at your disposal.
Here are articles we’ve covered on the ideal upskilling courses to take:
3. Explain your career goals and interests to a professional
Individuals working for bigger companies will have access to in-house career planners. Fortunately, a frank discussion with your supervisor can help you reset and plan some of your career goals and expectations. In addition, recruiters and recruitment agencies might be able to help you plan your career better.
Click here for more tips and tricks on how to hack your career and rise up the ladder.
Have a burning question you need answered? Here at BGC Group, we care about job seekers, Share them with us in the comments section below!
Read More: Top Career Tips for Singaporean Employees in Their 20s, 30s and Beyond!