How to Pinpoint What Your Next Job Should Be

Arkansas Hiring and Employment trends in 2021

Americans spend an average of 45 years in the workforce before retirement. Working with an experienced staffing agency can make the difference between “just another job” and a fulfilling career.

Sooner or later, most of you will decide that it is time to bid farewell to your present company and look for other work elsewhere. This may be due to company cutbacks, a need to relocate, or because you have grown professionally and want employment that offers more satisfaction. For job-seekers in the Central Arkansas area, our experienced Apex Staffing counselors offer the following tips to show you how to start career planning as your job search in Little Rock gets underway.

1. Know Yourself

If you are unhappy at your current job, you need to ask why. Did you like the work and company when you were first hired or did you have misgivings from the first day? What appealed to you about working there? Would you be interested in doing similar work elsewhere or are you ready to try something new?

Keep the following in mind:

Your strengths, personal and professional. If you are not sure about these, consider taking the Strong Interest Inventory /Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator Career Report.
Your areas that need to be strengthened or unproductive habits that should be eliminated.
Work-related and personal goals: short-term (less than two years) as well as five years, ten years, and more.
Your values, and what in life is really important to you.
What types of employment do you feel attracted to, and why? Try narrow the list down to three or four categories, with one primary interest.
Your educational and readiness levels. Do you need more education or specialized training to qualify for a better job?

Now you are ready to tackle the next steps: researching and interviewing someone already working in the kind of job you want.

2. Do Your Research

Treat your job hunt like a current project. Spend time learning as much as possible about the new fields you think might be a good match for you. Study labor market data for clues about current hiring information and which jobs are in demand. Aside from pay and benefits, you need to know about daily tasks and other activities—can you can see yourself doing these things from one day to the next?

Once you have settled on your first and second choices, try to line up informational interviews with people who are already working in those fields. Ask questions about a typical day, and think about the answers. For example, a marketing assistant job that sounds glamorous at first might actually require tasks, such as making cold sales calls, that would be tedious for you.

3. Take Action

Identify one or two companies of interest.
Update your resume, with a cover letter tailored to each company.
Get ready for job interviews.
Select a reputable staffing agency to optimize your search.

4. Partner with a Trustworthy Staffing Company

Working with an experienced staffing agency to smooth the rough spots in your job search is one of the smartest career moves you can make.

If you’re looking for a new job, check out our Job Openings page + to see what’s available. Apex Staffing specializes in connecting talented job seekers with high-quality, local employers. Our service is completely free for job seekers and we are always accepting applications.