Standing Out From The Crowd
There’s no getting around this: it’s a challenging market out there right now – for everyone. Anyone who tells you otherwise may be choosing to be a little economical with the truth. This kind of slowdown brings challenges for our clients, our candidates, and naturally, for us as recruitment partners. So, what can you do as a contractor to maximize your chances in a more competitive market?
Expanding Your Skill Set
Be More Jack: When building your career, there is significant value in specialization. However, in a squeezed environment, becoming a generalist can also be hugely beneficial. For practitioners, your currency is your skills, and the more you have to offer, the more indispensable you become to any organization. Take every opportunity to expand your repertoire, continue professional training, and consider contracts outside your comfort zone. Clients increasingly seek interim talent with multiple skills.
Presenting Yourself Effectively
Clean Up Your Shop Window: Even in a digital world, your CV remains your most immediate selling tool, so ensure it’s impeccable. Tailor it for specific roles, keep it current, and make your copy punchy and to-the-point. As professional communicators, this is crucial. Apply the same rigor to your LinkedIn profile. Get the basics right, and the rest will follow.
Financial Flexibility
Everyone has a baseline. We all have mortgages, rents, skyrocketing bills, and personal lives to pay for. While underselling yourself is not advisable, consider some fluidity with your rates. If you’re out of contract and need to get back on the ladder, consider roles outside your normal range. Evaluate the position’s scope and whether you have the skills and experience to succeed. If so, consider whether it is financially or professionally viable.
Broadening Your Horizons
(Don’t) Stay In Your Lane: At VMA GROUP, we advocate for a sector-agnostic approach and encourage organizations to consider talent from other industries. As a multi-disciplinary agency, we have clients across various professional fields. This approach breeds diversity, quality, and range. Candidates should adopt a similar approach. While finding your USP is important, don’t be constrained by it. Your skills have value across more sectors than you might think.
Networking and Future Outlook
Make Friends: Now is the time to benefit from your investment in relationships with recruiters. While recruiters can be frustrating at times, remember, we are here to help. Build networks in good times and bad. Don’t wait until you’re out of contract to get in touch. Engage with your network now – including VMA GROUP, of course!
A Break in the Clouds?
Nothing lasts forever. We’ve all read more gloomy headlines than we’d like over the past few months, making it harder to stay optimistic when the job market stalls, especially for contractors. However, things will improve. The Bank of England recently offered a more positive economic outlook for the coming months, contrasting its earlier warning of a prolonged recession. “Modest but positive growth” is now expected.
****VMA GROUP is a leading international interim, contract, temporary, and permanent recruitment and executive search specialist. We focus on supporting the communications, marketing, digital, and change communities. Our specialist practice areas cover communications, corporate communications, internal communications, change communications, PR, media relations, financial communications, CSR, public affairs, investor relations, marketing, brand, digital marketing, and agency services. We have a reputation for providing expert consultancy services and advice, supported by in-depth knowledge of the professions we recruit for. Our thought leadership and benchmarking studies are go-to resources for the communications, marketing, digital, and change industries, supporting planning and decision-making for organizations of all sizes. In the UK, VMA GROUP has offices in London, Bristol, and Manchester, and in Europe, we have offices in Amsterdam and Brussels, but we work globally. VMA GROUP is committed to equal opportunities and is a Diversity Pledged Recruiter.
