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Taking Stock of Your Career Late in the Year

As we near the end of 2024—and before you get totally consumed with the holiday madness—it’s a good time to take stock of the current state of your career. In this month’s newsletter, we talk about the lessening stigma of taking career breaks, what to do when you’re thinking of switching careers, and why it’s getting harder to land good jobs (and, ahem, why this means you need a recruiter now more than ever). Read on.

Welcome to the Adult Gap Year

As the workforce shifts and Gen Z begins to replace the Boomers, we’re also seeing a shift in the stigma around taking time away from work. Some call it a “work gap year,” others a “sabbatical.” Tim Ferriss called it the “mini-retirement” in his seminal book The 4-Hour Workweek.

It may have taken a while for the world to catch up with some of Ferriss’s ideas (and some of his ideas were, frankly, too outlandish in the first place), but here we are. Like it or not, HR teams are getting on board with the idea too. One survey by Chartered Management Institute (a training firm) found that 53% of managers claim their companies support the idea of a work gap year.

Obviously, there have to be rules. Like an academic sabbatical, a work sabbatical is typically something that happens pretty deep into a person’s career, after they’ve logged a certain amount of contiguous years. But then again, there’s always the option of simply quitting your job, taking some time off, then looking for another one.

Thinking of Switching Careers?

How many times have you changed course in your career? For the average person, that number is a whopping five to seven times, according to the US Department of Labor. (That number seems high to me, but I suppose if you count those random first few jobs we all have, it makes more sense.)

Changing careers is scary and stressful, but it’s also exciting. And the more experience you have—and the older you get—the more tactical you can be with a career pivot. For instance, you might…

  • Dive into education, getting a new degree or taking coursework in the area you hope to enter.
  • Rewrite your resume to capitalize on the ways in which your old career laid the foundation for your future career, and develop a strong personal brand and pitch to promote yourself. 
  • And most importantly, team up with a recruiter to ensure you’re hearing about opportunities in your new field. A recruiter can help you enter intrepid new networking circles, identify strengths on your resume, and introduce you to the right people and open roles.

Recommended Reading

Yes, It’s Getting Harder to Get Good Jobs

Does it seem like it’s getting harder and harder to get a good job? You’re not imagining things. Workday’s new Global Workforce Report, which surveys over 1,000 managers and business leaders, found that job applications have been growing four times faster than hiring demand. And employers are “raising the bar,” too — 72% of respondents said they’re raising the qualification and experience requirements for candidates. 

Job seekers are at a disadvantage in this current job climate, but there are great jobs out there. You just need a recruiter to help you land one, and I, ahem, am just such a person. As a recruiter for 25+ years, I keep a close eye on hiring trends and labor news, and I can help guide you in finding the right open jobs. I can also help you navigate the interview and hiring process to put you in the best possible position to get hired.

If you’d like to get started working together, please reach out today.

Are you looking for top IT talent in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry?

Contact us to discuss how we can bring top-tier IT talent to your organization. The Swan Group are executive leaders with extensive IT recruiting expertise in the biotech and pharmaceutical space. Our goal is to ensure that each professional we place and each client we work with achieves a competitive advantage based upon our services.

Are you a professional looking for a new opportunity?

Contact us to discuss your career options or browse our opportunities. As a small boutique firm, we are in the business of building careers, not just filling positions.

ABOUT THE SWAN GROUP

Our goal is to ensure that each professional we place and each client we work with achieves a competitive advantage based upon our services. Our specialty is high-level INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY placement within the Pharmaceutical, Bio-Pharmaceutical, and Consumer Products industries. Thoughts, comments, or would like to discuss further, please contact us.