Adriana Modersitzki
With inflation and the rising cost of living, many jobseekers wonder if they’d be better off making a career move rather than marking time with their current employer, waiting for that elusive promotion or pay raise. We’re all feeling the squeeze on our household budgets, from interest rates to petrol prices and even the good old trolley of Aldi groceries. Life is simply getting more expensive, and the pressure to keep up can be immense.
While many are tightening their belts, we’re noticing that jobseekers are consciously investing in professional resume writing and career support. With that valuable edge, these jobseekers are securing new roles, boosting their take-home pay, and gaining some much-needed breathing room in the current economic climate.
1. Improve your earning potential.
If you’ve been in your current job for quite a while, there’s a very good chance you’re being underpaid. On average, salary gains for people who have switched jobs far outpace those who have stayed with one employer. In 2021 in Australia, wages rose by a mere 2.3%. I’ll wait while you go and compare that to inflation.
In comparison, payroll data secured by the Australian Financial Review shows employees who moved jobs in mid-2021 were able to secure pay rises of about 10% on average, with some even securing pay bumps of up to 20%. Clearly, this outstrips the wage rise they would have obtained had they stayed put, and it’s not even factoring in any ‘woo-ing’ from prospective employers.
2. Create a pathway for future professional growth.
You could be a fantastic employee. Truly – wonderful. But there might simply be no ROOM for you to continue moving forward with your current employer. If there are no further steps for you to take, then it might pay to look elsewhere rather than limit your professional growth and development – and earning potential!
3. Find the FUN again
When you work in the same role with the same organisation for a long time, losing your passion and enthusiasm for the work is not uncommon. However, change is as good as a holiday, which also applies to changing jobs! Switching jobs can reinvigorate your motivation for growth in your career path and provide fantastic opportunities to develop new and valuable skills.
When you enter a new workplace, you’ll have a lot to learn as you settle into a new environment, pick up new systems and form new relationships. This learning keeps boredom at bay, provides fulfilment and keeps you motivated!
It can sound quite simplistic to leave one employer for another and plump up your pay packet on the way. But you MUST factor in the things that a dollar figure cannot easily represent.
If your most significant (or only!) workplace challenge is that you’re underpaid compared to the market, we suggest two things; a conversation with your manager about a salary increase and some time reflecting on what IS working for you at your current workplace.
1. You’re time-poor.
Not everyone has a knack for writing well, let alone writing WELL. Crafting a strong resume can consume a great deal of time, and if you’re rushing things – small errors can slip through and damage your overall application. What you might see as a single, simple ‘easily missed’ grammatical error might be seen as a lack of attention to detail or a lack of professionalism.
Many of our clients are accomplished, senior professionals who understand that a resume is a crucial marking document, and acknowledge that they simply lack the time and the skills to craft a resume that will do them justice. They want a top-tier resume writer at their side. That’s where we come in.
2. You lack objectivity.
Have you tried to write your resume and ended up with a massive, unwieldy document because you couldn’t decide what was relevant? We hear it all the time – and we promise you, including everything isn’t the answer. That paragraph about your six months of hospitality experience 15 years ago (for your legal administration application) isn’t helping anybody.
Resume writers at Elite look at your career history with unbiased eyes, picking out the information that you might not realise is relevant and unearthing forgotten achievements. Then, they use that information to craft a value proposition that differentiates you from other applicants.
3. Your career history isn’t straightforward.
Do you want to make a career change but aren’t sure how to connect the dots so that your application makes sense? Do you have some significant gaps in your work history that you don’t feel confident addressing? Have you undertaken a string of contracting positions or casual roles?
Working with a professional resume writer quite simply removes this headache. Not only can they present those things more concisely, but they will weave together the threads of your career story to bridge the gap between where you are now and where you want to go.
4. You aren’t making any progress.
At Elite, we understand that hiring a professional resume writer might not be an option for everyone. (That’s why we made our Resume in a Day course!) However, if you have a solid job searching strategy, send out applications regularly, and you STILL are not getting to interview, it’s probably time to call in the experts.
Our team of professional resume writers are located across Australia, specifically in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. We have clients throughout Australia who rave about our professional resume writing services, job application support and interview coaching. Get in touch with us today, and make your next career move with the support of a team of professionals.
We respectfully acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land upon which we live and work, the Ngunnawal people.
We acknowledge and respect their continuing culture and the contribution they make to the life of this city and this region, and extend that same respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
