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Self-Development to Boost Your Career

Whether you are aiming at promotion, looking for your next career move, or simply want to improve your employability, we have created 7 tips to help you focus on self-development to help boost your career.

1.Work on a new or existing skills

It is very easy, not just in the place of work, to stand still and become complacent. You might be comfortable as you are, but if those around you are seeking self-development whilst you are sitting back, you may end up effectively going backwards as the standards around you are raised. Don’t take your eye off the ball and seek continuous improvement by developing a new or existing workplace related skill this year.

2.Work resolutions

Every New Year, people all over the world set themselves a New Year’s resolution - failure to see resolutions through is something many people are all too familiar with. Why not make it a work-related resolution to do something better this year? It might be that extra little push that is needed to succeed where you may otherwise not have.

3.Clean up on social media

In today’s business world the LinkedIn profile is becoming increasingly popular as the representation of a persons at-work self. If you and your career so far is a book, think of your LinkedIn profile and other social media platforms as the cover. Make sure to keep your profile professional and concise – take a look at our LinkedIn profile tips for how best to do this.

As well as looking at how you communicate out on social media, it is also worth reviewing the information that you are taking in. Useful information can be lost amongst waves of spam, or that one page that you followed that time and have yet to return to. To be more efficient, clean up the pages and people that you connect with, and follow the best most relevant pages to you.

4.Update your CV

‘Keep your CV up to date’ is a cliché that you probably hear all the time, but there is a reason for it. Not only does an up to date CV allow you to react to any change in working situation quickly, but regularly reviewing the skills and knowledge that we possess can remind us of our strengths, or highlight areas that perhaps require development.

If your CV is not up to date, make it one of your New Year’s resolutions to update it.

5.Monitor your work-life balance.

Another topic that you probably hear a lot about is the ‘work-life balance’. It is very easy to slip into a routine of overworking, pushing to meet targets and complete an increasing work load on the same resources. If you are unsure whether or not your work life balance needs adjusting, there are online surveys that can be looked at. Once you have an idea of where you’re at, consider how this lifestyle affects yourself and those around you. You may find a much healthier and more productive way of working lies ahead.

6.Consider professional certifications or job-related courses

In the increasingly competitive market, the decision for hiring managers to take a second look at an applicant’s CV can come down to the smallest of margins. Looking to get a foot in the door, it can be a qualification or two more than the competition that seals the deal and lands a job interview. A professional certification will not only display that you have knowledge of the subject area, but shows that you are willing to work that bit extra to get where you want to be. If you are looking for promotion, a job-related course could help you improve your skills and reach the next level needed.

7.Keep a clean inbox

We all have our own daily routines, but one likely common activity is monitoring of email inboxes. We all have mail to check, be it weekly, daily, hourly or as and when a new message comes in, but is your email management as good as it could be? A well organised inbox can have several benefits for example, increased response rates lead to quicker turnarounds on tasks.

If you feel ready to make a career change, why not let us know? Upload your CV here and sign up to our job alerts and we’ll contact you if we have any jobs matching your skills.

Testimonials

"Their knowledge of the industry, our organisation and candidates is one of the leaders in the market. They have always been able to supply us with the right calibre of engineering candidate no matter what the discipline or regional location is.

"First Recruitment Group’s service delivery has always been to a high standard and the customer service provided by the team has ensured that First Recruitment Group will remain a preferred supplier of engineering personnel to WorleyParsons on our future engineering projects."

WorleyParsons

"In my dealings with First I have found them to be responsive, knowledgeable, quality-focused and engaging in their approach. I would have no hesitation in recommending the services of First Recruitment Group to any prospective customers."

Global Engineering Consultancy

"We have a good working relationship with First Recruitment and they always put every effort in to filling our positions whether it's on a permanent or contract basis. First have an honest and open approach to recruitment and their clients which is refreshing. First offer an excellent payroll service which compliments their overall delivery service to MWH Treatment."

MWH Treatment

“As the biggest services supplier to the nuclear industry our demand for personnel is significant, when I have an urgent requirement I know I can rely on First Recruitment to rise to the challenge.

“As a preferred supplier for temporary labour and a fundamental part of our permanent recruitment process we get the right people at the right time. Whether its highly technical/specialist resources or back office support personnel the approach is to the same high standard.”

Veolia Nuclear Solutions

"It’s great to work with a recruitment agency we trust. The team at First Recruitment Group are friendly and straight talking and they continue to provide an excellent service. We’re proud to still be working with them after 20 years."

Simon Carves Engineering Ltd

"First Recruitment are on the 1st Tier of Sweett Europe’s preferred supplier list. We have found First recruitment to be hugely supportive and value adding partners to Sweett, helping us source a wide range of roles. The consultants at First are hugely knowledgeable and have a real desire to listen to, and understand, our needs. They have shown an unrivalled desire to work on hard to fill roles using innovative methods to ensure they always supply us with CVs.

"I have been hugely impressed by their willingness to support us, even when we have simply been after guidance which would not attract them a fee. I would be more than happy to recommend First Recruitment Group to any prospective organisation, and to discuss in more detail their capabilities."

Sweett Group

“We’ve worked with First Recruitment for over 12 years and have built up a great relationship with their team. They’ve helped us in sourcing contractors for our chemical division, maintaining consistently high standards in delivery, and we hope to continue building on this relationship in the future. I have no hesitation in recommending First to others.”

Haden Freeman Limited

"We have used First Recruitment to support the recruitment of several key roles within our business. The quality of the candidates put forward were extremely high which helped enormously in our ability to fill all roles, also the candidates have all been a success since joining our business. They were prompt, knowledgeable and very professional and made the recruitment process for us extremely simple. The service we have received has been first class and I would highly recommend the services of First Recruitment to any Company looking to fill a vacancy."

Meadow Vale Food Group

“I have worked with First Recruitment frequently over the last couple of years. Their ability to understand our business and support me in terms of recruitment has been excellent. Candidates are screened initially to meet our requirements and taken through the process in a professional way. I would have no hesitation in recommending First Recruitment to any employer who needs that little extra support in their recruitment process."

Bokomo Foods (UK) Limited

“I have found First Recruitment to be very efficient and professional in their approach to recruitment. They were able to gain an in depth understanding of the needs of our business and source high quality candidates. I would highly recommend their services to anyone with a recruitment need.”

AAK

"First Group are one of the key suppliers to Cobham. The team are quick to respond, friendly and professional, and as such have made a massive difference to the account. The team have supported and filled a variety of roles. Without hestitation I would recommend First."

Cobham

Read all Testimonials

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