How are you feeling after being back at work for a month? Is it time to address any lingering thoughts about finding a new role? With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s our top tips to starting your journey to finding a job you’ll love.

Decide what you want to change - Motivate yourself to get started by looking at what you want to change and why. What do you enjoy doing in your current role? What do you want to be doing more of? What would make your day-to-day life happier? Is it a pay rise, a shorter commute, or more flexible working hours? Everyone’s motivations and desires are different. Decide what matters most to you.

Assess the market - Spend some time having a look at all the jobs available in your industry and in your chosen location. Get a general feel for the career opportunities out there now. What skills are in demand? What salaries and benefits are on offer? Our new website makes it even quicker and easier to see the career opportunities we’re currently recruiting for.

Update your CV - It’s the obvious starting point and should also be a real confidence boost. Add in your latest role, the skills and experience you’ve gained, and what you can offer a future employer. Don’t forget to update your profile summary accordingly as well.

Polish your LinkedIn presence - LinkedIn has become a fantastic tool for job seekers and for employers looking for new recruits. Just like your CV, make sure your summary highlights your achievements, experience and skills. While it needs to be an accurate reflection of yourself, don’t be shy about showing what you can offer potential employers.

Build your contacts - Sometimes the best potential career opportunities come through word-of-mouth alone. As well as actively looking for advertised roles, talk to family, friends and other people you know to find out where there may be opportunities. Build your general network of contacts by attend networking events and relevant industry events - maximising your chances of hearing about any potential roles on the grapevine.

Look for the right cultural fit – Look at what an organisation would really be like to work for, as well as at the job description. Explore company websites for information on culture, values and staff wellbeing policies. How do they portray themselves on social media channels? Are they featured on any forums where previous employees post about what an organisation is like? External awards for being a ‘best employer’ or ‘great place to work’ are also a good sign as these types of commendations are only awarded after the organisation has been judged by independent experts.

Get support – An expert recruitment consultant can help maximise your chances of finding your ideal next role by matching your skills and experience to an employer’s requirements. Here at Pure we also pride ourselves on working with candidates and supporting them through their career journey. We want to ensure that the recruitment solution we offer you meets your life and work objectives and we will only ever suggest roles that we believe are right for both you and the client.

Good luck!