The job market is rough right now. Mass layoffs leave people desperately clinging to their current positions. The Great Flattening has left more and more workers competing for an increasingly smaller number of positions entry-level roles are drying up and AI may make entire career paths obsolete.
Long-term unemployment is approx post-pandemic highwith more than one in four unemployed workers unemployed at least half a year. That makes it a nerve-wracking time to go through any career upheaval.
If you find yourself no longer locked into the current market, whether by choice or not, it may be a good time to recalibrate and gain clarity on your next steps.
The team of career experts at the UK jobs site target lanes proposing a way to find direction amidst the chaos. It’s called the GPS method.
Whether you’re just entering the job market (I’m so sorry), considering a career change, or planning your next move, this method can help you decide where you want to go and how you’re going to get there in small, actionable steps.
G: Ground yourself
The first step has everything to do with grounding. Before you update your LinkedIn and start applying for jobs, take a deep breath and look within. Ask yourself: what are my interests, strengths and values and how do they fit into my work?
This doesn’t necessarily have to be your life’s passion. In fact, many employees are no longer interested in sexy job titles, saving their real passions and ambitions for their free time.
Rather, it is about recognizing what gives energy and what costs energy. You may recognize that you work best when you communicate ideas to people in the office. Or you are most productive in a remote environment, far away from distractions.
Think about the impact you want to have in your next role. Are you excited by a fast-paced environment that is at the forefront of innovation, or do you feel the pull to help others in a meaningful way?
P: Draw your path
Once you’ve done the inner work, it’s time to put a plan in place. Rather than spouting out Easy Apply applications and praying for every vacancy you can find, do meaningful research and use the job specification to tailor your CV to the position. (Yes, many hiring managers know when you’ve used AI.) Remember, one well-considered application is worth a thousand half-baked applications.
Think in experiences, not obligations. If you can, take on a few freelance projects to test out a new career path before taking the plunge. Network at events or reach out to connections in the industry for advice. Think of it as collecting data and trying different techniques to find out what suits you best.
S: Steer and stay on course
The traditional career ladder is dead. A ‘lattice’ (or jungle gym) career approach has taken its place, but requires a little more adjustment as you go along. Make sure you don’t fall asleep at the wheel; continue to set short-term goals and think about what’s working and what’s not so you can correct course if necessary.
The “stay the course” part? It means having patience. Bumps in the road are normal. In fact, this is a good time to go back and repeat the process, and any rejection is just a detour.
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