You’ve decided that you have gone as far as you can in your current role. So you set out in the process of finding the next job.
If you are like most you probably follow a process something like the following.
Tidy up your CV. Start searching for jobs. Start applying for roles. Hope that you get invited to interview. Hope you get the job offer.
In the early stages of your career this process might well work. Especially if you are an accountant or professional.
Sadly as you start to climb the career ladder this fairly basic strategy tend to be less and less effective.
In some respects this is not surprising. At more junior levels the attention of the employer is on finding someone who can do a competent job.
After a while, especially as people get professional qualifications and experience under their belt, employers know that every candidate can do the job to a technically competent level.
In fact what I noticed in my 25 years in accountancy was that the more senior I became the less interested employers were in just technical ability.
As well as leadership, management, interpersonal skills, employers were increasingly interested in the value I could bring.
Having worked with people to help them land their next job at all levels from part qualified to Finance Director over the last 12 years, I’ve noticed one thing.
Many accountants really struggle to articulate the value that they bring to a potential employer.
Most can talk about traits like commitment, strong work ethic and the like. Most can talk about the skills they bring.
Very few when they start to work with me can articulate the value that they bring to a potential employer.
There are several reasons for that in my experience.
Firstly most don’t think in terms of the contribution they make or the value they bring. Instead they focus on what they do.
Secondly most don’t have a process for systematically recording successes. As a result they struggle to identify or recall them.
So if you want to increase your chances of taking that next step up the career ladder, take the time to stop, reflect and write down the value you bring to a potential employer.