Australian workers need to be flexible when looking for new employment, with new research revealing that nearly half of jobseekers change industries to land a new role.
Australian workers need to be flexible when looking for new employment, with new research revealing that nearly half of jobseekers change industries to land a new role.
New data from Right Management shows that 47 per cent of jobseekers change industries to land a new role, the same proportion change job function, and another 10 per cent change location.
Tim Roche, career management practice leader at Right Management, says that with skills shortages on the rise, jobseekers may be presented with better opportunities if they broaden their search to include relocations or a change of industry or function.
“There are many industries facing critical skills shortages and companies will consider candidates with skill sets that could be transferred to a different field. This presents more opportunities for jobseekers willing to look outside their traditional roles and current locations when considering a new position.”
The Career Transition Candidate Survey is based on responses from over 400 participants of its career transition programs, between July 2009 and May 2010.
It also revealed that the number of people accepting a pay cut when starting a new role has continued to grow from last year, with 44 percent of candidates brought in on lower compensation compared to their previous role (compared to 41 per cent in the same period from 2008 to 2009).
“Salaries came under pressure in 2009 and some candidates were forced to take salary cuts to ensure they had a job at all. These conditions are certainly easing, but it’s going to take a while for salaries to return to levels seen before the crisis, and jobseekers should be prepared for that,” said Roche.
Networking remains the most successful means of finding a new job, with 34 percent of job seekers finding a job through this search tactic. The proportion of jobs found through print advertisements dropped in the last year (19 per cent compared to 24 per cent in 2008-2009), while the percentage of jobs secured via direct approach to the company rose (12 per cent compared to 9 per cent).
