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Understand your wants and needs from your next role...

 

Once you have given some thought to considering what is next, a good exercise to do is to really understand your wants and needs from your next role and the type or organisation that you want to work for as well as what your offering is.  

 

This can then be aligned to the organisations that you apply to and ensure that your wants and needs and offering match what the organisation wants and need as well as what they can offer.

 

We use the alignment model to really think about what is most important for you from your next role and to ensure you consider all of these prior to applying for roles.

The Alignment Model

  1. I Want and Need

 

Think about this carefully, keep it with you and add to it as and when.

 

Discuss with your family and get feedback from those you trust:

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  • Promotion? Something new / different?

  • Type of role

  • Type of organisation

  • Sector

  • Culture

  • Empowerment

  • Autonomy

  • Level of responsibility

  • Level of challenge

  • Level of interaction with people

  • Salary / package

  • Location

  • Family needs

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*Remember this is an opportunity to plan for your future which you may have never had time for in the past.

3. They Want and Need

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Think about this before you apply for or let a recruiter put you forward for a role.  An organisation has wants and needs and so does a role, do they match with your offer (no 2)?

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  • What is the purpose of the role?

  • What is the job content?

  • What experience, skills & knowledge does it require?

  • Why is the role vacant?

  • What are the strategic goals?

  • What are the key business challenges?

  • What are the deal breakers? 

  • Do I understand the organisation and role wants and needs?

 

What mitigation do you have for the elements you don’t meet? 

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The Organisation’s Wants and Needs will constantly change – you need to adapt and keep your offering (no 2) relevant.  

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2.  I Offer

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What is your offering? Your USP? Say in your words what makes you different?

 

This needs to come out in your CV, especially your USP and achievements.

 

Think about your:

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  • Skills

  • Knowledge

  • Experience

  • Achievements

  • Competencies

  • What are you good at?

  • What don’t you want?

 

*Because you have a skill, it doesn’t necessarily mean you wish to offer that skill in your next role.

4. They Offer

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Ask yourself are you just taking the first opportunity or is it a job that you really want? “You want a job but you want the right one”.

 

What due diligence do you need to do on the organisation / the recruiters before you accept any job offer?  E.g. Look at their strategic plan, financials, information available.

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  • Due diligence – How closely does the opportunity match what I want and need (no 1)?

  • What am I prepared to compromise on?

  • Is the organisation going to offer:

    • Support

    • Development

    • Cultural fit

    • Progression etc

Exercise

Download your own alignment model template and have a go at completing yourself.

Fill in boxes 1 and 2 for what your wants and needs are and your offer.  When you see a

role, then complete boxes 3 and 4, then compare boxes 2 and 3 and consider if you still

want to apply for the role and then compare 1 and 4 to ensure what you want aligns with 

what the organisation offers.

Alignment model
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