Kate Ross: Don't rush into the wrong career choice

I got a call recently from a candidate who had been offered a permanent position; she didn't really want to take the job for a number of reasons and with nothing to fall back on she contacted us to see what the temporary/contract market was like.

She was told the truth; the market has picked up and as always, even in tough times, it is worth waiting for the right position to come along.

In spite of the initial panic in the marketplace with the recession and redundancies, the reality in the market is that candidates do still have options.

With the end of the first quarter of 2009 well within our sights, most people have realised that moving forward, thinking outside the square, rethinking the traditional ways of doing things and staying positive are the key factors in ensuring your business continues throughout the year ahead and beyond.

Smart businesses are doing this already and they need manpower behind their guns! Admittedly, in a number of cases, erring on the side of caution means that man power comes in the form of temporary and/or contract staff.

We have noticed that there are certain sectors of the market that are doing very well and you may be surprised to hear this but it's not only insolvency firms.

Businesses finding themselves surviving and in fact, showing good profit, are making the most of a market full of quality, previously unattainable candidates.

Employers are finding that they are now able to add to their most valuable asset, their staff. Whether new talent comes in the form of permanent employees or more short term and flexible temp or contract workers, the opportunity to utilise strong skill sets is appealing.

In saying this, with the amount of people looking for work, candidates do still need to be very flexible. Being rigid about location and salary or hourly rate is a thing of the past. With so many people vying for "your" role, you can't be a dictator and in this market everyone needs to be flexible.

The options are there for you if you are strategic in your job search. It could be a time to think about what will give you an edge - educational institutions are reporting record enrolments for this year.

When it comes to candidates considering new positions, stability is the word on everyone's lips.

Researching the business, its stability, culture and management structure is a key focus and employers should expect detailed questions at interview stage.

In turn, employers are feeling they now have the luxury of choice and that when it comes down to it, they have the options available to them to find the ideal person to complete their team.

When in doubt, psychometric testing is a sound method of determining suitability – confirm the things you can see and the things you can't.

At the end of the day, it's nice to know that both employers and candidates can and should still be in control of their own future.

For candidates, it can take patience and commitment but if it really matters to you, your next job can be just around the corner.

Don't be content to settle for a role that you would not have accepted this time last year. Keep positive but realistic, think outside the square, be aware of your options and make the right choice.

For employers, it is important not to recede into the darkest corner in your office where your recruitment consultant can't reach.

As an industry, we see and hear about what is actually going on more than anyone.

Knowledge is power and knowing what's happening outside your own domain is crucial to ensure that you make the right choice every time.

* Kate Ross is director of Kinetic Recruitment as well as upcoming part time job website The Outfit and the Return2work programme, in partnership with Sarah Paykel.