KEY POINTS:
As we head in to the New Year we have a time to reflect on what we've accomplished during the past 12 months and to decide what we'll do in the coming year.
For those who are content and happy at work, then the decision is pretty easy - stay where you are and stick to your career plan.
For the rest, it is the time to take stock and make the big decisions.
Do you return to the same job next year and settle back in for more of the same? Or take the time now to consider changing direction, trying a whole new career, improve your skills with part-time study or going back ready to set up a meeting with the boss to agree on a new career plan?
Now is as good a time to ask yourself if you can face another 12 months doing the same old, same old, or whether you are prepared to plan your escape. And make no mistake, changing your job or career requires careful research, planning and thought. Handing in your notice on the first day back, fingers crossed that you'll find another job within the ensuing few weeks, is not the answer. You have to play it cool.
However, in this current job climate the signs are good that hungry employers will pick up people with in-demand skills - and who have a solid, reliable track record - pretty quickly.
It seems the ever-present skills shortage is keeping employers on their toes, with recruitment agencies telling companies they can't be too choosy and can't expect candidates to tick every box.
That means that even if you don't have every skill and qualification required for the job you want, your enthusiasm for a particular role may be enough to swing you the job you want. It has even been known for employers to alter their requirements for a particular position to fit the skills of a keen, enthusiastic and competent candidate.
Barry Dreyer, a partner in recruitment firm Fleet & Partners, says it is rare to find someone in New Zealand who is a perfect fit for a job as "we haven't got the [skill] base to do it".
He says companies have to decide where they will turn a blind eye to an applicant's skills gap and consider taking on people who don't quite match their needs. On-the-job training can often close any gaps - and employers are (thankfully) starting to realise this.
What does that mean to you? With middle-management structures being flattened, there are opportunities for those people who can make decisions, get things done and lead the way.
There are opportunities for people to stretch themselves. But what companies can't afford to do is take on people who may fail, forcing them to start the whole recruitment process over again. They want people who can do what is required and stick around.
And it is here where the Gen Ys and their easy-come, easy-go attitude to employers is causing companies headaches. As we read time and time again this year, the Gen Ys - those born between 1978 and 1994 - are career-focused rather than employee-focused. That means they will hop from one job to another to get a better deal.
Leigh Johnson, of recruitment firm The Johnson Group, says Gen Y is a different breed of worker when compared to their Baby Boomer and Gen X counterparts.
"They express career loyalty, rather than loyalty to an employer, and seek employment opportunities that complement their lifestyle and provide cross-functional training, career development and overseas travel," she says.
One reason for this attitude is that Gen Ys have seen their parents made redundant perhaps two, three or four times. So they see little value in being loyal to "the firm", and many have grown up in a time of plenty.
In general terms, many Gen Ys got what they wanted when they wanted it as children and teenagers. Now they are at work they expect the same rules to apply. They want it all now and can't see any reason for having to wait. Old school values such as paying their dues don't even figure in their psyche.
What is happening now is the Gen Xers and Baby Boomers are seeing what their younger counterparts are getting and they want it too.
All this translates into one thing - employers need to do all they can to retain all levels of staff, and to do this they will have to get creative. Cash is not the quick fix it once was.
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