In this article, BARBRI's Careers & Employability Manager Steph Day gives an overview of Career Alignment and what you will need to consider moving forward.
Career alignment put simply, is about finding the perfect match between ‘what you want’ and ‘what you offer’ and what a future organisation ‘wants’ and ‘offers.’ It is unlikely you will ever match a job 100%, unfortunately life is not that perfect…but an 80% and above match is a positive starting place.
Clarify What You Want
What motivates you and makes you want to get out of bed every day? Think beyond salary and consider other factors in detail such as:
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Specification of role (academic and professional qualifications, alignment to QWE/future practice area ambitions)
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Work duties / responsibilities (what gives you energy and gets you excited).
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Company culture (missions, values, recognition, celebrations, the approach to employee performance).
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Work-life balance (how will you balance professional and personal life – not all jobs will be 9-5 and some will have more stress than others, so be realistic!).
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Opportunities for advancement (what is the management structure, it may not just be about promotion though, is there an opportunity to undertake CPD).
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Location and commute (how do you like working – office, remote, hybrid. Are there opportunities to travel).
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Benefits package (what else is offered, over and above salary).
You may need to compromise on some of your ‘wants’ but I would suggest writing a wish list and then picking the top five on which you will not compromise. It is imperative that you consider your values and drivers, so that you seek out positions that align with your professional and personal goals.
Define What You Offer
Before you begin any job search, take a moment to assess what you offer. Having a clear understanding of what you offer, will help you to target roles that interest and fit you. Think about your:
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Skills.
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Qualities.
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Unique selling points (what unique value do you bring to an organisation).
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Experience.
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Achievements.
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Qualifications.
Understand What the Organisation Wants
Employers hire to solve problems and understanding their specific needs - whether that be skills, innovation, creative thinkers or leadership potential will allow you to position yourself effectively. There is no mystery here, they have told you what they want in the job advert / person specification. It is therefore vital that you tailor your CV, application form, cover letter and interview responses to the job advert, highlighting and matching your skills, qualities, experiences, achievements, and qualifications effectively. Use the wording from the job advert and interweave it into your CV, application form and interview responses. This will help if the company are using an Applicant Tracking System and shows the hiring manager / recruiter that you have read the job advert and are responding to what they really want.
Understand What The Organisation Offers
Look at your wish list and see what matches. Of course, salary and benefits are important, but each organisation has their own culture, values and structures that decide what the work environment might be like. Research employers thoroughly, look at their mission statement, values, employee feedback, news coverage, management structure, locations, product, service, and career growth opportunities. All of these are important to see if they align with what you are seeking.
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Visit the company website.
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Follow the company on LinkedIn (what are they posting, what is in the news).
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Attend company events / insight days (law fairs, industry events).
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Visit Glassdoor to gain reviews on companies (just be aware the people writing them, may have their own agenda!).
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Network and speak to people in the organisation (use LinkedIn).
Concluding Thoughts
A job is not just about paying the bills (although let’s keep it real here - we all need a job to pay the bills…otherwise I would currently be on Necker Island, reading my kindle!) Overall, career alignment tends to equal more career satisfaction, fulfilment, and productivity.
Succeeding professionally and contributing meaningfully within the workplace, is such a fantastic feeling. Life is too short to be unhappy, the aim of any job should be to thrive, not just survive!
Interested in finding out how to align your career with your aspirations? Visit our Careers & Employment page to get more info: https://www.barbri.com/sqe/careers-employability-support
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