Time Is On Your Side

2 Comments / Paradigm Shift / By / February 13, 2023

What is the one thing that we have an unlimited amount of?

What is the one thing we never have enough of?

Time.

There is always tomorrow but we never have enough time to get done what we want to do today.

When I was younger (when I say that, I feel like Grampa Simpson, and did you know he actually has a Wikipedia page!), when we needed to know what time it was, we weren’t able to look at our cell phone to get the time. In Regina, we called 757-7111 (before the area code was mandatory) to hear a friendly voice to get the exact time.

Understanding what time you are at in your career journey is important.

In your journey to find a new job, you need to decide the timing (you do know it is on your side right? Yes it is!).

Are you looking at some point in the future?

Or is it right now?

Each answer takes you down a different path. Let’s dive into that and we’ll help you to get the job Any Way You Want It (a reference back to my series kickoff blog!)

When you are in no rush to get a new job, you are in the perfect situation. You can spend as much time as you’d like in understanding what you want.

Take the time to re-evaluate your current skillset. Credentialing is becoming more important. These can be the traditional credentials such as CBAP, Prosci, CCMP, PMP, CISM, CSM, ISTQB, PRINCE2\MSP\MoP, etc, TOGAF, etc. There is also a growing trend of micro-credentials; smaller focused training that provides the skills and abilities that you can use immediately.

Your current employer may have only encouraged you to take training but not the certification. Unfortunately, the market has changed, and credentials are highly competitive. For example, when I achieved my PMP in the late 90s, it was “wow, you have your PMP!”. Today it is, “wait, you’re a PM, why don’t you have your PMP?”
For every position posted, there can now be hundreds of applicants. Credentials are now your way to keep pace and not be left behind. Credentials are also a way to stand out. There is one consultant in Winnipeg, he has done a fantastic job of continual evolution and growth in acquiring certifications and designations. It has almost become part of his brand!

Another area to think about that could impact your timing is the type of employers you are interested in.

Government employers have a fiscal year beginning April 1. For those employers, that is the beginning of a new “pot ‘o gold” where they receive their funding for the new year. You may see a flurry of job postings in January with the goal to have new hires in place for April 1.

Private employers are a little less rigid but also have key hiring periods. Those can be January 1 and September 1. The beginning of a new year also brings on recruiting activities that could start in November. As many employers experience a slow down in the summer due to the holiday season, recruitment activities could also occur over the summer for a September 1 start.

Our company follows a pattern where we have specific hiring patterns to support our customers. As we support both private and public organizations. We have hiring campaigns in January (for April), July and August (for September starts), and then again in November for January starts! Check out our current openings at Careers.ParadigmConsulting.com.

Now, you may not have the luxury of time to find a new position. Your employer might have downsized you or other activities could have caused you to unexpectantly be looking for a new position. I’d like to say that the road you are now on is easier or shorter. Sadly it is not true, you will need to understand the same information as above, just in a compressed timeline.

You are on a journey, and the amount of time you need is all relevant to your requirements. Take the time you need (as little or as much as you have) to find that next job of yours.

The next blog in my series will be about how your job search is affected by where you are in your career; early middle or late.

If you have any comments, I have all the time in the world, please share. To learn a bit about whether you should be on LinkedIn, visit read one of our other blog posts here.

And by the way, 306-757-7111 still works, sort of.