It’s a new year, and thanks to the inherent freshness implied by that shiny date change, many of us start to think about––and implement––some self-improvement goals for the 12 months to come. Health and wellness aims are always high up any list of new year’s resolutions, but so too are professional promises to self.
In fact, January is the most popular time of the year to look for a new job. Sure, those new year’s resolutions play a part in that, but there are other factors too. The end of the year often acts as a psychological “full stop” for workers, especially if a job or career path is proving to be a bit of a disappointment.
Add to that your annual bonus will have been paid (if you’re lucky enough to receive one) and the fact that hiring budgets are also reset for a new year, and you’ve got a perfect hiring ecosystem. Employees are keen to impress a prospective new company, and HR teams are on the hunt for great talent.
So, if you’re thinking about a new job in 2023, but are a little stuck as to how to go about it, here are three ways to sharpen your job performance––all the better to create an impressive resume for job applications later on in the year.
- Improve your digital skills
The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) indicates that 40% of adults and every third person working in Europe lacks basic digital skills. That represents an opportunity, both for your own CV and to maneuver yourself within the workplace.
If you feel you could brush up your skills, identify an area that represents the best chance for career advancement. For example, Python is the programming language currently most popular and in demand. With syntax that has similarities to English language, it is considered a good route for novice programmers to make a leap into the world of development.
- Invest in yourself
A good rule of thumb for knowing when it is time to leave a job is when you have stopped learning. If you’re bored or finding that you’re in quiet quitting mode, doing the bare minimum to justify the pay packet, then you have two choices in 2023.
Continue as you are, or investigate learning and development opportunities. Depending on your current employer, there may be support or bursaries available for a variety of further education courses. Or, check out what other avenues are available: does the company offer in-house training and mentoring programmes?
Failing that, can you afford to invest in an extra-curricular course yourself? It could be worth asking your employer to pitch in by giving you some additional paid time off for study or exams.
- Set a stretch goal
How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time, and this is also an approach you should take to tasks or projects that initially seem overwhelming. So overwhelming, in fact, that it is far easier to put your head in the sand and just carry on as normal.
However, that path leads to stagnation: both in terms of your skills and career development. Get out of that rut by setting yourself some stretch goals for 2023. These should be deliberately ambitious and challenge you to step outside of your comfort zone: perhaps you’ll be required to learn a whole new facet of the business, or you may want to start public speaking at conferences and company events.
The result? You will have accomplished some really important things, including a new sense of motivation and pride in your achievements.
Find a new job
If you’re ready to go ahead and apply for a job now, then we have three below that are worth a look, as well as plenty more open roles to discover on the Silicon Canals Job Board.
Senior Software Engineer, Hive Streaming, Berlin
Hive Streaming has grown significantly and now ranks among the top SaaS companies in the Nordics. It is growing its Partner Ecosystem team and looking for a Senior Software Engineer who will focus on developing new products and features and supporting the needs of Hive’s enterprise customers. You will deliver software components that ease the integration of Hive Streaming technology into video platform partners’ applications, and by developing new applications based on partners’ published APIs/SDKs. Apply for the job here.
Software Architect, BuyBay, Amsterdam Noord
BuyBay’s mission is to solve the problem of returns and overstock in ecommerce across Europe. As a Software Architect, you will design and implement solutions that find the correct balance between technical elegance, responsible pragmatism and innovation. For large parts of the software support, no off-the-shelf solutions are available, meaning that new and innovative solutions need to be designed and created. You’ll need five plus years’ of experience in a relevant role, preferably in a software product company context and a Bachelor or Master’s degree in computer science/software engineering. Find out more about the job here.
Software Engineer – Returns and Overarching Services, Zalando, Berlin
Zalando’s vision is to be the starting point for fashion––one that is inclusive by design. As a Software Engineer for Returns and Overarching Services, you will be constantly improving the services and returns propositions with the company’s in-house warehouse management system. By delivering high-performance, stable, and scalable services, you will have a direct impact on customers’ and partners’ experiences. To apply, you’ll need up to five years’ of professional programming experience with Java or other JVM-based languages as well as experience with relevant frameworks such as Spring Boot. Get all the information here.
Want a new job in 2023? Then visit the Silicon Canals Job Board today
