Career Success For Accountants

The Biggest Barriers to Getting Your Next Job

I’m too old. The economy is not right. Employers won’t give me the chance. I don’t have the right contacts. Employers only go for candidates with this type of background, experience or qualification.

Ever heard yourself saying some or all of the above?

I’m sure we all have said some of these or a variation of them.

Like all challenges (and getting that next job definitely is a challenge) it is easy to blame external factors.

Yet in reality it is more often than not down to you and how you respond to the challenges.

So what are some of the biggest barriers to you getting your next job?

Barrier 1: Wanting it to be easy

If it was easy to land that next job everyone would be doing it. Fact is anything worthwhile achieving requires commitment, effort and persistence.

Barrier 2: Not pursuing the right opportunities

It’s strange how people think they can just apply for anything and get results if they have the right professional qualification.

Well you can but it is a bit like those leaflet drops at home. It’s what I call a spray and hope strategy.

Being targeted generally produces much better results.

Barrier 3: Not knowing your strengths

How easily could you talk about your top strengths? Most of the time when I’m working with clients they struggle to confidently talk about their 5 top strengths initially.

Unless you have really thought about this in some depth it is always going to be a struggle to speak about your strengths with confidence and conviction.

Barrier 4: Not knowing what it takes to succeed at the next level

You might have a vague idea but do you really know what’s critical to success at the next level?

If not take the time to find out.

Barrier 5: Not having a decent CV

Too many CV’s especially those created by accountants and professionals lack impact.

As a result it doesn’t market them effectively.

Barrier 6: Being too shallow with answers in interviews

A job interview is your opportunity to showcase you, your experience, your skills, your attributes and what you can contribute.

Unless you are well prepared you run a big risk of giving shallow answers and under selling yourself.

Bottom Line: Getting that next job is tough. So what barriers do you need to overcome to get that next step in your career?

Duncan Brodie helps accountants and professionals build successful careers. Learn more here.

About the Author Duncan Brodie

Since 2006 I’ve worked with in excess of 8,000 accountants and professionals in workshops, seminars and one to one helping them land their next jobs and become better leaders, presenters and business partners. Before that I spent 25 years in accountancy climbing the career ladder from Payments Clerk to FD. I’m a CIMA Fellow, Certified Professional Coach and Team Coach Facilitator.

Previous Post The Importance of Building Your Network Next Post How will you know if you are achieving career success?

Leave a Comment:

2 comments
Uloho Bright says 3 March 2023

Thanks a lot for sharing this post as it contains a lot of details that have been very useful.

Reply
Divine Michael says 26 March 2023

I’m impressed, I must say.
Rarely do I come across a blog that’s both educative and engaging, and without a doubt, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The problem is an issue that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I found this during my search for something regarding this. I would like you to check out my own blog which best explains more about https://nachiguide.com/jobs-you-can-get-with-a-criminal-justice-degree/ So read through carefully to be enlightened

Reply
Add Your Reply

Popular posts

It Takes More Than Being Good At The Numbers
 Career
Oct 07, 2014
Team Success: How To Create A Clear Purpose
 Teams
Jan 07, 2010
How To Overcome That Fear When Presenting At Work
 Presentation Skills
Jun 22, 2022
Career Success: I Am At My Best When
 Career
Nov 29, 2013