If you’ve been ruminating on changing-up your comms career, now may be the ideal time to talk with your trusted recruiter about making a move.

Salt & Shein Director, Lucy Newcomb, sees significant scope for motivated communicators to broaden their career horizons, and make the job of their dreams a reality, in 2023. “A rapidly evolving marketplace is driving increased investment in resourcing of Corporate Affairs, opening up greater opportunity for savvy communicators, across a broad spectrum of sectors.”

Know your worth, get clear on what you want, and tap into your recruiter’s network and industry knowledge to find the openings aligned with your individual values and aspirations. “It’s about positioning yourself for success within a dynamic work culture that’s aligned with your values and vision, where you’re supported to become the best version of yourself and live your best life”, Lucy says.

President of the NSW International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), Megan Thomas, says growth sectors currently include sustainability, “for commercially savvy communicators who can clearly see issues from the audience perspective and make it business relevant.” Emerging technologies, requiring rapid adaptation to maintain customer engagement, have placed a high value on communicators who can translate the complex into engaging content, within the tech sector. “Other trending jobs range from leadership coaching, change management and social media optimisation to media relations with ASX experience and Cyber-security.” Organisations with customer-facing teams that span a range of geographies, highly value expertise in navigating a many-layered approach to multi-channel and cross-cultural communicating.

The more diverse your experience, the better positioned you will be for a choice of doors to open.

Cultivating your marketability 

Continually expanding your network is a necessity to flourish professionally. Megan suggests, “Investing in memberships to dynamic associations of business communicators, like IABC NSW, are a means of tapping into broader industries to get a handle on what’s happening beyond your immediate focus, and make inroads to where you want to be.” An IABC NSW membership connects you with a network of 12,000 communicators across 80 countries.

It’s about positioning yourself as a highly engaged communicator with an absolute passion and purpose for what you do, according to Lucy. “Employers are looking for a deep level of curiosity and the agility to continually adapt, innovate and grow.”

Megan believes a cross-industry perspective like Lucy’s helps to broaden perspectives on both sides of a hire. “It’s not necessarily about specialising in a particular industry sector anymore. Employers are looking at personal attributes and your capacity to add value across a range of areas, to keep pace with the shifting sands of global business.”

Sought-after qualities that may surprise you include kindness, courage, authenticity, innate emotional intelligence, and a hunger for learning. “Above all, have integrity. Get comfortable with being true to who you are, because a strong sense of individual character and integrity conveys a core strength that makes an impression.” Lucy says.

Your recruiter can point you to where the possibilities lie and staying open minded is key. “Don’t be afraid to take a sideways step if your recruiter makes a strong case for it being a good fit for your aspirations,” Megan says.

A move to where the money is may not ultimately land you where you really want to be. The benefit of building a rapport with your recruiter, over time, is a relationship that offers a form of mentoring and guided growth, as you formulate and go after your career aspirations. “It’s important to view each career move as an investment in yourself, that advances you to where you will continue to learn and fuel your passion for what drives you.” Lucy says.

Where to next?

When you feel ready to explore your options, take some time to reflect on what matters most to you in your work and for your future. Keep an open line of communication with your recruiter so that together you can fine-tune a targeted approach to your search. Over time, sharing feedback on placements and opportunities that present will keep your recruiter in sync with the trajectory you’ve chosen for your career, and ensure the choices set before you always inspire consideration.

“Our job is to keep the opportunities coming your way, so that when you are ready for more, the right prospects are there.” Lucy says.