Finding “THE” job and not “A” job is definitely a “FULL TIME” job!

OK, so I am not alone being in this position at the moment and many people will face this situation at least once in their career. Having just put 5 years of heart and soul into helping create, launch and build Tekkers into a brand with a clear and compelling proposition, with real consumer appetite, in a highly competitive market I knew my next role needed to be something exciting and challenging.

Handing over the sales process of the business to the Chairman was never going to be an easy thing but sometimes change can be very liberating - and it can certainly focus the mind, so I have been looking for the next opportunity since, and my experiences may strike a chord with many people out there.

I’ve already written one book on MOTIVATION - so maybe at some point there’s another book in me about MOTIVE - the why and how people can be driven to reach their own personal goals - be that in a job search or just business / life in general.

If I look back over the last 10 years and think of people in my network who have been in the position I am in right now, many have taken between 6 and 9 months to find an opportunity which was right for them. Finding “THE” job and not “A” job is definitely a “FULL TIME” job!

Just like the brands that I have built in the past, I want to make sure that I find something that is right for me. Whilst there were opportunities to broaden the distribution of Woodworm and Tekkers in the early days of the business, I held my nerve and waited for the stockists that I knew would best amplify the brands and sit with their values. It’s not just about finding a fit, finding the right fit is all important and this has very much been the strategy behind my job search.

I have been through my LinkedIn contacts and contacted anyone who I thought may be able to help. I have followed this up with phone calls and then meetings across the country. Whether my own contacts or recruitment consultants or head hunters, everyone who I have met has told me that I have a great CV with plenty of strong experience to offer to a potential new employer. Almost without exception, people have said that my next role will come from a position which currently doesn’t exist / is not being advertised for.

That hasn’t stopped me looking through the job ads - but it’s good to know that my next role might well be tailored specifically to suit my skills and personality.

As part of my search I set up a personal website www.joesillett.com where you will find a portfolio of my work to date, along with a summary of my skill set and a collection of testimonials http://www.joesillett.com/testimonials

It’s basically a digital CV that has been received positively and had the ‘phone ringing a few times.

In the past few weeks I have been offered the chance of starting a new business with 3 separate parties but for a variety of reasons these haven’t felt quite right. I believe it pays to advertise so I placed an ad earlier this month with the UK’s leading sports trade magazine Sports Insight http://www.sports-insight.co.uk/recruitment/joe-sillett-founder-of-woodworm-and-tekkers-is-now-actively-seeking-a-new-r and this has led to some interesting calls too, but as of yet, I haven’t committed to anything.

So - what’s ‘THE' job for me?

If I could marry my sports category expertise with a senior challenging commercial role, helping grow a brand/portfolio of brands - and as a result a business - working with people who have passion, vision, energy and commitment - that sounds about right as the start point.

But it needn’t be in the sports category. My experiences in that world lend themselves to many other competitive, innovative, fast moving sectors.

I’m at home in the sports industry but not frightened to embrace something new.

In this journey I’ve reaffirmed that the challenge is to keep open-minded, positive and confident that the THE job is out there and that I’ll find it soon.

So if anyone would like to talk to me about an opportunity, or share their own experiences, it would be great to hear from you.