What you do really want to do in the next step of your career? Have you always wanted to work in a particular industry, do you want more autonomy, do you want to change discipline? But... is it realistic? Be honest, is "being an F1 racing driver" going to happen? We frequently speak to candidates who have, let's say, 'ambitious' aspirations about their next career move. More often than not salary is stated to be the biggest motivator however in reality, salary is never the main motivator. It is of course a fundamental part of Maslows Heirachy of Needs and contributes to esteem and safety. But when you delve a bit deeper, the majority of candidates, certainly in the marketing field, value career progression, working environment, challenge and their level of interest in the product or service that they are promoting (self actualisation and esteem). So, if you're wanting to move in to a role where you are Marketing Manager for Nestle Cereals, or working for Nike then how do we start to move towards this position. Well, it's clear that for the majority of people it is a process that starts with your next career move and may follow two or three career moves before you achieve your end goal.

The key is to create the foundation of experience that will encourage a client to meet you. Understand what types of experience create the perfect candidate for these roles and build these into the profile of your next role thereby creating the right foundations for your ultimate job. Match these to the list you should have created yesterday from our 'Day 1' blog. Don't expect to be able to make significant jumps with your career - it doesn't often happen. Take steps. Plan these steps that will enable you to get to where you want to be. Don't just accept the next position that is similar to the role you are currently in but offers 10% more salary. Think about how this next move will help you achieve your goals. Discuss them with your recruitment consultant. We come across very few people that have done any planning of this nature. Don't forget to log in tomorrow where we'll be talking about researching your target companies.