- The document is a career guide that provides advice on assessing one's current job fit and making improvements or considering new opportunities. - It includes a quiz to help readers evaluate if they are happy in their current role and identifies next steps based on the results, such as staying and finding ways to enhance the job or seeking new challenges. - Advice sections cover topics like ensuring one's skills are being utilized, maintaining a good work-life balance, deciding when it's time to move on, and preparing for new opportunities through researching roles, updating one's CV and social media presence, and getting feedback from others.

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On Your Marks | p1
Career Guide
Chapter One
On Your Marks
reedglobal.com

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On Your Marks | p2Contents
p3. Welcome
p4. The On Your Marks Quiz
Start thinking about your career now by taking our
simple 10 point quiz
p8. Is your job enhancing your skill set?
How to recognise when your skills are being underutilised
p9. Have you got your work-life
balance right?
Are you spending too much time at work?
p10. Should I stay or should I go?
When and how to move on
p12. Three realistic career resolutions
Three career goals you can stick to
p13. What next?
Your next steps to career success - useful links

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On Your Marks | p3Welcome
Welcome to Chapter One…
On Your Marks
Are you getting what you need from your career
and current job?
As the new year begins and the annual reflection takes
place, you may find yourself dwelling on your career and
ultimately your future.
For many of us, answering the question ‘Is this job right for
me?’ isn’t always straightforward. There is a whole host of
elements that go into creating a great job and trying to weigh
them all up can be tricky.
Chapter One, ‘On Your Marks’ has been designed to help
make the process simpler. This is the first of three eBooks,
and as the title suggests this one is focused on the start
of the journey. By offering you some questions to consider
about your current role, and then guidance on how you can
improve the parts that need modifying, you can make some
informed decisions.
So, please take a look through our advice and start your new
year off on the right foot!

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On Your Marks | p4The On Your Marks Quiz
The On Your Marks Quiz
Welcome to the On Your Marks Quiz! The
questions here should help you to think clearly
about your career and your current role.
Your score at the end will then reveal suggested
next steps:
1) Do you feel proud of your accomplishments in your job?
A. Yes – regularly
B. Yes – sometimes
C. Hardly ever
D. Never
2) Do you ever feel anxious about work?
A. Never
B. On occasion – e.g. a big meeting/deadline
C. At least once a week
D. All the time
3. Are you ever bored at work?
A. Never
B. Once in a while
C. Yes, weekly
D. Yes, daily
4. Do you feel appreciated in your job?
A. Yes, the work I do is valued
B. Most of the time my work is valued
C. I often feel like I’m taken for granted
D. Not at all, I never receive any thanks

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On Your Marks | p5
5. I feel overworked and/or overwhelmed…
A. Rarely
B. Occasionally
C. On a regular basis
D. All the time
6. Which statement do you agree with most?
A. There is something good about each of my days at work
B. My good days at work outweigh the bad
C. My bad days at work outweigh the good
D. I can’t remember my last good day at work
7. Do you respect your manager?
A. Yes, and we get on well too
B. Yes, we have a good professional relationship most of
the time
C. Not particularly
D. No, in fact, I dislike my manager
8. Do you get on well with your colleagues?
A. Yes, and I count them as friends
B. Yes, we’re considerate and work together well
C. Most of them
D. No, I look for opportunities to work alone/from home as
much as possible to avoid them
The On Your Marks Quiz
The On Your Marks Quiz

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On Your Marks | p6
9. Do you live for the weekends?
A. I do enjoy my time off, but going back to work’s not that
bad really – I find it quite stimulating
B. I look forward to my time off, but start to feel down on the
night before I go back
C. Mentally, my weekend starts on Thursday and finishes on
Tuesday – you’ll frequently find me updating social media
or shopping online as I count down the hours ’til home time
D. Weekend?! I’m either catching up on work or too
exhausted from my week at work to do anything
10. Do you feel you’re paid fairly for your qualifications
and experience?
A. Yes, I’ve got a good deal at my current employer
B. My pay is fairly standard for my role and industry
The On Your Marks Quiz
The On Your Marks Quiz
C. My pay is fair, but at the bottom end of the scale for my
role and industry
D. No, I am not paid anywhere near what I’m worth

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On Your Marks | p7The On Your Marks Quiz
The scores are in...
Mostly As? Your job’s a great fit!
Congratulations! You’re happy and motivated in your job! To
make sure you continue on this path to career success it’s
important that you don’t lose sight of what really matters to you.
Mostly Bs? You’re mostly happy in your job
Things are going OK, but there’s definitely room for
improvement. It might be that you feel you’re unfairly paid
or have too little time away from work. Continue reading for
advice on how to tackle these issues. Skills development
and training can help elevate your career. Obtaining a
positive work-life balance and working with colleagues you
enjoy being with can also add to your overall motivation.
Mostly Cs? You’re not happy in your job
You are not feeling very positive about your current role at
all. There are definitely ways to improve your situation, but
it could be worth thinking about your next opportunity. This
guide will help you work through your options and provide
some useful solutions.
Mostly Ds? You’re unhappy in your job
You are definitely ready for a change. When you’re feeling
as unsatisfied as this, a fresh start could be the best course
of action. Before you take the next leap, assess what the
market looks like, start thinking about your CV and compare
your salary to your potential earnings.

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On Your Marks | p8Is your job enhancing your skill set?
Is your job enhancing your skill set?
At one point or another we’ve all felt under-appreciated or unrecognised at work. Those
feelings could simply be a one-off occurrence; sometimes though, they’re an indication
of a much bigger problem. You could be in a job that requires you to use every skill you
have, one where they’re being wasted, or maybe you’ve hit a happy medium?
Whatever situation you’re in, good or bad, knowing what your strengths are and using
them effectively is hugely important when it comes to your career. If you aren’t using the
skills you have in your job, there’s a good chance you may be in the wrong one, and
this could lead to frustration.
Here are the warning signs to look out for:
• You’re quicker and more effective at completing tasks than others in the same role as you
• You find yourself daydreaming or easily getting distracted at work
• You find yourself looking at the clock far too often throughout the day
If you’ve got more to offer and aren’t being given the opportunities to demonstrate your value, it’s definitely worth talking to
your boss, or maybe you have and nothing’s changed… If this is the case then it could be time to question your future.
Being able to demonstrate your worth to an existing employer is crucial so it’s important to know exactly what your skills are
and, if required, this can also be a first step to creating a new CV. Not used to “blowing your own trumpet”? Download our
skills checklist to help identify yours.

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On Your Marks | p9Have you got your work-life balance right?
When it comes to the world of work, it can be hard to judge whether we’re doing enough, too
much, or if we’ve got the balance right. It’s all so easy to get sucked into a routine, and many of
us don’t even think about finding the time to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
If you could map out your ideal week, what would it look like?
• Would you have flexible working hours?
• Would you prefer to start earlier so your evenings are longer?
• Would you choose to have more time to pursue personal goals?
Getting the right balance between work and lifestyle is more important than some people think. Increased work hours or lack
of free time can have an effect on your mental health.
This is where friends and family can help. Ask them what they feel your balance is – sometimes others can see areas of
change better than you can yourself! Separate your life into individual sectors for example – work, sleep, hobbies, personal
time, errands etc. and work out, on average, how much time you spend on each during the week. When it comes to the work
sector – make sure you include time spent commuting and any additional hours you regularly do.
Have you got your work-life balance right?

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On Your Marks | p10Should I stay or should I go?
Should I stay or should I go?
It’s not always obvious that you should move, but if you’ve completed the quiz and are
finding you are indeed mostly Ds, then now is the time to act. Taking that leap can be
daunting, however, it is important to be able to recognise when the time for a change
has come.
So in preparation for this next chapter, here are five steps you may wish to take…
1. List the types of positions you see yourself taking and start researching those roles.
Look at the salaries that are on offer and perhaps search for people on LinkedIn
who have similar roles. Viewing their activity can be an indication of what their role is
really like. It’ll be important to view new opportunities with a discerning eye, so that
you can get your career path back on track.
2. Start thinking about your CV. Remember, it doesn’t have to be award-winning, it’s a document that aims to represent
you and what you’ve learnt so far. We have a CV template you can download that will start to focus on what’s
important to your future employers.

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On Your Marks | p11Should I stay or should I go? (continued)
3. Brush up your social profiles. Often this is one of the first place prospective
employers will look. Social media gives you a fantastic outlet to display your
skills and experience; use it to your advantage. Chapter Two of this eBook
trilogy has some great tips on social media – a good place to start could be
gathering testimonials.
4. Speak to family and friends. Talking to people around you is helpful in any big
life decision. What’s more, your personal and professional contacts may be
aware of opportunities that could be well suited to you, or could point you in the
direction of someone who is able to help.
5. Get advice from a recruitment consultant. Good recruitment consultants are an
invaluable source of information on current demands in your local market and
sector. Our consultants will tell you the best way to work with them. The more
you know about your future plans, the better the experience will be. Find your
specialist reedglobal.com/contact-us
Should I stay or should I go?
(continued)

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On Your Marks | p12Three realistic career resolutions
Three realistic career
resolutions
The start of a new year can mean different things
for different people. It could define the start of a
new chapter or it could be just another year of
the same. Either way here are some suggestions
everyone should look to be doing.
1. Become better informed about your industry
If you want to develop your career, the more you know,
the further you’ll go. Reading industry publications,
following influencers in your field, and going to networking
events are just a few of the ways you can keep abreast of
developments that can affect your career.
2. Skill up
Take advantage of training opportunities on offer. Your
employer may go as far as to sponsor a qualification, or you
may simply wish to teach yourself something new on Excel,
or even offer to present in your next team meeting. There are
opportunities to grow everywhere.
3. Think big
Look globally for opportunities. The world is getting smaller
and global industry hubs are becoming the norm. The further
we get in our careers, the easier it is to stick with what we
know, but there are big opportunities out there for those who
choose to pursue them.

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On Your Marks | p13What next?
What next?
Thank you for downloading Chapter One:
On Your Marks, the first in our trilogy of
career guide eBooks.
It should now be starting to become a little clearer what your
career moves should be for the coming year - whether that’s
continuing as you are, improving your current situation or
looking ahead to a new opportunity. Now is the time to really
think about what you want from your job, and take some
proactive steps towards achieving it.
If you fall into the latter camp, but the thought of the job
seeking process fills you with dread, have no fear. Career
Guide Chapter Two: ‘Get Set’ is here to help you to prepare.
From CV and cover letter advice to social media profile
guides and buzzword decoding, Chapter Two is bursting
with straightforward advice that will make preparing for the
application stage simple.
Useful links
Want to check your salary?
www.reedglobal.com/salarycalculator
Need more in-depth advice?
www.reedglobal.com/careeradvice
Need to brush up your skills?
www.reedlearning.com
Looking for an accountancy qualification?
www.reedbusinessschool.co.uk
Time for a new job?
www.reedglobal.com/jobs
Need to speak to a recruitment specialist?
www.reedglobal.com/contact-us
Skills checklist
www.reedglobal.com/skillschecklist