For both employers and employees alike, the lull of the warmer months presents the perfect time to take stock of the working landscape – for the latter, it often means sticking the career under the microscope.

Here are some tips to help you reflect with purpose (it may help you land your dream job). Sometimes, it’s about asking yourself the right questions, but what on Earth are those questions?

1. Is there room for progression and growth?

You are not doomed to spend eternity at your current desk, but it can seem like it at the time. Are there any opportunities for professional growth and career progression in sight? If not, there are plenty of places that are.

2. Have You Got a Benchmarked Salary?

Wage, location and time make up the holy trinity of recruitment. Is your salary in line with your counterpart’s? You can check out our latest salary guide here if you need some more insight.

3. Are You Happy in Your Role?

Are you happy in your role? You don’t need to be unhappy to reflect on it, but it’s still an important question to ask yourself. Could your company make changes to improve your happiness? What do those changes look like? Are those changes already in place elsewhere?

4. Can You Use Your Strengths?

If your strengths aren’t being fully utilised, you might not ever get the chance to thrive at work. Even if you have to wear many different hats as part of your day job, it’s worth asking yourself if you get to wear your favourite hat for longer.

5. Did You Achieve Your Goals Last Year?

Your yearly goals don’t have to be inscribed in stone, nor do they have to be strictly work-related. Did something out of your hands get in the way? Did you smash your goals and need a new challenge as a result? Whatever the case, capitalising on an opportunity that aligns with your personal and professional goals can see you through to the next stage of your career.

6. What’s Holding You Back?

Is it the people? The company culture? For many, the anxiety attached to taking on a new opportunity outweighs the pressure of familiar disillusionment. Exploring new opportunities is tough, but when you know what’s holding you back, you know what you’re looking for (and you have the right recruiter on board) you can build a bridge to something better.

7. Are You in the Right Industry?

Grand opportunities are emerging further afield, and some of them will land in unfamiliar territory. By identifying key skill requirements, brands that invest in their people, and sectors doing work you’re passionate about, you can expand your horizons tenfold.

8. Do You Feel a Sense of Belonging?

The sense of belonging shouldn’t be as elusive as it is at work. It’s a vital question, and all the initiatives in the world can’t answer it if it’s not being enabled by the right culture. Are you valued, accepted and supported at work? You can arrive at a sense of workplace belonging via an environment that celebrates the power of your differences.

9. Are You in an Environment that Enables Your Ideal Way of Working?

Everyone has a different way of working that suits them best. This is not just a question for remote working either – your workplace should allow for your best qualities to thrive, and this means it must accommodate your unique way of working.

10. Who Do You Want to Work For?

We’re still experiencing a candidate-driven market, so it’s a good time to make the most of your sway as a potential candidate. Who do you want to work for? Is there a brand you find particularly enticing? Perhaps you’ve heard about a new initiative that suits you from your LinkedIn network, whatever the case may be, you have the opportunity to narrow down your options.

If you want to answer the questions together, get in touch with the team at Broadgate – we’re here to understand what kind of opportunity will fit your unique needs, and we’ll make sure you get that opportunity.

You can believe in Broadgate’s people-first methodology. Even the toughest journey starts somewhere (in our case, a quick chat).