Monday blues… Post-Christmas blues… Still one-week-until-payday blues…
There are a lot of justifiable reasons to feel despondent on the third Monday of January, also commonly referred to as “Blue Monday” and falls on January 16 this year.
The phrase, which was first coined in 2004 by psychologist, Cliff Arnall, when a travel company asked him to figure out the most depressing day of the year so people would book more holidays, continues to hijack marketing strategies nearly 20 years later.
Its presence is also felt in the recruitment space: January is one of the most popular times for workers to take stock of their current role and reassess their professional futures, while hiring managers, bolstered by new hiring budgets for the year ahead, are more likely to ramp up the recruitment process and add to their teams.
There’s also the financial aspect to consider. According to CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, one in four employees say financial worries affect their ability to do their job.
With the cost of living and high inflation and energy prices continuing to put pressure on households across the UK, a new job often equates to more money and better benefits that add up. In fact, job hoppers who change jobs within a year have highly hourly wage growth compared to those who stay put.
That’s according to data compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which also found that younger employees from the Gen Z cohort (16 to 24 years) tend to out-earn their Millennial counterparts (25 to 49 years) as they change jobs more often.
So, what does this mean for the plethora of people who decide to take action on Monday 16th January? You need to take action now and get your master CV document ready for tweaking, engage in networking events or instigate one-on-one casual catch-ups with your professional peers, and start researching the companies you want to work for. When career wanderlust strikes, you’re ready to hit the ground running.
That being said, a new job doesn’t guarantee happiness or greater fulfilment, but if you are constantly questioning your current role and feel like the ‘Sunday fear’ is starting to spill into the rest of the working week, it could be time to make your move.
If so, The London Economic Job Board has hundreds of opportunities with companies that are committed to making employees feel valued. Check out the three below we’ve handpicked to get you started.
Founded in 2012, ByteDance’s mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. Home to TikTok, Helo and Resso, as well as other platforms specific to the Chinese market, ByteDance recently acquired Pico Interactive, a premier enterprise hardware company in the rapidly growing VR market. It is now seeking a Business Development Manager – Platform EMEA to build local EU business development strategy to drive business engagement growth and develop business plans and market insights to secure Pico Interactive’s unique position in the XR hardware market. The successful candidate will also work closely with key internal stakeholders such as operations, product, key members of leadership, vendor management, software developers, and legal teams on various projects related to negotiating and securing partnerships. To find out more, view the full job description here.
Neobank Monzo is on a mission to do things differently and build a bank for everyone. Internal audit is seen as Monzo’s third line of defence and as Internal Audit Manager – QA you’ll be tasked with ensuring internal audit’s performance conforms with internal policies, external standards and best practices, as well as for audits management information (MI) accuracy and reliability. You’ll also furnish Monzo’s board and executive management with independent and objective assurances on the adequacy and functioning of the system of internal control. If this sounds like your ideal role, apply for this opportunity now.
A career at WPP means being part of a global network of more than 100,000 talented people in 112 countries, working with some of the world’s biggest companies and organisations to create transformative ideas and outcomes. Currently hiring a Senior Manager, Specialist Financial Reporting, this role involves supporting the various specialist financial reporting areas that are under the team’s responsibility, as well as working on the accounting for ad hoc transactions and projects involving the tax, treasury and real estate departments, including the operating companies of WPP. You’ll be responsible for providing accounting guidance for new pronouncements and complicated transactions, particularly M&A, preparing and updating WPP’s accounting policies and providing related guidance to the operating companies. Candidates will need an ACA/CIMA/ACCA qualification along with a proven track record of effective management in a fast-paced environment with challenging deadlines. See more here.
