New year, new job? If you want to develop or reorient yourself professionally, now can be a good time. You should take note of that.

Those who are toying with the idea of ??exchanging their old job for a new one can currently have good cards. Key word: labor shortage.

But in order to take advantage of the “boom on the labor market” for oneself, one should first take stock before looking for a job. And ask yourself what you actually expect from a job change. Annina Hering, a social scientist with a doctorate and labor market expert at the job portal Indeed, advises this.

If you would like more time for your private life in your new job, you can already pay attention to whether there is a good work-life balance in the job advertisements. According to Hering, this is increasingly found in company job advertisements.

The same applies to salary information. According to the social scientist, the lack of staff is driving this development. “Anyone who wants to expand their career now has a good chance of benefiting from a change.”

And it is also worth taking a look at keywords such as company car or public transport ticket in job advertisements. “In the course of the labor shortage, many companies have added benefits that make a change attractive,” says Hering.

Also important to know in advance: Should it just be a new job, a new industry or a career change?

After all, anyone who wants a cut and wants to find their professional fortune as a career changer is well advised not only to look out for specific professions. It makes sense to also look at the soft skills that are in demand, such as empathy. If you know your own, you can search for specific jobs.

The moment for career changers is currently more than good, says Hering. “This is especially true in the professions that are particularly affected by the shortage of staff.”

But even if you just want to change industries, you should know your own skills before looking for a job. “In many professions there are skills that can be used across industries and therefore have many more options than many people think,” says Hering.