Geline Salac

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How to get a better job this new year

Aneth Ng-Lim

Did you know that January and February are the peak months for job searching?  On the employer side, companies with replenished budgets and fresh initiatives are looking to hire and fill new roles.  On the employee side, they are looking for greener pastures, hoping the new opportunities available will give them higher pay and more senior positions.As employees head back to work after the holidays, some feel dread not because the vacation days are over but because they don’t like what they do or the company they are with.  If you’re one of those feeling dread, or just want to explore greener pastures, read on for words of wisdom from an HR leader.To help you decide, to stay or start looking and leave, we asked the head of one of the leading headhunting firms in the country.  Alex Genil is the Vice Chairman and Group CEO of the 2000-employee strong ZMG Group.  He oversees ZMG Ward Howell, Asia Select, Asia People Search and Asia Peopleworks (APW).  Under APW, an outsourced staffing business, they have 1,800 employees deployed to 60 client companies in telecommunications, manufacturing, e-commerce, supply chain and retail sectors.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1767669726219Alex Genil for ABSCBN.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Alex Ganil. Handout photo</div>Here are his 7 tips to help you land a better job this 2026.<div>#1 When to know it’s time to go exploring</div>“If you consistently do not look forward to Mondays to start a new work week, perhaps it is time to move on,” says Genil.  “That sense of dread of work could be from burn out or stress or lack of motivation.”While these are signs and symptoms, Genil recommends digging deeper to find the root cause.Do you still find fulfilment in your job? Maybe you are underutilized, or have been passed over for promotion several times. Are you given opportunity to shine or make an impact?Is the work environment toxic? Do you feel underpaid for all the aggravation?  Perhaps you can no longer tolerate your company’s culture. Too volatile or too many changes? Job insecurity can come from frequent changes in management, restructuring and unclear company direction.“If you know that there are better opportunities elsewhere that align more closely with your values, skills and aspirations, it may be time to start looking around,” advises Genil.<div>#2 Is it a good idea to stay with the company in a new role?</div>According to Genil, “when presented with both opportunities, the answer is still a big ‘IT DEPENDS’. What is your ultimate career objective and will the new role bring you near to that objective? Does the new role provide new challenges and opportunities for career growth and development?”If you like the company but not your work, this can be an option.  But to better appreciate the option, you may want to compare it with another opportunity in a different company.“Assuming it is the same, if not better from your role in the present company, is the new company better? (i.e. Bigger? Reputation-wise/market perception? Employer branding?) Are the risks and pain of moving to a new company worth the predictability and/or security of staying?”  <div>#3 Moving sideways can be a good thing</div>Whether it’s with the same company, or another, you may be faced with an option of a lateral move, or no change in rank.Genil explains “it is okay to accept a lateral move especially if you have been on a job for so long and there are no more advantages to staying on like new learnings or the opportunity to add value to the job. Pragmatically, if you have hit the ceiling of the current job level, a lateral move might provide new pathways to further career development. An example of this is moving from a Marketing Director to a Sales Director (which are equal job levels in many traditional businesses) role can set you up for a Commercial Director (which is a combination of the two) role or Chief Operating Officer role.”<div>#4 Don&#x27;t say yes to the first offer</div>When you’re itching to move, or faced with your first offer after time off from working, you may be tempted to say yes right away.  Genil looks back at his own experience and why this is not always the best thing to do.“Right after taking early retirement, I was offered the VP HR job with a local conglomerate. I accepted verbally but didn’t sign the job contract as I wanted to spend a few weeks to visit my daughter in the U.S. While there, I got calls for other opportunities. This made me think that I maybe rushing too much to get a job when there could be better offers out there.”“So I begged off from the VP HR job offer.  On coming home, I was on the receiving end of another VP HR role which I verbally accepted. The formal offer was not presented subject to a meet-and-greet with the CEO who was out of the country at the time. While waiting, I got interviewed by the CEO of a big construction company. This young American with a Harvard MBA and ex-Wall Street Fund Manager so impressed me and he was ready to offer a better package. I took it.”Having options never hurt anyone, and waiting even just a little while may land you the job, and the boss of your dreams.<div>#5 Say yes to harder roles</div>“The  general advice I gave my children, if they have options for their first jobs, is to go for the for the most difficult or challenging ones. New graduates tend to flock to desk-bound or familiar jobs. There is less competition for unique or difficult jobs. They are also character building,” shares Genil.Genil recalls that in the case of his eldest daughter, she was choosing between an entry-level role in a bank, procurement assistant in a distribution company and customer assistance supervisor in a big supermarket chain. “She took the latter upon my advice. I thought that this first job would provide her with the most real-world experience working with consumers including handling customer complaints. It also involved “supervising” staff that are assigned to gather push carts and assist shoppers carrying their grocery bags to their cars. That’s leadership experience at age 20.”With his son John Hector, Genil encouraged him to take a provincial assignment when he was just starting in Sales with an MNC FMCG company. “That taught him survival skills and independence. He eventually became a Regional Sales Manager and had the guts to make a career shift to stock trading, using his own funds.” “The earlier in their career people experience and overcome challenges or handle leadership responsibilities, the faster their trajectory will be. In my experience, they tend to be more daring and decisive.”<div>#6 If you want to, you can still WFH</div>If working from home is important to you, Genil points out there are industries where onsite work is a must. These are manufacturing, construction, logistics, frontline healthcare and hospitality industries. “Remote work set-ups are still relevant for certain industries and jobs where companies provide reliable internet, secure platforms, and effective communication tools.  These include: (a) Information Technology and Software Development where work is entirely output and computer-based; (b) Creative Services and Digital Marketing where tasks revolve around online platforms and digital campaigns; (c) Healthcare for non-clinical jobs like medical transcriptionists, telehealth coordinators, health insurance claims processors; and (d) Customer Service &amp; Sales such as Remote call center agents, account managers, and business development staff.”For companies that set strict and specific policies on on-site reporting, they can still make exception especially for unique, hard-to-find jobs that are critical to business operation. But Genil says this is best negotiated at job offer stage.<div>#7 Don’t forget to ask for more money</div>A big part of the decision to make a job move is the pay.  According to Genil, it is always easier to ask for higher pay from a new, prospective employer that makes a job offer. “A talent moving to a new company should expect a reasonable increase in net pay. A new job in a new company presents challenges and risks. Most companies have set salary range for each role from which the job offer is based. “From the talent’s end, there are many angles for negotiating an improved offer including what unique skills set, experience, accomplishments or other bragging rights that he/she brings to the new company and the “cost of inconvenience” brought about by the job move: longer work hours? longer commute? Challenging work location? Impact on family? Loss of tenure and/or retirement pay?”You need to monetize this and do the math if you want to be compensated at least fairly, or at best generously.And when you’ve made the move to a new role or new job, here are bonus tips from Genil on how to make a smooth landing.“Do research in advance about the company culture, norms, ways of working in the new company or department. Then adapt.”“Keep your head down at first. You don’t want unwarranted, negative impressions by trying to stand out immediately.”“Learn as much and as fast as you can, while, at the same time trying to be helpful. Find the so called “low hanging fruits” and deliver.”

Did you know that January and February are the peak months for job searching?