The new year brings new expectations and feelings of hope and renewal. This attitude and outlook on the upcoming year are great to use when looking to focus more on your career.
Whether you are looking to move up in your current field or find a whole new gig, making a few resolutions for the new year can help jump-start your motivation. Here are some New Year’s resolutions to send you on your way to find a great job in 2020:
Solidify Your Professional Brand
To stand out from others and make an impression, you need a solid and consistent personal brand. Evaluate your professional goals and aspirations, and then start to build something that shows who you are as a professional and why others should want to employ you. This is a good time to create an elevator pitch that can further solidify your brand and expertise. Remember to keep it consistent as an inconsistent brand can mean trouble.
Clean Up Social Media
It’s easy to post something to social media and think nothing more about it. But, you can’t do this. When job searching or trying for a promotion, it’s extremely important to keep your social media pages clean and professional. If you don’t want to keep it completely professional, consider locking it up and only sharing with certain people. Recruiters and hiring managers are looking at social media, and it could cost you a job.
Update Your Resume
When is the last time you took a moment to refresh your resume? If it’s been a while, set aside some time to revise your skills and job experience. Chances are you have some experience to add or new skills that may be missing from your current resume.
First, review your resume for any necessary updates that should be included and add those details. Next, sharpen the language used to describe each position and be sure your newly obtained education and skills are included.
Tweak your resume to align with each job to which you’re applying for better matching potential. When applying for flexible work positions, include the qualities you have that lend themselves well for this type of work, such as self-motivation, organization, and accountability.
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Find a Mentor
You may think you have a mentor, but does that person really qualify? A good mentor is a person who a few years is ahead of you in your field and who is willing and able to meet with you on a regular basis and provide guidance on how to handle job search and career-related questions. You should be able to count on this person to be objective in a way that friends and family can’t be.
Grow Your Network
A solid and well-nurtured network is the foundation for continued job search success. It’s also important to continually grow your network to increase your prospects. Explore the different areas where you can meet new people to add to your network. Consider attending career fairs, joining a professional organization, and attending networking parties.
Spruce Up Your Skills
Look through job descriptions to see what employers in your field are looking for and see if your education and skills are a match. If not, take an online class so you can stay ahead of the curve and be more hireable for the job you desire.
Organize Your Home Office
Many people want to purge their possessions at the beginning of a new year. And that sense of cleanliness should also apply to your home office, too (or whatever space you use to conduct your job search). Make sure that your desk is neat and tidy of any clutter, and that your files aren’t overflowing with unnecessary papers.
Target Specific Companies
Just as you should seek a job that you’ll truly love, target companies that will be a good cultural fit for you. Using LinkedIn can be a valuable way to seek out great companies. Find a company you admire and would like to work for on LinkedIn. Look for the “Similar pages” section on the right side of the page to find related companies. This could help you uncover companies in your industry that could be a good fit.
Create a list of companies and check their job postings often. If you’re think you’re particularly well-suited for a company, consider reaching out and “cold emailing” them about employment opportunities.
Follow Up with Employers
Some job seekers shy away from following up on a job application. Maybe you don’t want to “bother” the employer or you assume you’re out of the running. However, checking in is expected and it could put your resume in front of the hiring manager.
After you apply to a job that you really want, make it a point to follow up with the employer or hiring manager. (We offer these in our interview packages, here!) Reach out after a week or two to ensure that your application was submitted successfully, and see if the employer has any questions. This is also a great opportunity to reiterate how much you would like the job, from appreciating the company’s culture, to feeling that you can be a true asset to the organization.
Practice Interviewing Skills
Good friends and networking contacts can be valuable in helping you hone your interviewing skills. This is especially important when you have a conversation scheduled, but even as you begin your job search, it doesn’t hurt to practice what you will say in different situations by participating in a mock interview.
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Prioritize Mental and Physical Health
Job searching can take a toll. It can be easy to feel depressed or stressed, leading to poor mental and physical health. Make a resolution to keep your spirits up and focus on your health. To avoid getting bogged down, allow time to participate in activities that lift your spirits, and remember to reward yourself for any success, no matter how minuscule it may seem. Get yourself outdoors, even for a quick walk. Use a meditation app to put you in a mindful state. And eat as healthy has you can, while still treating yourself here and there.
No matter if you have one or 20 New Year’s resolutions for your job search, you’ll need a plan of action in order to be successful. Hopefully these tips helped, happy searching!
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