Are you thinking of a new job for the New Year? Traditionally, the new year is a time for fireworks, champagne, and fresh starts. That now includes starting fresh at a new job. According to the data from Human Workplace Index Study, more than a third of U.S. employees plan to leave their job in the next year. If you’re one of the people looking to make a change, you’ll need to be ready for this new version of the workplace. Technology has opened up new opportunities for people to earn a living from anywhere they have internet access, allowing them to be judged based on their skills or talent over everything else. With inflation rising and pay rates struggling to keep up, it’s not surprising that employees will be looking for new employment.
If you’re looking to make the most of this new landscape, it’s essential that you make the most of this opportunity to get a new job in the New Year! If you’re looking for a new job in the New Year, here are five top tips to guide you.
1. Get everything ready to go
Just like the advice to lay out your clothes ahead of a big day, it’s important that you line up everything else before the interview process. This means creating a list of potential employers and researching each company online. Once you’ve identified a few places you’d like to work, look online to see what their current employees have already, see what skills you have that are in the job descriptions, and tailor your resume.
Before you start applying, make sure you have your resume formatted correctly, cover letter template, and thank-you templates ready. You don’t want to find a job worth applying to and have to go back and redo your resume, because waiting can mean you lose the opportunity. Get ahead of your competition by getting everything else ready ahead of time.
Don’t forget to make sure your resume can stand up against the ATS, or Applicant Tracking System. This computer program is set up at nearly every business and works as a filter to save the hiring manager’s time. That means getting the right keywords on your resume are more important than ever. While it’s one extra step, it can mean the difference between a job interview and no one seeing your resume. Make sure that your resume is in the format that they’re looking for, without excessive graphics, and laid out in the order that a computer can understand. Don’t skip this step! Forgetting to see how computers read your resume can mean that no human being ever sees it, which wastes your time completely.
2. Be ready for competition
You’re not the only one who wants a new job for the new year. Traditionally, there’s a higher volume of people waiting until after the holidays to look for work than at any other point of the year. If you want to get a jump on the competition, start right away, at the beginning of the week. This process is best done on the weekend since Monday and Tuesday are the best days to apply for a job. It’s worth taking the time to do the effort now instead of savoring the last days of your holiday break because once the job competition starts, it won’t slow down for months.
Update and tailor your resume and LinkedIn profile, contact recruiters, visit the job boards, do some networking, and practice the elevator pitches you’ll need for the most likely interview questions. It will only be a few weeks before there will be a lot more people out there also looking for work, which means more competition in the interview process. To make the best use of your time, be sure to get ready and out there as soon as possible.
To get ahead of the competition, you should take some time to plan what you want from your next career move. Once you know what you want, you can create a strategy to find a job that fits your needs. For example, if you’re looking for a marketing role, you might consider starting with LinkedIn, where you can connect with people who work at companies that fit your criteria. You can also use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what kinds of jobs are being advertised or send your resume here to NESC Staffing, where we can match your skills to the latest job openings. By following these steps, you can increase your odds of landing a job that matches your skills and interests.
3. Be prepared to be patient
Hiring new employees takes time, and this month isn’t any different. The first few weeks in January are often slow-moving, so while you need to get ready quickly, you also need to be prepared to wait. Once you’re on the shortlist for interviews, it might be a while before a decision is made. This is usually due to internal issues that don’t have anything to do with you. Some people stretch out their vacations into January. Other times, businesses are dealing with year-end reviews, raises, bonuses, or promotions. Human resources and hiring managers logging back into their computers after a long break may also be going through resumes sent to them before the holidays, stretching into early December.
It’s still essential that you’re prepared as soon as possible. Keep in mind that since hiring slowed during the holidays, those positions are still open, as well as the newest positions in January. This is the time of year when there are almost always more positions posted, but eventually, there will be more competition when everyone else follows through on their New Year’s resolutions to find a new job.
4. A new job means a new resume
If you’re looking for a new job, it’s never too soon to update your resume. You should make sure your resume reflects what you’ve learned since your last job search. This will give potential employers a better idea of how well you’ll fit into their organization. A fresh resume will help you stand out among other applicants, which could lead to a better interview opportunity. In addition, having a well-written resume makes it easier for recruiters to find relevant information about you.
The best thing you can do is take some time to review your resume. Make sure it includes everything from your most recent work experiences to your education history. Also, be sure to include information about skills you acquired during your career. For example, if you worked at a company that offered training programs, include those details on your resume. We have easy ways you can update your resume.
5. Network, both in-person and online
Networking is one of the most effective ways to find new jobs. Start with people who work at companies where you would like to work. Then, ask them what other people do there. If you’re not comfortable approaching strangers, try asking friends or family members. Finally, consider joining professional organizations in your field. These groups often host events where professionals meet and share ideas.
It’s important to build a network of contacts. You never know when you might need to call upon those connections. For example, if you were recently laid off from your current position, you could use your old contacts to help you land a new job. Or, if you want to move into a different industry, you could contact people in that field to see if they know anyone looking for a job.
(And that includes updating your LinkedIn profile)
Some people seem to think that just talking to people will make up for not updating their online resume, but let’s be clear: you have to do both. It’s essential that if someone passes on your name, everything online also matches what your friend or family member is saying. Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date with any relevant skills and experiences you’ve gained since graduation or your last position. Also, consider adding some professional recommendations. These will show potential employers that you’re a reliable employee. We understand how you might find this a struggle, so we have included how to get a LinkedIn reference.
If you haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile in a while, now is the time to do so. You should update your profile at least once every year, and ideally twice a year. The best way to keep your profile fresh is to add new skills and experiences. For example, if you recently started working at a company that sells products online, include that information on your profile. Or, if you’ve been volunteering at a local animal shelter, mention that too. When updating your LinkedIn profile, be sure to include links to your professional website and social media accounts.
So what does this all mean together? The longer you take to start looking, the more important that you have everything ready to go. Following these tips will get you from looking for work to collecting a paycheck!
If you’re looking for job openings, we have them! NESC Staffing has an A+ grade from the Better Business Bureau, was awarded by Forbes as America’s Best Recruiting and Temporary Staffing Firm, and has successfully put people to work since 1984. You can see our specialties at nesc.com.