What is one activity you’d recommend for a job seeker to undertake during the new year? 

To help job seekers look for work in the new year, we asked business leaders and recruiters this question for their best advice. From perfecting your elevator pitch to determining what makes you stand out, there are several critical job-seeking activities that may help you land your next role in the new year.


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Here are 13 critical job seeking activities to do during the new year:

  • Make Sure Your Elevator Pitch is Perfect
  • Update Resumes Regularly & Upload to Multiple Platforms
  • Stay Active On Job Hiring Platforms
  • Keep Your Network Up to Date On Your Job Search
  • Building Your Personal Brand
  • Audit Yourself Online
  • Reach Out to Recruiters 
  • Search for a Trusted Mentor
  • Earn a Professional Certification
  • Prepare for Remote Work
  • Enroll in Career-related Workshops 
  • Focus On Quality Over Quantity
  • Figure Out What Makes You Stand Out

 

13 Critical Job Seeking Activities To Do During The New Year

Make Sure Your Elevator Pitch is Perfect

As a professional, I feel that a great elevator pitch can go a long way toward proving your dedication to your desired role in your initial impression with prospective employers. In roughly 30 seconds, your elevator pitch should be a statement that explains who you are, what you want, and why someone should care. Experiment with your pitch and solicit feedback from friends, coworkers, and mentors. When a prospective employer asks, “Tell me about yourself,” you’ll be able to confidently make the case for your candidacy.

Mark Valderrama, Aquarium Store Depot

 

Update Resumes Regularly & Upload to Multiple Platforms

While looking for jobs in the new year, be sure to update your resume with all relevant work experience, education, project experience, courses, and training – even as you complete new remote courses. Updating your resume regularly on Indeed, LinkedIn, Talent.com, Glassdoor, and other job sites is an indicator to recruiters that you are looking for work. ‘Recently updated resumes’ is a filter they can search by and it helps show you are actively working on improving and honing your skills. With many new career opportunities being remote-eligible, let recruiters and hiring managers know if you are open to remote work.

Colton De Vos, Resolute Technology Solutions

 

Stay Active On Job Hiring Platforms!

Going into the new year unemployed, or looking to change your job, can be a scary and daunting task. It can be even scarier if you’ve had a recent bad experience with a horrible boss. One thing I’d recommend for any job seeker to undertake during the new year is to keep active on job hiring platforms as much as possible and apply to any position you feel you’d be a great fit for, even if you don’t think you’re qualified! Monitoring these platforms and their job postings daily, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc., will for sure increase your chances of seeing a new position you want as soon as it is posted and gives you more time to think about and apply to these positions. Also, applying to any and all jobs may give you a great future interview and opportunity you may never have thought to try before.

James Burati, 1-800-PackRat

 

Keep Your Network Up to Date On Your Job Search

The new year is a great time to expand your professional network. There are many online and in-person networking events that you can attend. The best way to expand your network is to be genuine and strategic in your requests for connections. Reach out to people you know and trust, and ask them for recommendations of people they know. You can also connect with new people on social media and update them on your job search. Building and nurturing your professional network will help you meet your employment goals.

Cody Crawford, Low Offset

 

Build Your Personal Brand

Establishing yourself as a professional includes having something impressive to show for it. By working on your personal brand, organizations gain a clear picture of your strengths, accomplishments, and skills without having to look too far. A good starting point is building a personal website that highlights your expertise as well as any projects you may have worked on to showcase your abilities.

Demi Yilmaz, Colonist.io

 

Audit Yourself Online

Take an audit of your social media presence. What types of posts do you have up? Would any of them cause a company or a hiring manager to possibly pause when it comes to interviewing you or even hiring you? Make sure that what you want to have reflected comes across in your posts. You don’t want anything to cast you in a negative light.

Adam Reed, Crown & Paw

 

Reach Out to Recruiters 

If you’re looking for full-time work in the new year and have been looking for a while, you’ve probably made contact with some recruiters or HR professionals. It might be a good time to reconnect with them to see if they have any new openings you might be a good fit for. This is especially a good idea for staying top of mind with recruiting agencies. Sometimes applicants can fall through the cracks, so pushing your resume back to the top of a recruiter’s inbox can be helpful in getting more interviews in the new year.

Rachel Roff, Urban Skin Rx

 

Search for a Trusted Mentor

Job seekers should search for a trusted mentor in the new year that can offer guidance and support to their chosen career path. A mentor who can offer advice on salary negotiations or interview tips will be extremely beneficial in the long run and can open doors for you that may not be available otherwise. Search LinkedIn or an experienced colleague in your company for help. Use a mentor to improve your professional skills and listen to any strategies they suggest to move up in your career.

Corey Ashton Walters, Here

 

Earn a Professional Certification

One of the best (and easiest) things you can do as a job seeker during the new year is to pick up an acronym behind your name with a professional certification. I’m not talking about getting your MBA or CPA license – I am talking about simple, easy-to-earn designations. With the explosion of massive open online courses like edX and Coursera, you can earn a professional certification in just a few weeks and for a few hundred dollars. If you work in HR, think about getting your Certified Learning & Development Professional certification, or if you work in IT, think about picking up your AWS certification. There are so many simple, easy-to-earn certifications out there, and employers are starting to truly value these on resumes.

John Ross, Test Prep Insight

 

Prepare for Remote Work

While the rise of remote work may have been bolstered by Covid-19, it isn’t going away any time soon. Your next job could be from home, so it’s better to be prepared. Get the right equipment to work from home, which includes a good headset, laptop, and internet connection. There’s a good chance you’ll need to frequently use collaboration tools like Zoom, WebEx, or Skype so make sure you’re familiar with how they work and how to use them effectively.

Sam Santa, Zeitholz

 

Enroll in Career-related Workshops Or Courses

A new certification or completed course in a relevant skill could be just what your resume needs to catch the hiring manager’s attention. You could also use a workshop or class to strengthen a skillset where you’re weak or make skills gained outside the workplace look more official/verifiable. As an added benefit, these kinds of professional development courses can be great places to build your professional network, and this can lead to opportunities you may not have found through job marketplaces or other sources, so it can help you reach your job search goals in more ways than one.

Jon Hill, The Energists

 

Focus On Quality Over Quantity

Candidates who submit their resumes blindly can hurt their chances of landing the job. Without personalization, hiring managers can tell if the applicant is sending a generic resume or email to multiple employers. Instead, focus on quality over quantity. Job seekers should spend their time and energy customizing their resumes to jobs that align with their career goals and skill sets. Their passion and interest will show naturally by only applying for the jobs they want, which helps them stand out from other applicants during the hiring process.

Benjamin Farber, Bristol Associates, Inc.

 

Figure Out What Makes You Stand Out

Highlighting your traits helps you to clarify your message. Check-in with yourself and see where you sit with what you offer to others compared to your competition, what your colleagues know or don’t know about you, and how you approach your work. These are only the start of creating a personal brand, but if you have trouble answering these questions, it’s best to touch base with a colleague, family member, or friend to help verify where you sit in other eyes.

Dhruv Sampat, Studypaq

 

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