The mantra I deliver to my workshop attendees at the beginning of January is, “This is the year you’ll land your job!” And I believe this.
That’s if they don’t lose sight of the prize and stay on course. But even as I’m saying it, I know it won’t be an easy journey.
On the bright side, employers are opening their purses in January and beyond. While December is typically slow, it is a month when your networking will pay off now. You’re now a known commodity.
If you didn’t reach out to employers in December, all is not lost. Let’s look at ways to improve your job search in 2018.
1 . Know thyself . It’s important to possess self-awareness if you want to conduct your job search effectively in 2018. This means thinking about your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. What does this spell? SWOT. That’s right, do a SWOT analysis on yourself.
I have my attendees do a partial SWOT analysis in some of my workshops. I tell them to do a complete one on their own. You should write down 10 or more strengths, five weaknesses, three opportunities, and three threats. This will give you a better sense of what you can capitalize on and areas you need to improve.
2. Take time to think about what you really want to do . All too often job seekers will settle for the next job that comes along. Sometimes it works out, other times it doesn’t. This stage in your life is a great time to reflect on what will make you happy.
If it’s a career change, think about how your transferable skills can make a transition easier, despite not having all the job-related skills. One woman I worked with had previously worked for Hewlett Packard in marketing. She joined our career center as a grant writer. Eventually she became the director of our Workforce Investment Board.
3. Conduct some labor market research (LMR) . Whether you know it or not, you’ve been researching the labor market. For example, you were gathering labor market information (LMI) while working and considering a move to a different company or occupation.
Now, you need to gather LMI on job availability, determining which skills are in high demand, and what salaries employers are offering. One site that gives you a broad sense of your value in the labor market is Salary.com .
The best way to gather LMI is by speaking with people in the know, who might include other job seekers or people who will grant you networking meetings, better known as informational interviews.
4. Create a list of companies for which you’d like to work . This is difficult for many people. The sharp job seekers understand the value of keeping a going list of 10 to 15 companies they research.
This is also part of your LMR. Your research can tell you which companies are in growth or decline. You also should identify important players in the companies, hiring managers, directors, VP, CEOs, etc.
5. Write your résumé and LinkedIn profile . Now it’s time to write your résumé. When others jump immediately to their résumé and LinkedIn profile, they’re flying blindly. They haven’t self-reflected, thought about what they want to do, conducted their LMR.
You’re ready to address the needs of employers for whom you want to work. You know which accomplishments to highlight. You realize that a one-fits-all résumé won’t do it; it certainly won’t pass the applicant tracking system (ATS) .
Your LinkedIn profile will be constructed to cover as many of the skills and experiences employers require. However, it must show your value, just as your résumé does. But keep in mind it’s not your résumé. Your LinkedIn profile is more of a online networking document that also shows your personality.
6. Networking is still your best method of looking for work . For those of you who have made connections in December at your desired companies, your networking efforts will pay dividends when employers ask for referrals to fill their positions.
Approach companies who work for your target companies or people who know people who work for your target companies. Many job seekers have great success using LinkedIn to make connections at desired companies.
I strongly encourage my clients to attend professional association events, where they can network with people who are currently working. Those who are working might know of opportunities for you, or at the very least provide you with some sage advice. To find an association, Google your industry/occupation and your location. Here’s one I found .
Related: 5 Attributes Necessary for a Successful Job Search, Including HOPE
7. It’s never too late to volunteer . Look, I’m not trying to sell you out. It’s a proven fact that volunteering is an effective way to land a job. Consider these four reasons:
8. Don’t take an interview lightly. This means any interview. I can’t tell you how many people tell me they weren’t prepared for the telephone interview . They assumed it would be just a a screening. Guess what, the telephone interview is such an important part of the hiring process–saves time and money–that they be the deciding factor. The face-to-face might be a formality.
There are seven phases of the interview you need to consider. Nailing everyone of these phases is important. Begin reading part one of this series to help you get mentally prepared for the process.
9. Be good to yourself . You’ve heard of work/life balance. I believe there’s also job-search/life balance. In other words, don’t burn out during your job search. In a recent job club meeting, I asked the members what they did during the Christmas holiday. Many of them talked about making connections with valuable recruiters.
But the ones who also impressed me were the ones who said they took some time off to decompress, sprinkled in with some job seeking activities. You must remember that your unemployment is temporary, and during this time there are other important aspects of your life.