New Year … New Job in 2017?

/
Time for Job Change Career in 2017? Resume Writing for New Job

Welcome to 2017. Hey, it’s gotta be better than 2016, right? This past year seemed to be a doosy for most of us, me included. While we mourn those we lost, kick off the dust of goals gone by and look forward to 2017, let’s be hopeful and proactive this year.

I’ve never assigned words to a year before, although I’ve heard other people do it. For me, personally, my 2017 looks to hold a lot of change (moving countries just being one of them!), so I think I’ll be clinging to the words hopeful and proactive.

But as a job seeker hoping for a new job in 2017, how can you also be hopeful and proactive when approaching a career change or job change? Here are a few tips:

How To Be PROACTIVE As A Job Seeker

Let me start out with a little story:

There once was a priest who wanted to win the lottery because he knew he’d be able to do so much good with the money. He’d be able to help the poor, build a new orphanage, and bring joy to many with the winnings.

So he prayed, ‘God, please let me win the lottery. You know I’d do so much good with the money.’ He didn’t win.

The next week he prayed the same prayer again. No winnings. And again he prayed, and again, and again. All without winning anything.

Finally, at the end of his rope, he yelled at God, ‘Why haven’t you let me win yet?!’

God finally answered him, ‘You haven’t bought the ticket yet.’

Wishing for a new job won’t get you anywhere. The chances of a job falling into your lap are slim (although it does happen), so you need to be proactive in finding a new job in 2017. Here are some tips to find a new job:

  • Update Your Resume: this is the most important one. You’ve changed, and the industry has changed. Update your resume to reflect that.
  • Update Your LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn is becoming more and more popular with recruiters. Research shows that 87% of recruiters look to LinkedIn first when looking for candidates.
  • Don’t Rely on Job Boards: Only a small percentage of jobs make it to job boards like Craigslist, Monster and Indeed. Instead, look at the websites of the companies you want to work for, or, even better, see the next bullet.
  • Network: finding ways to get your name out there is one of the best opportunities to be proactive. Put yourself out there with networking events, LinkedIn groups, and events. Bring clean copies of your resume with you to networking events.

How To Stay HOPEFUL As A Job Seeker

We’ve all been there -- you find the ‘perfect’ job only to not get it. It can be so discouraging. But do not lose heart!

  • Say A Mantra: Even the smallest affirmation can help get you motivated for the day, and your job search. Saying ‘I am worth it.’ Or ‘I deserve a better job.’ Or even ‘I’m awesome’ can help stay hopeful when things seems gray.
  • Be Confident: One of the best ways to feel hopeful is to be confident. You know what you’ve accomplished and how you did it. Now be confident enough to talk about it. Have your talking points readily available. Maybe even create an elevator pitch for yourself. This is a short statement that quickly and clearly illustrates what you do. Mine is ‘I write resumes that help job seekers tell their career narrative.’ Can you create something like that for what you do?
  • Do Your Research: Whether you’re targeting your resume for a specific job or preparing for an interview, be prepared with company research, answers to tough questions and, if possible, with a background of your hiring manager.

2017 is an excellent time to kickstart your career and find a new job. Even if you’re not quite ready for that, don’t you want to be prepared? When was the last time you updated your resume?

What will your two words for 2017 be?

If you’d like to discuss what 2017 can hold for you in terms of finding a new job or updating your resume, feel free to schedule a free 30-minute Discovery Session with me! You can do that here: