8 Ways to Smash Your New Year Job Hunt
Career Advice ...
With 1 in 5 workers* looking for a new job in January it is a busy time of year in the job market. Why not take advantage of the Christmas break and get ahead of the crowd by following our tips to getting that amazing new job in the new year.
Plan Plan Plan
It might be boring but making a plan before you begin your New Year job hunt will mean you approach your job search with a purpose rather than just wasting time scrolling through hundreds of unnecessary job ads. Start by thinking about the type of company you’d like to work for, do you want to work for a small company where you are hands-on or a larger company with lots of opportunities to work with different teams? Take some time to think about where you see your career going and what you’ll need from a new job to support you in this. Write down your ‘must haves’ and ‘desirables’ and use these to narrow down your job search.
Allocate a specific time in your day or week for job-hunting, dedicate this time to only looking for a new job and try to not get distracted.
Revamp your CV
Updating your CV is a must when looking for a new job but we suggest going one step further and revamping the whole thing. Some of it may have been written years ago when you first started job hunting so the skills may be out of date and irrelevant to your current job so take some time to relook at the whole thing making sure the skills you’ve gained from all your past jobs are relevant.
Update your Social Media
In today’s social world it’s not just a case of updating your paper CV but you also need to make sure your social media is up-to-date reflecting your current job and skillset. Linkedin is the obvious platform as it specialises in professional connections so if you haven’t already got a profile then get yourself one and make sure it’s completely filled out including all your previous professional experience. Do an audit of your other social media to make sure it is professional, it’ll be one of the first things any recruiter or hiring manager look at so it’s worth spending some time on. It's not just a case of making your social media look professional - it can also be a really effective job-hunting tool as well.
Get the Word Out
Obviously you need to be strategic with who you let know you are looking for a new opportunity, we’re not suggesting you announce it in the office on your lunch break but you’d be surprised at the power of your network. A lot of jobs are filled before they are even advertised just through networking so make sure you are getting yourself out to industry-specific events and the New Year might be the time to meet up with those professional contacts for that long overdue coffee. Linkedin has introduced a great new feature where you can let recruiters know you are open to new opportunities without announcing it to all your connections.
Speak to a Specialist Recruiter
Once you’ve got your updated CV and have an idea of the sort of new job you’re looking for it’s the time to get in touch with a recruiter. We know it’s tempting to ring every local recruiter that you find on google but when it comes to recruitment less is more, find a recruiter that specialises in the industry you work in, do your research, read reviews and ask your friends for recommendations - you don’t want a recruiter with a bad reputation representing you. Make sure you meet your recruiter if at all possible, the more of a rounded picture they can get of you the better as it will mean the jobs they put you forward for are likely to be a better fit for you.
Be Interview Ready
We know it might be jumping the gun to think about interviews before you’ve even applied for jobs but some vacancies are likely to want to interview soon after the closing date so make sure you’re prepared. Make sure you have leave available from your current job in case you need to take time off for an interview. Maybe take advantage of the January sales to buy some smart new outfits so there’s no rooting around in the back of your wardrobe for your smart suit.
Have Some Time Off
Job hunting can be full on, especially on top of your actual day job. Make sure you take some time to step away from it and give yourself a break as a reward for all the hard work. Allocate some time as specifically job hunting free to recharge and reinvigorate your search. As job hunting today is mostly screen based on laptops and mobiles perhaps consider taking a digital detox and getting outside away from your PC.
Keep Positive
Don’t get disheartened if the interview offers don’t come flooding in straight away, although there are always lots of opportunities available in January there are also lots of people looking for new jobs so competition for the best roles is at a peak. If you aren’t getting any interview offers maybe arrange another meeting with your recruiter to discuss how you could change up your CV to make it stand out more or ways you could market yourself more.
If you want more tailored advice on finding that dream job in 2018 we’re open for the rest of this week so give us a call today on 02920 220078 for a chat.
