The holidays are coming up and with the new year on our heels, it’s a good time to start reflecting. It’s also a great time to think about what you want to accomplish next year. Of course there’s more you can do to get yourself on track and boost your job search during the holidays than just reflect. While everything else in life may feel like it’s slowing down, your job search doesn’t have to.
Use this slow period to retool and refine your job search arsenal so you’re well positioned to boost your job search success in the new year.
1. Organize Your Gifts
Has your personal brand changed from what it was last year in any way? Is it time to go deeper or in a different direction? Think about what you’d want employers to know about you if you could only tell them one thing about yourself. Now, go to your LinkedIn profile and make sure that is what you’re communicating. Your brand needs to be clear and direct. If you’re unsure about what your brand is, think of it as the value you bring to a company. The result of what you do, as opposed to what you actually do.
2. Make a List
Santa’s not the only one making lists this season. Start reflecting on your professional development over the last year. How have you grown? What projects did you lead? How did your work impact the company you work for? What have you learned?
Take a step back to take it all in. Evaluate how this list fits into your future goals. Is anything on your list a departure from what is currently on your resume? Do the new skills you’ve learned or the projects you’ve lead enhance your candidacy for the jobs you’re applying for? Start looking at what you want to add to your resume and what you might need to remove to present yourself as a successful candidate.
3. Be Merry
‘Tis the season right? So why not get merry and get networking. Networking doesn’t always mean reaching out to people you don’t know. Reconnecting with old friends counts too. So don’t be afraid to talk about your ambitions for the coming year with your friends and ask for referrals or introductions.
Of course this doesn’t mean you can’t spread some cheer with messages to people you hope to get to know. Some people will have extra time and others will be busier than ever. Simply acknowledge that this season impacts everyone’s time in different ways and that if they happen to have extra time, great. If, however, this season has them overcommitted, you’ll happily reconnect once everyone has resumed a normal pace.
4. Don’t Forget the Gift Wrap
Packaging matters just as much in interviews as it does with products. So now is a great time to review your wardrobe. Are you dressing for the job you have or the job you want? Does your wardrobe reflect you? Does it represent the person you used to be rather than the person you are now? Make sure you have clothes to interview in that reflect the real you and also make you feel great.
Get ahead of the competition and start planning and executing your job search in December. Your New Year’s resolution will thank you!
