How to find a job in 2018 -

How to find a job in 2018 - Theres no denying it: a new calendar year invites careerists to reevaluate career plans and goals. This is as good a time as ever to take stock and jump start a job search if you want a career or job change. Too Busy for Job Searching? No doubt, youve heard looking for a job is a full-time job in itself. What does that mean if you already have other full-time responsibilities? Whether youre employed or you are busy with other personal or professional plans, if you consider yourself too busy to job search full time, you are not alone! The first step in a successful job search is to select activities that are most useful in propelling your search forward. Dont spin your wheels and make forward progress. Follow these steps, and youll save time and effort. Step One: Decide What You Want To Do You’re never going to get anywhere if you don’t know where you are going. Having a general idea that you’d like “better hours” or a “different” job is a first step, but it’s not specific enough to help you make a change. Write down exactly what type of job you want. Include target companies, hours you’d like to work and what you want to do. Don’t be afraid to be very specific. Once you specify your goals, it is much easier to reach them. Step Two: Assess Your Qualifications Once you know what you want to do next, be sure  you have the skills and qualifications to do it! Carefully review job descriptions that are similar to what you want to do. Copy and paste several job descriptions into a Word file. Highlight the parts of the description that apply to you. If you highlight everything in the description, youre golden! If there are features of the requirements that do not apply to you, make a list. Determine if you are really qualified for the position, or if you would benefit from additional training or experience. If you dont quite qualify, start making a plan to boost your credentials. This may involved taking courses or earning certifications. If you work at a company that pays for professional development, start to take advantage of that. Alternatively, budget time and money to learn what you need to know to take the next step in your professional career. If youre missing skills you could gain in other ways, look for opportunities to build your credentials. Consider volunteering for committee work in a professional organization or association. Speak to your supervisor to identify new opportunities for you to gain skills at work. Your professional development is your responsibility. Dont leave this important aspect of your job search to anyone else. Step Three: Create Marketing Materials Ensure your resume, LinkedIn profile and other social networking streams represent your professional qualifications. Your resume should closely match content you find in job descriptions. Never assume an employer will know you  have a skill you do not list on your resume. Its up to you to clearly demonstrate your credentials via your skills and accomplishments. Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches the information on your resume, and take advantage of the opportunity to use LinkedIn to expand on details you want potential employers to know about you. Not every employer will take the time to visit your LinkedIn page, but for those already interested in you, it is a good opportunity to provide extra information that was not applicable to your resume. Step Four: Network! Dont only apply to jobs online. Unless you are a perfect match for those opportunities, you may find yourself frustrated when you do not hear back from employers. So many people apply for positions listed, its tough to get your foot in the door. However, if you use your time to network, you may win introductions for opportunities you would not otherwise know about. Even if you have a busy schedule, you can turn to Google or LinkedIn at any time of the day or night to research people who work in places where you want a job. If you’re already using LinkedIn, see if the companies that interest you have a page there and determine if you have any contacts who work there or people who may be able to connect you to people who work there. Look in LinkedIn’s advanced search to find possible contacts. Don’t forget to check out Groups. This is a great place to meet new people, and your busy schedule doesn’t prevent you from connecting with new people who may be able to refer you to job opportunities. Of course, in-person networking is a great way to meet people. Attend meetings of your professional associations, go to meet ups related to topics that interest you personally and say yes to invitations to spend time with friends and family. All of these can be great opportunities to network with new people. Move Forward Now! Dont waste any time moving forward with your career plans! Before you know it, 2018 will be half over. If you dont take steps now to jump start your job search, youll never make a change. Dont hesitate to contact me if you need help with your LinkedIn profile or resume. I have a special offer to help improve your LinkedIn profile, and Id be happy to provide a quote to transform your resume or author your LinkedIn profile.