Your Career Resolution

Happy New Year!

We all fall victim to the facade of the new year once or twice. If you’re anything like me, many, many times. You know, the goals, the resolutions the life changing decisions. We set out in the new year with the best of intentions to a fresh-start and soon realize breaking old habits is easier said than done.

If there’s one thing you shouldn’t let fall to the wayside, it’s your career presence and goals.. Here are three simple things you can do NOW to jump start your career visibility, marketability and potential for new opportunities in 2017.

1. Update Your Online Presence 

Maybe it’s been years since you have posted a recent picture of yourself on LinkedIn. Take a good look at your profiles and you may catch verbiage only relatable to an old industry you worked in, making you less appealing to recruiters for new opportunities. Or perhaps you still have language that reflects where you were at the beginning of your career journey, holding you back by dating your experience. 

While you’re there, upload special projects and awards and ask for recommendations from past employers/educators and your peers. The more you include on your LinkedIn, the easier it will be for a hiring manager to see all of your experience, accomplishments and potential for their openings! 

Once you have given your LinkedIn a dose of love, don’t hesitate to add a little bit of your career enthusiasm to your other social pages as well. Share industry articles on your Facebook or follow leaders in your field on Twitter or Google+. 

The reality is, it’s 2017 and we would be silly to think recruiters do not check all of our social media pages during the hiring process. While we are on the topic, search your name and clean up any old items lingering on the World Wide Web you just don’t want to associate with anymore. 

2. Sync Your Resume and Cover Letter 

Your cover letter should identify a problem the prospective employer may have. Solve the problem with your experience handling the issue. Offer yourself and expertise as the solution. Close with confidence. This approach will help you  stand out to the Hiring Manager and push you to the front of the line! 

If you are staying in the same industry with no lapses in employment, you would benefit from a Chronological Layout to your resume. If there is a change in industry or you have a lapse in your employment, a Functional Layout would benefit you best. Visit our website for resume building and interview tips www.midohiojobs.net 

Once you have your resume and cover letter fluid and updated, save it to Dropbox or Google Drive so it’s always handy. One more tip, title them by your first and last name, for example Joe Jones Resume, Joe Jones Cover Letter. 

3.  Master Video Interviews

We are seeing a growing demand for interviews being held via Skype, Google Hangouts, etc. Practice with friends and become familiar with their functions. If you are setting up a video interview, be in contact with the interview beforehand, in order to have a “plan B” in place if you lose connection or have technical difficulties. Make sure you are in a space that has good WIFI,  is clean, well lit, quiet and free from distractions.

Treat it just like you would a traditional interview with how you dress and carry yourself, just note there may be a short delay in the conversation depending on your connection. Get these few things set up and prepared and you will master and rock the video interview!  

Get your New CaYear’s Resolutions (see what I did there?) off to a smashing start so you can get noticed, interviewed and hired in 2017. Cheers!