“Why should I hire someone in late December when they can’t possibly add productivity to my company this calendar year? They will only add to headcount and expenses that need to be reported,” employers often reason. That’s why by this time of year, most all the hiring is done, and job searches are typically put on hold until January.
But, this doesn’t mean that as a job hunter you should be idle! Every indication suggests that hiring will pick up as the new year begins, and if you want to use that opportunity to move your career forward, you should take a hard look at yourself and answer these questions:
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Are you prepared to invest the time and energy it takes to do a serious job hunt? Even in the best possible job hunter scenario where you are recruited out of the blue, obtaining a job offer takes work. You need to understand your own story. And that doesn’t mean reviewing all the things you are expected to do for your current and former job.
The end of the year is a great time to look back and get a better perspective on your roles. How have you contributed to the successes of your teams and overall organization?
Take this opportunity to think about what makes your juices flow in your job. What things bring excitement to your job? If, alternatively, you are feeling burnt out, undervalued or just plain bored perhaps it is time to figure out what would be a more interesting career path to pursue. What skills and experiences do you possess that are transferable, and what more do you need to do in order to open that pathway to your future success?
Is your resume ready? Take a look at your resume. Is it up to date? Does it have lots of “responsible for” statements? If so, rework them so you begin with an active verb that demonstrates what you’ve done — not what you were supposed to do.
Do you have a short, two- to four-line branding statement at the top that gives an overview of who you are and what sets you apart from your competition? Don’t focus on things everyone will claim, like “excellent communications skills,” “team player,” or “results-oriented.” After all, these are baseline expected characteristics rather than qualities that will set you apart and above others.
Do you clearly define your skill set? Do you explain any gaps in employment? Do you describe your employer’s business — especially if they aren’t well-known companies?
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Is your LinkedIn profile optimized? Failure to have a LinkedIn presence has become a cardinal sin for any professional who seeks to move forward. And failure to fully optimize it runs a close second. When you add detail to each of your positions, complete your skills section, provide a personalized summary section which highlights your key career accomplishments and more, you’ll make yourself findable by hiring authorities and recruiters who are looking for people like you.
Have you done your homework on companies you want to join? Sure, whenever you see an ad for a job there’s a button that encourages you to just submit your resume. And you might aim for a large volume of applications thinking that this will bolster your chances of success. But hold on! Consider this just the beginning of a campaign that will precede your initial application.
No matter how close a fit you think you might be, you’ll always be a stronger candidate when you network your way into consideration rather than submitting a blind application. Here’s where your LinkedIn network and research comes into play. Whom are you connected to on LinkedIn that works at the hiring company? Even if they are second or third degree, it’s worth reaching out to make a connection and ask for some information.
What do they like about working at the company? What is the corporate culture? What are the current challenges facing the company? These are good conversation starters without asking your contact to actually do anything for you. The more information you get, the more you’ll then be able to tailor your cover letter to show you’ve done your research and you have a real interest in the company.
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As your conversation proceeds, you might inquire if the company has an employee referral program. If so, it might well be to your contact’s benefit, as well as yours, if he or she will submit your resume on your behalf. But you need to understand that if you’ve already submitted your own resume, you negate all the value of the employee referral.
In their search for strong, great-fit candidates, companies will consider if and why you are interested in working for them. To make your case, you’ll need to assimilate the information on their website, LinkedIn and Facebook pages, and elsewhere. Unless you take the time to prepare each job application separately, you place yourself at a disadvantage.
If you capitalize on these weeks to do your research, and enhance your resume and LinkedIn presence, you’ll be setting the stage for success next year.
Happy hunting!
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4 Key Questions for Year-End Job Seekers originally appeared on usnews.com