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5 Job Seeker New Year’s Resolutions

Since many of us take this time to reflect on the year past and the year ahead of us, let’s do so in the context of your job search. We’re not going to guilt you into making promises you can’t keep, so let’s keep our list of resolutions to five manageable items that will help your search in the coming year.

1. Review your marketing materials — your resume and cover letter. Take a truly critical eye to the resume and cover letter you use as your template. Are there improvements that can be made? Have you ever asked a recruiter for feedback on your resume or cover letter? What about a hiring manager who is interviewing you?

2. Take another look at your targeted companies. Do you need to broaden your job search? For example if you only want to work for a large defense contracting firm because you think that is the best cultural fit for you, what about considering a rapidly growing midsize company? Challenge your beliefs with some honest questions and open your mind to other possibilities.

3. Take stock of the information you have posted online. Have you registered on a variety of job boards or company web sites? When is the last time you updated your information? You need to revisit job board and company web sites at least once per month. That “refreshes” your account and lets recruiters know that you’re still in the market.

4. Touch base with your references. If you haven’t talked to your references in a couple months, you’re overdue. Just as with your networking contacts, you need to be in regular communication with your references to keep them informed of your progress. Your references are potential sources of job leads as well.

5. Prepare for all your interviews in 2013. Think of the term interview very broadly. Any discussion you have with a potential employer is an interview, whether it’s chatting with a recruiter at a job fair, a phone conversation with an HR screener, or an in-person interview with a hiring manager. Are you preparing for these opportunities by researching the company and having relevant questions ready? Tailoring your resume to the jobs you apply for?

Can any of these resolutions help your job search in 2013?

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