Spring Clean Your Job Search

Spring is here at last! One gets the urge to clean out closets, wash windows and tidy up the yard. It’s also a great time to apply the same concepts to your job search. Here are some tips:

  1. Clean up your workspace. If you are conducting a job search, make sure you have carved out a space dedicated to the process. Clean up the paper piles that have accumulated and file or throw as appropriate. How about your emails? Delete or archive old messages. Re-evaluate your computer’s performance (really slow; not enough memory?), your phone system (need a headset for phone interviews and networking?). Update your photos; add a new plant; have music you love playing. Make it a pleasant place to re-energize your search activities.
  2. Fine tune your tracking system. Set up a system to keep track of your search.
    • Track each job you apply for. Track the job title, employer name and location, date/time you applied, the version of the résumé and/or cover letter you used, contact information for the employer or recruiter, notes on any discussions (take notes and write them up immediately after the conversation), your follow-up (faxes, emails, phone calls, etc.) and the date and action of the next follow-up step, and finally, the feedback you received from the recruiter, hiring manager, etc.
    • Track your networking efforts. Track who you contacted, when you contacted them, WHY you contacted them (know this before you dial the number or send the email), the outcome (left a message, had a conversation, made a lunch date, etc.) and the next step; what association or organizational meetings you attended, when and where.
    • Consider an online tracking system. One of the best resources out there, in my opinion, is Jason Alba’s http://www.jibberjobber.com. JibberJobber helps you keep track of your job search, networking contacts and other career management information. You can use this resource free of charge, with the option to upgrade to a Premium account for additional benefits. It additionally covers the most recent trends, tools, resources and activities in the world of work.
    • Track even after you’re hired. Return to sites where you applied to “inactivate” your résumé, stop emails to let employers know you’re no longer actively searching (people do get fired when employers think they’re looking), note the sites and techniques most helpful to you in your search (if you should ever need them again) and note the names and contact information for the people who helped you, so that you can stay in touch with them in a reciprocal “help” relationship.
  3. Dust off your résumé. Does your résumé reflect your current targeted goals and the relevant value you bring to the table?
    • Make sure your résumé communicates your career target with a descriptive headline (not the old-fashioned objective). If you’re changing careers or industries, be sure you’ve clearly defined this. Then, make sure the top portion of your résumé is dedicated to conveying your unique brand and value relative to your goals. You may need to reformat the order of most relevant qualifications accordingly. For example, if you’re moving from a logistics career to sales, a straight chronological format may not serve you as well.
    • Add any new employment, skills, professional development and accomplishments since the last résumé version. Are your keywords current? Industry-specific jargon, keywords and technology change; your résumé should be rich with those appropriate to your qualifications and goals.
    • This is also a good time to consider the usefulness of older experience. For job seekers with 10 years or more of experience, this may mean setting up an “Early Career” section that briefly summarizes and condenses earlier experience.
    • If your résumé is more than two pages long, tighten it up. Today’s trends in our world of Twitter and brevity dictate no more than two pages for even the most senior-level professional. In this vein, you may warrant a suite of documents, i.e. executive biography, leadership addendum, etc.
    • After you’ve added new information to your résumé, edit it mercilessly. Take out outdated technology and skills. Watch for numbers. If your prior résumé included years of experience, bring that number up to date. Did sales numbers change? Percentages where you cut costs? Update these!
    • Start a brag file. Gather testimonials, letters of recommendations, project highlights, etc. Think about how they might be incorporated into your résumé.
  4. Freshen up your image. Now might be the time to do an overhaul on your personal and professional image. We are judged! You’ve refreshed your résumé, cleaned up your work area and revitalized your approach. Now, how do others see you?
    • That blue suit you’ve worn for six years may be old and tired. Get it dry cleaned and freshened at the very least. Look through your closet. Do clothes look droopy and faded? You may want to consider investing in an outfit reserved for interviews or important meetings. If your budget doesn’t allow for new clothes, consider second-hand thrift stores! You’d be surprised at the excellent, almost-new clothes available. Don’t forget your shoes! They should be in good shape and fit well!
    • Take a hard look in the mirror. Men, is it time to shave off that beard or moustache? Women, are your eyebrows neatly trimmed? Is your make-up current and subtle? Men and women, are your nails trimmed? When’s the last time you updated your hairstyle? Have you ditched the overpowering colognes? These are a turn-off. And smile wherever you go!! That’s the best image collateral you have!
  5. What about your online image? Are you still relying on the traditional paper résumé to get you in the doors with employers? Are you hitting buttons right and left to zap that résumé out into cyberspace—not knowing where it goes? Today’s Internet abounds with opportunities to freshen your positive professional image. Are you on LinkedIn? It’s the #1 business networking site. Facebook? Others? If you’re not, consider the ones that might be helpful. If you are, make sure your current image is what you want it to be. Photos of you holding a large stein of beer are probably not that image. Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly using online social networking sites to screen out candidates. Have you considered using an online résumé like VisualCV®? It’s a free site that can serve as a résumé, online professional profile, business development tools and more.

So, there you have it! Spring is indeed a time of renewal. Wouldn’t it feel good to know that along with your clean windows and tidied-up garage, your job search is also re-energized and in great order? Good luck!

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