8 Quick Tips to Revive Your Job Search in the New Year

Jennifer Fry
Careerminds Consultant

Let’s just say hypothetically that you didn’t heed our advice to continue your job search over the holidays, and now you’re looking for a new approach, something to jazz things up for 2012. Everyone resolves to make changes to themselves in the new year, so why not make a few changes to your job search techniques as well, right?
Just in case this applies to you, here are a few quick tips that can help revitalize your job search and really get your career going this year.

1. Make a “to do” list everyday. This is an easy way to keep you on the right path, and to keep a good record of what you’ve accomplished. Your search will stay organized, and you’ll be treated with a nice feeling of achievement with every item you get to check off the list.
2. Keep a record of what you’ve done. In conjunction with the previous suggestion, keep a list of employers you’ve contacted, the dates of contact and the names of the people with whom you’ve spoken. Again, it’s an easy way to stay organized, and you’ll know who to reach out to in the future if you need to contact that employer once more.
3. Change it up. Ok, so all this list-making is starting to sound tedious. While we encourage you to keep up with these records, feel free to switch up your day-to-day routine every now and then. This applies not only to your job search, but to the rest of your daily responsibilities, as well. Normally run a few errands after the day’s job search work? Shake things up a little and make the trip to the supermarket beforehand. A little break in monotony may be all you need to keep yourself moving along.
4. Volunteer. Volunteer work is great for a number of reasons. First of all, it gives you the chance to lend a helping hand, but in addition, volunteering will give you the opportunity to change your usual routine and to meet new people. And meeting new people means expanding your network– you never know who may be able to give your career transition the help it needs.
5. Consider a targeted e-mail campaign. Do your research, find the companies that you a) are genuinely interested in, and b) have yet to contact, and e-mail their hiring managers, including a personalized cover letter-type message in the body and your resume as an attachment. *An extra tip: save and attach your resume as a PDF file to avoid formatting issues between different versions of Word or between Macs and PCs.
6. Remember a few formalities. When e-mailing and meeting with potential employers, don’t forget such simple steps as including your name and telephone number at the end of e-mail– yes, some people forget to include their names on e-mails– and sending a thank you note or e-mail to everyone with whom you’ve met or interviewed.
7. Get or stay LinkedIn. Social networking is continually on the rise, and employers are aware of this trend. First, if you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, get one and fill it out completely. Second, keep your profile up-to-date and remain active in your groups– this, of course, implies that you should join some groups. And lastly, include your LinkedIn profile URL on your resume. Just another way of letting a potential employer get to know who you are, plus you never know how the two of you may be linked by mutual connections.
8. Seek assistance. That isn’t to say that you need to hire a professional resume writer or anything like that. Asking for a helping hand in your job search, be it from a family member, a trusted friend or a former co-worker, could make a world of difference in your efforts. A new perspective or unique advice may be just the ticket, and a little moral support never hurt anyone.

Now that 2012 is upon us, it’s time to get the new year started right. Make the resolution to revamp your job search efforts with these quick and easy tips, and you may find yourself in a new job for the new year.

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Careerminds provides scalable, strategic solutions to organizations seeking affordable, web-based outplacement services. Using a Web 2.0 e-learning platform that delivers affordable, online career transition services, Careerminds provides a high-tech and high-touch blend of on-demand career transition education supported by senior-level career consultants to help displaced workers reenter the workforce quickly.