Preparing to Land a Job in 2014

by David Foresman, Healthcare Career Consultant, Acclivity Healthcare

With the holiday season now in full swing, many of us find ourselves busy preparing for and enjoying the holiday festivities. From attending parties to hosting guests from out of town, the festivities seem to take up a lot of our time that would usually spent on other priorities such as a job search. Instead of putting your job search completely on hold, set aside some this December to prepare for your job search in the New Year. Below we have provided five recommendations to help you hit the ground running come January.

1. Update your resume and cover letter. Include your most recent position and accomplishments such as promotions, successful projects, certifications you obtained, and education you completed. Be sure to eliminate any outdated information as well.
2. Think about who you want to target. Consider the types of employers, industries and jobs you plan to target. Making a list will help keep this information fresh in your mind when it comes time to begin your job search.
3. Create an easily accessible list of professionals you plan to network with. This list should include phone numbers, emails, and any other pertinent information about the contact. Utilize this list to quickly get in contact with everyone you plan to contact. You can also use the holiday season as a reason to “catch-up” with your contacts. Send a holiday card, make a quick phone call, or schedule a time to meet for coffee or lunch.
4. Double check your contact information. Make sure your email address, voicemail greeting, and any other contact information you will be using for your job search portrays you as a professional. Create a separate email address for your job search if necessary. Your voicemail greeting should be clear and concise.
5. Update your online presence. Recruiters and hiring managers utilize the internet to do research on candidates they are considering. Create or update your LinkedIn profile with the most current information. We also recommend that you post your resume on job boards such as CareerBuilder and Indeed. Make sure the resume is searchable by employers. Remember that parts of your social media accounts such as profile pictures and any other posts that are not set to private will also be visible to employers.