Spring Cleaning for the Job Seeker

I am in full Spring Cleaning mode. It is 80 degrees here in Arizona and it is time to clean out the kids' drawers to figure out what does and does not fit for our new season. While I was cleaning out my daughter's closet this past weekend, I started to think about spring cleaning in other areas - most importantly the job search. So many job seekers get stuck in a rut and put their time and efforts into outdated job search methods. Here are some tips for you to make your job search run more efficiently.

• Evaluate your job search methods. Are you sitting at a computer surfing job boards during daylight hours? Internet job searching is for after the sun goes down! Get out of the house and network in the daylight hours. Remember, in an earlier post I shared that 80% of jobs that one recruiter fills are never even posted.
• Remove the focus from quantity and focus instead on quality. Spend your time researching your target company's history, mission statement, product mix and competition. Show them from the initial contact that you are focused on working for their organization.
• Evaluate your personal brand message. If you have not yet identified your personal brand (your strengths, skills and what you are "known for" around work). Make sure your resume, cover letter, and interview supports the consistency of your brand message.
• Freshen up your resume. Make sure it is a document that clearly demonstrates the benefits you can offer an employer.  Use previous measurable accomplishments to define what makes you a cost-effective employee.
• Clean up your online persona. If you don't have a current, updated professional profile on LinkedIn and Facebook then you are behind the curve. Social media is a tool that is critical in the job search process - use it wisely and to your advantage.
• Pull out your S.M.A.R.T. goals we worked on at the New Year and revisit your progress on achieving your milestones along the way to your goal. You will most likely become refocused and re-energized by getting back on track with your goals.