6 Tips for Spring Cleaning Your Career

It’s crazy to believe that spring is upon us already! That means it’s time to start putting your sweaters away and bringing out your spring apparel. Time to start your spring cleaning and your career may need it too.

To get started, answer these questions:

  • Do you enjoy going to work every day?
  • Are you stimulated by what you accomplish at your job?
  • Can you live the way you want and save for your future with the pay from this job?

If the answer is no, then follow these steps to start fresh in your job search.

Re-Organize Your Job Search Strategy

Anyone who has been on the prowl for a job can tell you that searching for a job is more like a job in itself. It requires a lot of time management and a solid strategy to be successful in a job search. To effectively strategize your job search, you need to know what your dream job is. Consider the position as well as the type of company you want to work for.

Once you’ve laid out your job goals, create a job search calendar that lists out tasks to keep you on top of your job search. Within your schedule, set times for when you plan to actively research companies you want to work for, plan out chunks of your time to dedicate to writing cover letters and reformatting your resume, and set deadlines to apply to jobs.

Dust Off Your Resume

When was the last time you cleaned up your resume? Make sure all of the information is up-to-date, including employment dates. If you have more work experience under your belt since the last time you touched your resume, it might be time to redesign it. Remove any work experience that doesn’t pertain to your job goals. Make sure you list accomplishments, instead of daily tasks.

Check out these 5 Tips for Updating Your Resume.

Polish Your Cover Letter Writing Skills

You may experience the temptation to use a cover letter template and just copy/paste the company’s name and job title. Don’t! The best way to attract a hiring manager is by creating a new cover letter for each job you apply to. This takes a lot of time, but it increases your chances of landing an interview.

Start out by making a list of keywords that pertain to you, your career goals, your experience, and what you can offer a company. This list will help you write cover letters that stand out to a hiring manager. For more help in writing your cover letters, check out our tips in the Resume Advice category of our blog.

Replenish Your Interview Skills

Whether your job interview is in-person, online, or over the phone, it’s important that you put your best foot forward and present yourself professionally. Build confidence in yourself and your capabilities by reviewing your professional accomplishments. Practice common interview questions to work on talking about yourself, your experience, and skills. Go through your closet to make sure you have plenty of interview appropriate attire.

For interview tips, take a look at our Interview Tips category of our blog to freshen up your skills.

Iron Out Your Network Connections

Your friends, colleagues, and professional contacts are very important to your job search. They can either vouch for you as a job reference or assist by getting you in touch with the right contacts. This is why it’s crucial that you maintain relationships with them. If you have been slacking on this, now’s the time to repair those friendships and reach out to those who you lost touch with.

It’s also time to increase your network by attending a networking event or joining a group of people who you share similar interests or work experiences with. You can even join groups on LinkedIn or Facebook. Often times those local associations or organizations will host events for you to connect in person. The key to networking is to not network for the sole purpose of landing a job.  Networking is about mutual benefit and relationship building. You never know who or how a person can benefit you in the long run, so don’t focus on that aspect of a relationship. Just focus on building a relationship with people who you share a common goal or interest with.

Clean Up Your Online Presence

While you are searching for a job, hiring managers are searching for you. Do an online audit of your social media platforms to make sure that the content is appropriate in case a hiring manager stumbles upon it. Delete photos, posts, and things you’ve shared that you wouldn’t want a hiring manager to see. Do a Google search of your name and city you live in to see what comes up in the web results. Tip: Don’t forget to check images.

You should also optimize your professional social platforms, such as LinkedIn, for your job search. Update your work information, include work samples, add ways to contact you, and take a new LinkedIn photo. Ask your connections to give you a recommendation or update their existing one.

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