May 8, 2013
3 Can’t-Miss Career Spring Cleaning Tips
Spring is here! The birds are chirping, the trees are budding, and the flowers are blooming.
This time of year, you may focus on revitalizing your home and yard. But what about your career?
Like your closets and flower beds, your career will benefit from “sprucing up” this spring.
In the spirit of spring, here are tips to help you clean up your resume, cover letter, and social media profiles and boost your chances of finding your next great job.
1. Update Your Resume
According to research, investing in a professionally written resume is likely to give you a competitive edge versus producing one on your own.
However, you may be able to improve your resume without breaking your budget this spring.
To do so, it helps to consider the last time you updated your resume.
Generally, it’s a good idea to update your resume every three months. When you revise your resume, make sure you include the most up-to-date information across the following areas:
- Skills: Add any new skills to your resume.
- Education: Incorporate details about any training programs you have completed and/or degrees or certifications you have earned.
- Experience: Provide information about any roles you’ve recently held and any new responsibilities you’re handling in your current role.
With any resume you submit, make sure it tells your story and explains why you’re the best candidate for a particular role.
It helps to tailor your resume to the job you want to land. As you craft your resume, review the responsibilities associated with the position you’re pursuing. Then, you’ll be able to include details about how your skills, education, and experience align with these responsibilities.
Also, update the objective statement on your resume. With each job you pursue, make sure your objective statement briefly explains how your career aspirations line up with the role.
You may optimize your resume with artificial intelligence, too. AI-powered tools are readily available for free. You can copy and paste your resume into one of these tools and look for ways to improve it. On top of this, this may help you create a resume that stands out to employers that use AI tools to quickly evaluate resumes and find the top candidates.
Of course, if you want additional resume tips, you can partner with a local staffing agency. In addition to providing you with tips to help you revamp your resume, this agency can connect you with top employers in your industry. It may even offer benefits and other perks for contract and temporary jobs.
2. Revamp Your Cover Letter
Don’t settle for a standard, run-of-the-mill cover letter. Instead, clean up your cover letter, as this will help you distinguish yourself from other candidates in a competitive job market.
There are several pieces of information you should include in your cover letter, such as:
- An explanation about why you’re pursuing a role in the first place
- Information about why you may be switching from one career path to another
- Details about why you may have an employment gap on your resume
- Information about a referral who told you about the job you’re pursuing
When you write your cover letter, it helps to review the job description. Ideally, you’ll be able to incorporate details from this description into your letter. This shows a prospective employer you’ve read the description carefully and may have what it takes to handle the responsibilities associated with the role.
Additionally, focus on your strong points. Explain why you feel you’ll be an asset to an organization. It also helps to highlight your desire to contribute to an organization’s success long into the future.
If you want extra help with crafting a cover letter, it may be beneficial to go over it with a family member or friend. This may allow you to identify any grammatical or spelling errors before you submit your letter. Along with this, your family member or friend may provide feedback to help you fine-tune your letter and make sure it hits the mark with an employer.
3. Expand Your Social Media Presence
Use LinkedIn to connect with prospective employers and other professionals in your field. Here, you’ll be able to get career advice from industry professionals. Plus, you’ll be able to extend your reach on social media, making it easier than ever to find a new job.
Like your resume, it may be helpful to update your LinkedIn profile every three months. That way, when employers look for candidates to fill roles, they may be able to find the most up-to-date version of your profile. This may lead to new job opportunities and new connections with industry professionals.
You should post or comment on LinkedIn regularly. Typically, it helps to get into a habit of going on LinkedIn and engaging with others. Doing so a few times a week may help you grow your social media presence. If potential employers check out your LinkedIn profile, they’ll be able to see you are active on social media as well.
Joining LinkedIn groups in your industry may help you stay in the loop about job opportunities. Search for and ask to join groups in your sector and follow their discussions. If you have a post or comment to share with your LinkedIn group, feel free to do so, since this may help you show what you know about your industry.
For those who want to further boost their job search on social media, using X may help. For instance, you can search hashtags relating to the role you want to land on X. This may help you find roles that line up with your expectations.
Lastly, follow industry organizations on social media. This helps you get updates regarding these organizations and any new career opportunities they may offer. If you see a new job posting on social media, don’t wait to apply. Otherwise, you may miss out on an opportunity to take your career to the next level.
How to Find a New Job in Spring
Now that you know how to clean up your resume, cover letter, and social media profiles this spring, you’ll want to maximize your job search in the days and weeks to come.
Here are three things you can do that may help you find a new job in spring.
1. Conduct Research
Remember, you don’t necessarily have to jump at every career opportunity that comes your way. Rather than apply for every job, consider each opportunity carefully. By performing plenty of research, you’ll be able to determine if a role meets your requirements. If it does, you’ll be able to submit your application materials. And if it doesn’t, you’ll be able to continue your search for the right career opportunity for you.
Before you apply for a job, learn as much as you can about the organization offering the role, its culture, and its workforce. Visiting an organization’s website offers an excellent starting point. You can also look for feedback from current and past employees on LinkedIn and various company review websites.
2. Prepare for Job Interviews
How you get ready for a job interview may determine how well you perform when you meet with a prospective employer. If you don’t know what interview questions you’ll get, you may struggle to put your best foot forward. On the other hand, if you consider an employer’s perspective, you may be able to understand what questions you’ll receive during your interview. When your interview gets underway, you’ll be able to confidently answer questions and show an employer why you deserve the opportunity to join their organization.
It helps to put together a list of common interview questions and think about how you’ll respond to them. A family member or friend may ask you these questions. As you prepare, you may become more comfortable with how you’ll answer these questions when you meet with a potential employer.
You should also read through a job description and learn about your interviewer before your meeting. This may provide you with valuable information you’ll be able to use during your interview.
3. Take Care of Yourself
You may pursue personal and professional goals in spring and commit significant time and resources to do so. As you work diligently to advance your career, practice self-care. If you put your career above your physical, mental, and emotional well-being, you may suffer the consequences of doing so long into the future.
Give yourself time to relax and revitalize your body and mind throughout your job search. For example, you can set aside time each day to go for a walk, journal, or do other activities you enjoy. This helps you break away from your employment search and focus on your personal well-being.
Do your best throughout your job search, but try not to be too hard on yourself if things don’t always go your way. An employment search may be difficult, and it takes patience and commitment to land a terrific job and build a rewarding career. Stay the course as best as you can. It also helps to connect with family members and friends, as these individuals may provide you with support and care as you move forward in your career journey.
Ready to Land a New Job This Spring?
If you’re ready to change jobs or launch a new career, PrideStaff can help you out. With offices nationwide, we offer a wide range of temporary, temp-to-hire, and direct job opportunities. Contact the PrideStaff office in your area to find out more about our local job opportunities.
