How to Start Your Job Search Right

How to Start Your Job Search RightHow to Start Your Job Search RightAsk Amanda How Do I Kick-Start My Job Search?Each week, TopResumes career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions like the one below from Quora and our Ask Amanda form. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for nearly 15 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here.Q What steps should I take to begin my job search?I am just beginning my job search. What should my first steps be? NurulGreat question, Nural Whether you recently graduated from college, are anxious to get out of a thankless job, or are simply ready for a new challenge, searching for a job can be both exciting and overwhelming. Ive listed below the first steps you should take to kick-start your job search to ensure you find the right job as soon as possible. Plot your next moveBefore you can dive into any job-search activities, you first have to take a step back and define your job goals. Think about the jobs youve previously held and write down what you liked and disliked about each one. Have an honest conversation with yourself and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. Include both soft skills, such as leadership and conflict resolution, and hard skills, like a proficiency in Java or an ability to cut costs. Use this information to create a set of clear and realistic job goals that will guide your next steps. If youre struggling to figure out what you want to do next, check out ansicht job-goal exercises.Brainstorm your selling pointsWhen you decide to search for work, you instantly become a salesperson. Your job is to convince employers and recruiters on paper, angeschlossen, and in person that youre the right person to fill their open position.In order to prepare for your personal advertising campaign, youll need to brainstorm a list of your selling points. Consider how your education, pro fessional development activities, work experience, the skills youve developed along the way, the hobbies you enjoy, and the activities youpursue outside of work qualify you for your dream job. If you havent been maintaining a brag book of your professional wins, nows the time to start. Create a company list of top employersBased on your job goals, what companies interest you and make sense? Build a list of target employers that meet your location, industry, size, and corporate-culture needs. Use this list to search for job openings and people within your network who can provide you with an inside track on the organization and its hiring needs.Find a few sample jobsOne of the best ways to ensure your job-application materials support your goals is to gather some sample jobs that youre interested in and qualified for. Search online and gather a few job postings that represent the type of position youre targeting. Dont worry about where the job is located for this purpose, you should o nly be concerned about the job description and its requirements.Copy and paste the text of each job description into a Google or Word document. Then, highlight or bold any phrases in the listings that describe your experience and skills. This will help you or your professional resume writer identify which of your qualifications should be showcased throughout the resume and LinkedIn profile.Related 5 Signs Its Time to Hire a Professional Resume WriterUpdate your resumeThink of your resume as a marketing document crafted to pitch your value and highlight your qualifications to employers, rather than a laundry list of your job history and education. Your resume should be re-written with your target job and its requirements in mind to ensure your application is engineered to beat the dreaded ATS bots and pass the recruiter six-second test.Unsure if your resume is application-ready?Request a free resume review todayRevamp your LinkedIn profileIf you havent already created a LinkedIn prof ile, nows the time to do so. LinkedIn is an excellent resource to advertise your expertise, find out about new job opportunities, research companies in which youre interested, connect with valuable networking contacts, and get found by employers.Use your new resume as a guide to update your LinkedIn profile to support your current job goals.Related LinkedIn Networking How to Cultivate Meaningful Connections OnlineGoogle your nameMost employers will Google your name as part of the applicant-vetting process. Run a search on your name as it appears on your resume to see what recruiters will find when they look for you so youre prepared to explain away any damaging information or find opportunities to improve the search results.Start networkingTheres no denying the power a strong professional network can have over your career success especially when youre searching for a new job. The right connection can provide intel on job leads you wont find online or offer you an employee referral that can increase your chances tenfold of landing the job.Evaluate the people in your current network to identify those who could be of most value to you during your current job search. Then, make the effort to reconnect. Whenever possible, look for opportunities to provide value to those people before you ask for favors. Also, seek out new networking opportunities and take the time to build meaningful relationships with those you meet.For more tips on how to kick-start your job search, download my free job-search guide today. Tackle this to-do list and your job search is guaranteed to be more efficient and effective.Are you ready to get a new job? Download this free guide to get started.Recommended Reading10 Things Every Job Seeker Should Know Before Starting Their SearchYour Resume vs. LinkedIn Profile How Different Should They Be?The Biggest Mistakes Job Seekers Make After College