A New Year and a New Job – Three Steps to Get Started

As I write this, I wonder how many of you have declared, “find a new job,” on your list of resolutions for 2010. And I wonder how many more of you wanted to write it down, but DIDN’T, simply because of fear around the economy and the job market. You’re not entirely wrong if the shaky employment situation has you hanging on to your desk and you’re job with all of your might. After all, the latest statistics tell us that ten percent of us are out of work.

But that does not mean you should lose an entire YEAR of your career path and your life. Cautious, appropriate steps CAN be taken to continue to build your success, no matter what statistics and news headlines say. Here are three steps to help you find a great new job in 2010.

#1. Resume Renovation. Yes, there’s no way around it, your resume MUST be updated and perhaps even thrown away altogether and begun anew. This is one area that I strongly suggest you all use an expert in order to create real success. There are some things you can learn on your own and / or succeed at in varying degrees – but the resume is not one of them. As a Member of the National Association of Resume Writers, I know that styles and formats are always changing and they DO matter; your choice of wording and phrasing ALSO matter. If you’re not finding success getting interviews, it’s quite likely that your resume (often the only introduction companies have of you) simply isn’t working any magic on your behalf. Contact me at cp@palmierecareerservices.com to begin an effective resume renovation for 2010.

#2. Networking. Yes, there it is again. Networking probably comes up at least five times a day for most of us – either on TV, by email, with our friends and colleagues, etc., etc. But the truth is there’s simply no way around the fact that MOST career connections and new jobs come from recommendations and / or networking in one way or another. Let me offer one quick way to create more networking opportunities for job seekers. Consider joining a Meetup Group in your area, in your career field of choice. So if you are a VP of Marketing in Pharmaceuticals, but really want to move into advertising, go to http://www.Meetup.com and search out the groups for advertising professionals in your area. Don’t forget to bring business cards to the event that are NOT from your current (or past) jobs.

More