Spring arrived last week, and if you’re a job seeker, your spring cleaning assignment should be your job search. Forget dusting and scrubbing your house, when you are searching for a job, your biggest priority is that search. We especially love job search spring cleaning because it gives us a good excuse to avoid dusting and scrubbing our houses! So without further hesitation, follow these steps to spring clean your job search.
Shake out your resume and cover letters. You shouldn’t be sending the same stale resume and letters for each job application. Take a little time to update your resume, including any new accomplishments, skills, etc. Remove old, outdated, or irrelevant information. And create a few resumes to match the different types of jobs or industries you’re searching for. Having customized resumes goes a long way to show an employer why you’re the candidate they’ve been hoping for.
Dust off your professional network. It might have been a while since you were in touch with your professional contacts, but spring is a great excuse to say hello. Your get-back-in-touch email or phone call can simply be to say hello, see how their winter went, and wish them a Happy Spring. A good excuse as any to reconnect with helpful people. And don’t forget — the biggest rule for networking is that the more you give, the more you get. Before you ask for people’s help, ask them if they could use any of yours.
Shine up your interview wardrobe. Has it been a while since you had your suits laundered? Or polished your shoes? Tackle those activities now, before you are rushing to attend a hastily scheduled job interview, and while you’re at it, spiff up your interview skills as well. Practice answering interview questions out-loud in front of a mirror. Or ask a friend to interview you and give you feedback. Read up on our tips for interviewing:
Organize your job search tactics. Job searching can take up a lot of time, and it’s important that you use your time wisely. Make a schedule for yourself so that you’re spending time on all the important job search tactics: job searching, resume and cover letter writing, company research, networking, and application follow up. By organizing your job search now, you’ll set yourself up for success.
Contributor- Brie Weiler Reynolds