Twitter + Resume = Twesume

In simple terms your twesume is the CV you use on Twitter. How can that work? I hear you ask. Well, it’s tricky, especially as you’re limited to only 140 characters. (This paragraph alone is 196!)

Your twesume clearly can’t hold all of the information you include in your CV. However, you can use it to share your career aspirations, experience and skills in a short, neat sentence. Twitter is already being used by thousands of jobseekers to help promote their skills and let employers know they’re looking for work. The twesume is the latest extension to this and it helps you, visibly, let people know you’re looking for work.

There aren’t many success stories which involve candidates only using Twitter to find a job, but it’s definitely worth adding to your mix of recruitment platforms, alongside agencies and job boards, like CV-Library.

Examples of twesumes

So what should your twesume look like? We’ve hunted around on Twitter and found some real examples below:

1. #Twesume #Marketing & #Communications professional with #Strategic management, #writing & #Event planning experience

2. CertifiedMeetingProfessional (CMP) 20 yrs exp/ PR & MKTG Specialist / miracle worker / social media gal #twesume

3. Tech-adept media professional eager to sharpen skills on stories related to tech, science and higher ed. #twesume

4. social media strategist – content creator – audio & video broadcast, production & editing – #twesume

5. Freelance Navajo graphic and web designer with 8 yrs exp seeks new opportunity. “I design with you in mind” #twesume

We’ve also noticed a trend for jobseekers including a link to their LinkedIn profile within their twesume. This is a great idea as it directs recruiters straight to a place where they can find a lot more information about your professional background.

Use your twesume on your job hunt

One of the hardest parts of your job hunt is standing out, so use your twesume to do just that. Target employers on Twitter directly and mention them in your twesume, for example:

@CVLibrary I have 6 yrs sales experience & I’d love to work for you. Hardworking, dedicated and results driven #twesume

Other ways to utilise Twitter while job-hunting are to include a link to your Twitter profile on your CV or follow up with the recruiter after you’ve made an application on Twitter, rather than the traditional email or phone call. It will demonstrate how dedicated you are to your job hunt and make you stand out as a creative individual with initiative.

Although we definitely don’t recommend binning your CV and spending all day on Twitter, in the competitive world of job-hunting it’s another great way to get yourself seen by the right people.

For more information and advice while on your job hunt, you can visit the CV-Library Career Centre, as well as searching our job board which holds over 65,000 live vacancies at any one time.

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1. Social media Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn (if you’re at a push) are some of the most common ways job-hunters procrastinate. You go on to Twitter to take a look at a recruiter’s profile, and check out their latest vacancies, and end up stalking what Justin Bieber had for lunch on Instagram. Although this may be entertaining, it’s not going to help you land a job. Now of course an outright ban on social media will get you craving Facebook more than chocolate during Lent, so it’s best to instead limit your social intake (especially as many sites can prove beneficial to your job hunt). Heading on to LinkedIn? Set a timer on your computer for 15 minutes. In that time, you should have hunted down that employer’s name, printed off those job applications, logged off, and be back on your hunt.

2. Breaks The innocent tea break: it masquerades itself as a ten-minute breather from the relentless job hunt, only to morph into a half-an-hour sit down in front of Jeremy Kyle. Most of us aren’t very good at sticking to the short-term notion of a “break”, and end up getting out of the flow of job-hunting. To prevent your time-outs from escalating, when you opt for a break, bring food/drink back to where you’re job-hunting; this will mean that as soon as you’ve finished them, you’ll be ready to start again, rather than getting distracted by the TV in the living room, for instance.

3. Mobile phone How many times do you check your phone a day? Probably more than you realise – and you need to. If you can’t trust yourself to stay away from your phone, put it on the other side of the room to you. This means that you can’t be tempted to glance at it. What’s more, if you promise yourself you can take a look at your phone come lunch break, you’ll be surprised how much more focussed you’ll be, and desperate to work as hard as possible, to bring around lunch-time more quickly.

4. Friends/family Yes, often two brains can be better than one, and yes a problem shared is a problem halved, but if you’re not talking job-related conversation with your mum, then is it helping you land a role? Probably not. Keep chats with loved ones to a minimum during your designated job-search time. Get a call from a friend? Tell them you’ll phone back in an hour – it’ll give you something to aim for whilst writing that covering letter.

5. Lie-ins Whilst not technically a distraction, lie-ins are counter-productive to a job hunt. Instead of applying for roles, you’re asleep in bed, and therefore putting off your search. For instance, if you wake up at 11am, chances are by the time you get ready, have breakfast and sit down to apply for jobs, it will already be lunch time. This means you won’t start job-hunting until at least 1pm. If, instead, you wake up at 8am, this means you can be applying for jobs by 9.30am, fit in a 10-minute break come 11am, and have completed near-on three hours hunting by lunch-time!

Want a guilt-free distraction from job-seeking? Visit our homepage to read our latest jobs- and careers-related advice. (Don’t worry, it’s allowed!)

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To be included in this new facet of career management, you must create an online CV on a professional networking site – LinkedIn is the preferred choice these days with over 10 million members in the UK alone. You can register for free at www.linkedin.com – and once you’re registered, you’ll be in a headhunter’s home territory. If your CV is up to date and ready to go you can simply copy and paste info from there into your Linkedin profile.

Simply creating a basic profile on Linkedin however isn’t enough to get noticed. It’s important that your profile is well constructed with lots of relevant information and keywords, as you’ll be in a very busy market place, so here are a few simple tips to help you stand out among the crowd:

• Do have a photo – keep it professional but also relaxed.
• Headline – describe yourself thoughtfully so you’re noticed.
• Don’t forget to add your website address and Twitter account if appropriate.
• Complete the summary – include plenty of keywords to improve your chances of being found.
• Complete the career section – keep it high level, but remember those keywords.
• List your skills – this is where you collect endorsements and, again, improve your rating.
• Connect with people – start with those people you know and go from there.
• Add a link to your email signature to encourage people to connect with you.
• Join groups – groups help raise your profile and make you more “findable”.
• Take part in group discussions and people will be more likely to connect with you.>
• Give recommendations and ask for them in return.
• Once you get going, ask for endorsements too, they are like testimonials.
• Enjoy it – explore, take part in discussions, find your voice.
• Do a little every day – make it a 10-to-20-minute daily habit.

When you get better at it you can even move sections of your profile around so that your skills are at the top, much like they would be on your CV. It’s worth looking at Linkedin tutorials or Youtube videos to go into it more in-depth. As your profile and network builds, you increase your chances of being found. As your connections build, look at their connections to find others you might want to invite to connect and it’s a good way to find mutual connections.

If all this sounds a lot to take in, you may be able to find a CV writer who can do this for you.

Companies and headhunters don’t want to waste the time and money placing adverts when they can find exactly what they want on LinkedIn. You can jump the queue and increase the chances of landing your dream job substantially with a little thought and effort. Just imagine the phone ringing with that dream job opportunity even though you weren’t looking…

Get connected – you’ll appear irrelevant if you don’t – and that’s never a good thing.

If you would like help with your CV or with your Linkedin profile please contact sue@premiumcvs.co.uk or visit www.premiumcvs.co.uk

Job-hunting should be treated like a full-time job. Searching for a job is a serious and time-consuming task, but it’s amazing how much you can actually get done if you approach each day like a normal workday. Not only will you be more productive, but you’ll also stop feeling so detached from the rest of the working population. At the end of the day you can relax like everyone else, knowing you’ve put the time in.

Being systematic about job-hunting can really help, so here are a few tips on how to get organised:

Working 9 to 5

Wake up early and be ready to start your working day at 9am. Not only will emails sent during the normal working day be more likely to get responses, but you won’t feel so detached from the working world. Getting dressed is a big help; if you’re in pyjamas and slippers, you’re less likely to be productive.

Plan out your day

Work in hour-long periods, with tea/toilet/snack/fresh air breaks in between. Devote an hour to each task, whether it is company research, CV editing, cover letter writing or social networking. Research can easily take up too much time, but setting time slots can help to keep you on track.

Decide on your marks

Who do you want to target? Write a list of companies you want to work for and then find the best person to contact. Methodically make your way down the list of names, ticking them off once you have contacted them, either speculatively or regarding a vacancy.

Expand your outreach

Spend some time signing up to job boards or recruitment agencies. Try to expand your social media networks. The more connections or followers you have, the more your name will be put out there. Set yourself a quota of follower or connections to have by the end of the day or week. You can also start following companies of interest on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Give yourself a break

All work and no play makes the unemployed go crazy. Avoid becoming a hermit, and step outside for a walk down to the shop, or go for a run. Treat yourself to a snack or TV break when you’ve completed a task. And most importantly, don’t become a recluse; make sure that you socialise with the outside world, not just Jeremy Kyle.

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Social media have become the words on everyone’s lips when it comes to advancing their professional life.

The growing popularity of sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, means it’s become a big part of business, and increasingly recruitment. Therefore, as a jobseeker, it can pay huge dividends to be networking on these social sites.

But, how, exactly, should these platforms really be used?

Here are 15 smart (and strategic) ways you can use LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to unearth new opportunities and network your way to a job.

LinkedIn

1. Follow companies you’re interested in. When you follow a company, you’ll get to see their latest developments, business opportunities and job openings. You can also search for current employees to see if you know or perhaps have connections with anyone who works there.

2. Get recommended. Ask current and past colleagues, as well as clients, for recommendations to add more context to your skills and experience. Actions speak louder than words, and when using LinkedIn, recommendations speak louder than your own words.

3. Post professional updates. Like Facebook, LinkedIn allows you to post status updates. This is a great way to catch the eye of prospective employers. Think of your status update like a brief conversation at a networking event.

4. Create an eye-catching headline. Most people don’t realise that your headline can be seen by anyone, so make sure it’s exciting and enticing. Done well, your LinkedIn headline can be used to promote your biggest accomplishments, most enticing skills and personal brand.

5. Meet new people. You can join up to 50 groups on LinkedIn offering an invaluable network of professional contacts. Join groups that are relevant to your industry. Contribute to discussions to earn the trust of others and promote yourself as a thought leader by posting helpful and relevant content.

Twitter

6. You are what you tweet. Aim to represent yourself as a professional that has unique (and important) ideas to share. Share links that are relevant to your followers, and comment on industry news. Give potential employers a glimpse into what you’re interested in and care about.

7. Use #hashtags to get a job. You can find plenty of advice and job openings through hashtags like #jobs, #recruiting, #jobsearch and #jobadvice. You could even narrow your search down further and seek more specific hashtags, such as #salesjobs or #marketingjobs.

8. Don’t wait for people to contact you. The biggest bonus of job-searching on Twitter is it works in real time. As a jobseeker, you can immediately get in contact with someone, and you’re likely to hear back much sooner. Follow and tweet to people, brands and businesses that you’re interested in. Even if they don’t follow or tweet back in the first instance, you can still engage in a professional conversation.

9. Connect with companies, employees and hiring managers. If there’s a company you’re interested in, direct your tweets to them and start engaging on a regular basis. Don’t be afraid to find out who works there and who is involved with hiring. Interact with current employees and active recruiters to easily find out more about a company and its job opportunities.

10. Develop long-term connections. Maintain regular communication with potential employers and use this as a knowledge base to help you out with the job-hunting process. You never know, they might even offer you an interview.

Facebook 

11. Don’t forget the public nature of Facebook. Assume everything you write and share on Facebook is available for public consumption. Review your photos, refresh your profile and ensure it represents the professional image you wish to portray.

12. Share frequent status updates. Relate your status updates to your job search to remind people that you’re still looking for a job. Your network will see this and it may well prompt a referral or recommendation.

13. Use the search tool. You can look for people from different universities, industries, schools and so much more. By using this search function, you’re also able to explore groups with similar interests to yours, opening up many new networking opportunities.

14. Look, listen and comment. Comment on a company or careers page and show your interest and enthusiasm for their business. Look at the company’s online presence and listen to what they’re saying to help determine how you should communicate with them.

15. Write blogs and tag relevant companies in them. That way, you will get a company’s attention when they’re alerted to your post.

These are just some of the ways you can use social media to network your way closer to a job.

Whilst it’s impossible to predict how social media will adapt or what new opportunities will become available, it’s worth making the most of all networking platforms to ensure you’re not missing out.

Have you used social media to network your way to new job opportunities? If so, please share them below.

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But if you’re a smart and organised jobseeker with an action plan, you will feel more confident and accomplished, and are likely to get hired faster. Successful and stress-free job-hunting really does come down to developing an effective job search strategy.

Whilst there are never guarantees in regard to the length of your search or how successful you’ll be, one thing is certain: you need to make a commitment involving time and emotion in order to create a winning job search plan.

So how do you plan an effective job search? Here are eight key steps to planning a job search strategy that will help put you on the path to career success.

1. What’s your goal?

Like you would write a shopping list, note down some of the key things you want to get out of your job search.

Your end goal is clearly to get a job, but detail that perfect career. What sort of company do you want to work for? How much would you like to earn? What hours do you want to work?

2. Understand the value you bring

Once you know your goal, consider the skills and experience you have. What are the long- and short-term actions you need to carry out in order to get the job? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What transferable skills can you bring to the table? Do you need to retrain?

By understanding how your skills and background can serve a company, you will build your self-awareness and confidence.

3. Create a target company list

Where do you want to work? Would you prefer a small, entrepreneurial company where you can turn your hand to many tasks or would you prefer a large, global organisation?

Researching and deciding which companies you want to target will assist you with refocussing your job-seeking efforts and help you to build your network of relevant contacts.

4. Refresh your CV and covering letter

Make sure your CV is up to date and that you have a covering letter ready for each job opportunity. It’s useful to have a few “bare bone” CVs to hand. Then, if an opportunity comes along that you’re interested in, it can quickly be adapted for that position.

Likewise, ensure your online profiles are up to date and they show the professional image you wish to portray.

5. Consider your plan to market yourself

Some companies don’t even know they need you until you prove it to them, so you need to make yourself visible to prospective employers. How will you reach potential employers? What tools will you use to progress your job search?

Explore all avenues, including social media, blogging and networking to develop your online presence. Don’t overlook other channels too: high street agencies, newspapers and careers fairs all play a role in creating a successful job search.

6. Create a schedule

It’s impossible to know how long your job hunt is going to take, so create daily, weekly and monthly objectives to help progress your search. For example, sending off three tailored job applications per week or meeting a new contact in your field each day. Don’t forget to reward yourself for reaching these milestones.

If you’re currently employed, it might be tricky to dedicate time to look for another job, but it is still possible. Schedule phone calls during your lunch break and do your job-searching at night and on weekends.

7. Manage your search

To ensure your job search is going to plan, there are certain measures you can put in place. Create a “to-do” list to track your contacts and keep a record of any communication along the way.

For example, you could monitor the number of applications made; the number of responses; how many interviews you’ve attended; and meetings you’ve had with recruitment agencies or visits you’ve made to networking events.

8. Monitor your job search strategy

If your job search isn’t going to plan, be prepared to switch strategies and explore different avenues towards employment, such as volunteering, apprenticeships and work experience.

Always ask for feedback and try to locate areas you may need to improve upon for next time.

Planning an effective job search takes time and effort. It’s too easy to become disheartened when you don’t get interviews straight away, but it’s important that you remain positive.

Recruitment can be a long and drawn-out process. So just because you don’t hear back within a few weeks, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have been rejected.

By taking the time to organise and plan a job search, you can keep track of all your applications and activity and know at the drop of a hat where you are with each. And who knows, you could find that perfect career this year!

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Move over, CV

Whilst, of course, it’s unlikely LinkedIn will replace the CV altogether in the near future. There is certainly more emphasis being placed on candidates’ LinkedIn profiles, and as a fully integrated part of the application process. Many recruiters use LinkedIn for headhunting (93 per cent in 2012, in fact, according to a survey from recruitment software provider Jobvite), and whilst you can upload your CV to databases, it’s crucial to remember that your LinkedIn profile is highly searchable on Google and it’s often where employers will head to find a candidate with a particular qualification or skill. Never have keywords been so important!

Easy peasy, CV squeezy

The recently updated LinkedIn profile makes browsing a candidate’s profile even easier. A potential employer can see an applicant’s relevant experience, skills and expertise, education and recommendations and endorsements at ease. This makes LinkedIn a go-to resource for recruiters who spend so much of their time scouring hard-to-read and illegibly formatted CVs. Never sure how to layout your CV? Use the “Export to PDF” tool on LinkedIn as a basis for your layout.

Lie detector

Believe it or not, telling lies – or fabricating the truth – on CVs is a much more common experience than you would think. According to a study from the Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors back in 2009, around one third of adults (of 1,300 surveyants) admitted to lying on their CV. And it is this which makes LinkedIn such a vital tool for employers; it’s essentially a lie detector test. You can’t lie on your LinkedIn profile: well, you can, but it’s highly likely a current or past colleague or boss will pick you up on it! And so for a potential employer, visiting your LinkedIn profile will give them a realistic view of your skills and experience. For this reason, make sure your CV and LinkedIn profile match up – as a general rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t put it on your Linkedin, then don’t put it on your CV.

The 3D CV

How many times have you wished you’d had just that couple of extra lines to detail your degree or the projects you brought to completion earlier than expected in your last role? The beauty of LinkedIn is that it’s a 3D CV – it’s limitless, which means that if you need that extra space, you can have it. There’s 2,000 characters available for your summary section, use them (although don’t go overboard with irrelevant information). What’s more, the ability for you to interact with others through endorsements and recommendations on LinkedIn creates a more well-rounded view of your connections and references than a “references on request” line at the bottom of your CV.

Live and breathing

Building from the previous point, just as your employment changes from month to month, and your skills and experience grow, your LinkedIn profile should grow with it. It should be a live representation of your current employment, so be sure to check-in every now and then, endorse a few of your colleages (they may then choose to endorse you in return), join a few new groups for networking and update your professional headline – especially if you are job-seeking. Be sure to brim it with keywords that will get your profile more visible to headhunters.

Not sure where to get started? Follow our guide to the LinkedIn basics here.

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As a job hunter, it’s fundamental that you keep up with the times if you are to stand out from the increased competition; if you don’t engage on the platforms, you could potentially miss out on your ideal role. LinkedIn in particular is a key tool for finding your dream job. But how can you maximise its potential?

Optimising your profile
A LinkedIn profile gives you an online professional identity. If a potential employer types your name into a search engine, chances are this will be the first page that they come to, so it’s important that you’re using it effectively. Think of it as your online CV. You wouldn’t leave out huge gaps of information on your CV, and it’s equally as important to ensure that your profile is fully complete. This includes filling in your past education and employment history (and keeping it up-to-date!), as well as having a professional photo of yourself.

Recommendations
Recommendations act as references that you can showcase, adding value to your profile. Ask clients, colleagues, or even university lecturers to write a short comment about your skills and the benefits of working with you, to give potential employers an overview. It’s more credible to have other people highlighting your strengths than it is for you to list them, therefore recommendations allow you to sell yourself further than you can in your CV. Not only this, but if you don’t have any recommendations and another candidate does, recruiters may assume that they are better than you and you could miss out on an interview as a result.

Endorsements
LinkedIn has recently introduced a new feature – endorsements. Arguably, they don’t have as much value as recommendations, but if other jobseekers are utilising them, you should too. As with recommendations, you have to rely on others to endorse you by clicking on the skills they think you have. However, you have the responsibility of ensuring that you’ve added in all of your skills in the first instance, so really think about what you specialise in. Also, try to list them in order of importance so that those that are most significant will be the first ones on your profile, and the easiest to see.

Groups
Your LinkedIn commitment doesn’t end on your profile. Remember that it’s a social networking site, so use it as one by being active. Search for relevant groups to join, and engage in them by networking with new people and taking part in discussions. This will show that you are interested in your chosen field and are committed to it, and you’ll benefit by being kept up-to-date with any developments in the sector.

Researching companies
You can also use LinkedIn to your advantage by researching an organisation that you’re interested in working for. If it has a company page – as a lot of businesses do today – you’ll be able to find out more about it and its employees, and be active in the same groups, particularly the company’s own groups. By seeing, and even taking part in, discussions, it will extend your knowledge and give you topics to talk about when called for an interview.

LinkedIn is also a great way to see if you have any connections to staff in the organisation, which could potentially provide you with a word-of-mouth recommendation. Use your contacts to your advantage.

Making introductions
After applying for a role with a company, you may want to consider following up your application with a LinkedIn introduction request (but ensure you’ve completed the above steps first). This not only shows that you’re interested, but you’ll automatically stand out from the other candidates – you’re no longer just one of many applicants and the employer can put a face to your name because of your profile picture.

However, it’s important not to appear too pushy in this instance. Remember that the employer will undoubtedly have many CVs to read through, so don’t make demands – a friendly introduction is enough.

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Try something new It’s easy to get stuck in your ways when job-hunting, and so what better time to implement a new strategy or attend a new event than the dawn of a new year? Many people tend to remain quite insular in their job searches – indeed, the internet becomes their closest ally. But getting out into your desired industry through industry-specific events and seminars is an ideal way to network and potentially land yourself a job. For instance, publisher Penguin hold an Annual Graduate Open Day: ‘Getting into Publishing’ where hopefuls can learn more about opportunities in the field.

Resolve to complete your LinkedIn profile You set up a profile a few months ago; inputted the sheer minimum information it would allow, and haven’t logged in for months. Sound familiar? Make 2013 your year to get your LinkedIn profile completion bar up to 100% (literally); full of key words that will help you get head-hunted by relevant employers, and demonstrate that you are social-media-savvy to potential recruiters – after all, it’s the first place they will go!

Add a new skills bullet point to your CV Always wanted to get to grips with Photoshop software or brush up on your French? Now’s the time to do it. Make 2013 your year to add a new string to your employability bow and get researching potential classes or qualifications that will not only bring a little excitement into your life, but will all-importantly bring you one step closer to landing your dream job.

Make a career plan Regardless of whether you’re currently in work, or you are waiting to take your first step onto the career ladder, now’s the perfect time to draw up a career plan (especially as everyone usually feels quite ambitious and forward-thinking at the start of a new year!). Work backwards: begin with where you’d like your career to get you (be it a position, or a company) and then fill in the gaps at every year or two – where will you need to be in five years’ time to get there? What will you need to do in the mean time to get you on target? It’s a great to way to work out what you really want, and can prove quite the therapeutic end-of-year activity.

Re-write your CV Are you the same person you were at close of 2011? Do you still have exactly the same knowledge, experience and interests? It’s unlikely. And thus your CV needs to change accordingly to best represent your current skill set, and generally to give it a face-lift. Examine your CV as if it’s someone else’s: pick it apart, ask why you have included each bullet point of information, question whether the layout is the most streamlined it could be. This may take some thorough re-jigging, but by the end of it, you’ll have a CV to be proud of.

Annual career check-up Whether you’ve been in your current position for eighteen months or eighteen years, the bridge of one year to another is an ideal time to give your career a much-needed check-up. What have you achieved in the last year? Indeed, what could you have improved on? Does promotion or career progression look on the cards for next year? Do you feel valued? There are so many questions you can ask to determine your action plan for 2013: whether you’re going to try and get a promotion, or are keen to move on.

Branching out Old habits die-hard and it can be easy to use the same job sites each day, without even thinking of trying somewhere new. Search on Twitter (software such as Hootsuite will allow you to track multiple search terms at the same time), head to organisations’ own recruitment websites/areas, and engage with companies on LinkedIn through discussions. Not only will these practices shake up your job-search routine, they could be potentially laden with undiscovered opportunities.

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You might be counting down the days until you finish work for Christmas – a time to enjoy the company of family and friends and relax after a busy year – however this is a great opportunity to ensure your application tool kit is up-to-date. Try and find some time to refresh your CV– does it reflect all your skills and experiences of the last few months or years? If you’ve been in your current position for a while it’s understandable that your CV might be outdated, but don’t make the mistake of thinking you can do with an old one for now. And perhaps most importantly double check – or get someone else to – your CV for mistakes. At a time when recruiters and hiring managers are receiving multiple applications for each position, a simple grammatical or spelling error can move your CV instantly to the unsuccessful pile.

It’s also just as important to spend some time reviewing your online profile before you start actively applying for jobs. Just like your CV make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up-to-date and take the opportunity to assess if you are visible enough. Are you, for example, a member of the groups which could put you on the radar of employers or recruiters? If the answer is no, search out and join several groups which can help. And once you are a member increase your visibility by getting involved with discussions and engaging with fellow users.

It’s also important to see what information a prospective employer might find if they did their own research on you. Is your Facebook profile private for instance? The last thing you want is for personal photos or comments to negatively impact your employment prospects so audit the internet to ensure your online persona portrays a professional picture of you.

The next logical step – and before you start sending your CV out – is to assess what your objectives are for the year ahead. This will likely include your desired job role, the salary you hope to secure, any training you want to embark on, and any benefits – for example a pension or maternity package – you are hoping for. Not only will this plan ensure you really know what you are seeking, but it will also help you establish what companies might fit with your expectations.

Once your job search tool kit is in order, the next step is to ascertain what external assistance you might find useful. Spend some time researching recruiters that specialise in the area you are looking to find work in. By partnering with a specialist in you area, you will not only be able to receive information about jobs that exactly match your requirements, but you will also be able to benefit from their career advice. Reputable recruitment partners will get to know you, your strengths, any areas you might need advice with, and will have the connections to get you the desired role.

There may be lots of people vying for positions in January, but by doing the ground work now you will be one step ahead of many professionals who wait until the January blues kick in to start contemplating their future. By following the above advice you will be well on your way to a new position in the New Year. Good luck!

Words: Robert Bowyer, Director at Venn Group

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