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Is 2017 the year that you vow to get a new job? Let’s kick start your career search with these 10 tips for finding your perfect role.

1: Look Internally

You might not expect a professional staffing agency to suggest looking internally for jobs, but it’s one of the most overlooked areas of opportunity! Building a solid career in your current role can make it easier to find external positions at a more senior level when you are ready for that kind of move.

2: Use Your Networks

Insider knowledge can help you land the best jobs. Keep building your network. Tell people that you are on the lookout for a new position and be specific about what you are looking for.

We know that when you are in a job you might not want your boss or your network contacts to find out that you are looking for other opportunities. Build connections with people who can open doors for you and keep your job search confidential. A trusted recruitment partner can help match you to the best opportunities and negotiate your final offer on your behalf.

3: Think Diversity

Diversity is one of our values, and it’s certainly relevant for job seekers looking to make a career move this year. Think about all the industries and businesses that would be a good fit for your skills. Now think further than that. For every business you have listed, try to add another that wouldn’t be your natural first choice.

By adding diversity into the mix of prospective employment targets, you are more likely to remain open to the right possibility, even if that doesn’t come from one of the usual suspects.

4: Update Your LinkedIn Profile

Employers will check it. So make some time to review your skills and experience, to write a brief and professional summary and to update your photo. If you’re applying for a particular type of job, make sure that your profile accurately lines up with the skills and competencies expected in that role. Little things like this can make the difference between securing an interview or not.

5: Prune Your Social Media

Check your settings on Facebook and other social media channels. If you share content that is best kept between you and your friends, make sure that your privacy settings function as you would expect them to.

Delete anything you wouldn’t want an employer to see and untag yourself from your friends’ photos.

6: Review Your Skills

When was the last time you did anything resembling continuing professional development? Look through your qualifications and training courses and check the dates. We sometimes see candidates who have a great set of professional certificates but these were achieved years ago, and there’s no evidence that the knowledge was kept up to date.

Make sure that your job applications can demonstrate that you care about professional development. You don’t have to take a new course, but find some way of showing an employer that you keep your skills relevant through reading, volunteering, attending PMI® Chapter meetings and so on.

7: Be Genuine

Hiring managers want to add charismatic and authentic individuals to their team. They aren’t looking for cookie-cutter employees who memorized the book of Great Responses To Difficult Interview Questions. You bring personality. You bring you. And we spend so much of our time with our work colleagues that it’s too hard to fake being someone else all the time.

Be genuine, and you’ll find a company that wants to take you on for who you really are.

8: Be Gracious

Say thank you. Send a personal note – email is fine – to the people who spent their time reviewing your application and interviewing you. It shows your personality, and it shows that you care enough to follow up. It might not be the only thing that tips the balance in your favor, but it could convince a hiring manager that they are making the right choice.

9: Don’t Look Desperate!

Employers can spot someone who looks a bit desperate to take a job – any job. And they don’t like it. If you really need work, it can be hard to hide this, but try to think about staying confident and remember that the application process and interview is also your chance to find out more about the company. If you do take a job with them you could be there for several years, so you want to be sure you are making the right choice for the right reasons.

10: Find Ways To Stand Out

There are a lot of people looking for work. The advice of a professional recruitment agency can really help set you apart from the competition, but there are also things you can do for yourself to stand out. Want a project job in the creative industry? Show your creativity, don’t just talk about it. Want to break into IT software projects? Do your research on your target company and be prepared to talk about the software projects that you would kick off and lead if you secured a role at their firm.

David Rogier has some other tips in this article from The Muse, including looking for projects that you think a company should be doing, and making a start on them – a bold move but effective for the right organization!

Triumph Strategic Consulting takes great pride in helping you find the perfect opportunity. Get in touch and let us help you secure an outstanding new role.

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