Workplace

Attention, job-seekers. Career experts say that even if you’ve been looking for a job for months, a new year is the perfect time to re-start your search from scratch. So, here are tips to kick-start your new job search, courtesy of MSN.

• First: Swap screen time for face time. Many people think all they have to do to network is join Facebook or LinkedIn, but simply joining a site won’t get you a job. Experts say you need to develop relationships with the people you connect with. That way, you’ll be on their radar when a job opportunity pops up. So, go out for coffee or lunch with five people from your field every month. That means anyone in your industry, whether it’s a former co-worker or a friend-of-a-friend.
• Another tip to jumpstart your job search: Keep your resume short and sweet. Recruiters from the top accounting firm Price Waterhouse Cooper say a mile-long resume detailing all of your accomplishments will be the first resume hitting the trash. Why? Because recruiters don’t have time to read how great you are. So only list your relevant accomplishments on one page. That shows you’re a clear communicator.
• Then, highlight what you’re good at. The old school of thought was companies wanted to hire a jack-of-all-trades. Now, they’d rather you be a stand-out in one specific area. Say a top computer programmer or sales agent. That’s because your expertise is guaranteed to get the company quick results.
• The final tip to kick-start your new job search: Blog your way to a job. The goal isn’t to become a Pulitzer-prize winning author. It’s to showcase your expertise. So, contribute to a blog that’s related to your field. Raise new points, ask questions, and develop relationships with other contributors. Blog-posting not only exposes you to a huge number of people in your field, but it’s also the perfect answer to the number one interview question. “What have you been doing since your last job?”