What are you fixin’ to do this holiday season? Relaxing? Priming a turkey? Watching football?
How about preparing your job search? No?
You see, many job seekers think the holiday season is a time to ‘refrigerate’ their job search campaign. They are mistaken. In fact, the holiday season is the perfect time for you to thaw your job search tools, prep, dial up the heat, and get cooking!
While most job seekers will join you in re-launching their job search around…January, with our holiday job search recipe, you will stay ahead of your competition (because you are just that smart!).
So, leave the turkey roasting to your significant other (help just a little) and work on your own dish this holiday season. Here is what you will need for your holiday job search preparation…
Ingredients:
Two cups of branding: Define your brand by uncovering what is unique about you. What do you offer employers over other job seekers who are highly qualified? Extract your uniqueness, aligning with what employers need. Carmelize your candidacy until your (UVP) unique value proposition shows a rich color, and your efforts will create an irresistible job search entrée!
A branded resume leaf: Write or rewrite your resume, ensuring your personal brand is sprinkled across the entire document. Avoid job descriptions; instead, focus on what challenges you faced at each corporation and how you solved those challenges. If you recently started a new job, contemplate what you are positioning yourself to accomplish for this corporation.
Note: Important to clarify and blend your triumphs with your personal brand.
One LinkedIn profile: LinkedIn has become the most important social networking site to generate job leads. Don’t discard this tool because you are too afraid to try something new or because you just don’t have time to network. Now, during the holidays, as you have downtime—learn how to leverage this dynamic tool. Carve out select accomplishments from your resume and transfer that information onto your online profile. Do not copy and paste your entire resume on LinkedIn (deep frying your LI profile in your resume’s fat is not going to yield the best results).
One stick of job search planning: So where do you go after you’ve defined your brand, prepared your resume, and created your online profile? Start planning. Luck favors the prepared. Explore online job boards and make a list of corporations in your area you’d like to work for. What do they need? Whom can you contact at that company? What is the HR email?
A tablespoon of moxie: Having the confidence to sell your brand is crucial. Without the right attitude or ‘I-deserve-it’ mentality, your efforts will be futile–no matter the ingredients. But don’t overdo it. Too much confidence can come across as arrogance. Serve your confidence al dente.
Present your job search ‘dish’ with confidence, professional garnishing, and distinction, and tantalize employers’ taste buds! Your guest (employer) will be delighted they ‘ate’ what you had to dish out!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rosa Elizabeth Vargas www.careersteering.com
Please read the following Thanksgiving Job Search related posts!
Don’t Be A Job Search Turkey!
Thanksgiving Day Treat: The Turkey, and Sweet Gratitude
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