Kick-start your job search

The new year is here and memories of the blissful Christmas week off have quickly started to fade away.

Now that we’ve returned to harsh reality, those optimistic resolutions have started to seem like just a little bit too much work. But while it might be too cold and dark to go out jogging, and Veganuary or Dry January may be much less fun than you suspected, it’s easier to make positive steps to kick-start your career this year than you might have thought.

If you want to find yourself a great new job this year, here are 3 simple steps you can take to kick-start that process.

Update your CV

It’s a task dreaded by most, but a necessary one for anybody looking for a new job. Updating your CV now will achieve two very helpful goals.

Firstly, if you’ve been in the same job for a while, then it’s probably been years since you last updated your CV. You’ve probably now accrued experience that’s far more significant and interesting than most of what is on there. The old document that hides in some dusty corner of your hard drive likely describes a very different professional than the one you’ve become. By taking the time to update your CV, you give yourself the opportunity to reflect. You can consider the experience you’ve gained, the skills you’ve acquired, and the confidences and competencies you’ve developed. Reflecting on your past, and your present, can give you a much clearer insight into where you want to go, and where you would succeed, in future. This will help you focus your job search for the year ahead, and potentially help you think of avenues you may not have thought of previously.

Updating your CV now also gets one of the least enjoyable aspects of job hunting out of the way, and means you’ll be prepared for jobs when they come along. Instead of making excuses when a new job posting appears (‘it’s too much work to update my CV, I’ll never manage to do it by the deadline’), you can be ready for action straight away.

For tips on writing your CV, check out our blog ‘Get your CV to the top of the pile’ and keep an eye out for these things to leave out in ‘CVs: 5 things to avoid’.

Polish your LinkedIn profile

Arguably even more important than your CV is your LinkedIn profile. While your CV can only be seen by those you send it to, your LinkedIn profile is always on display, presenting an image of you to the professional world. This allows you to be found by colleagues and potential employers, building your professional network and increasing the number of opportunities open to you.

By building a robust profile that details your skills and experience, you will increase your chances of being contacted about relevant opportunities. Take the time to learn how to build a LinkedIn profile that draws the right kind of recruiter attention.

Make contact with a recruiter

Speaking of recruiters – why put lots of effort into hunting for a new job this year, when you can enlist the services of a top recruiter to do it for you (and there are benefits to working with just one recruiter)?

At Harvey John we take the time to get to know you and what it is you are looking for in your next job. You might not want to move right away, and we might not have any jobs for you right away – but by making contact and establishing a relationship now, you can be sure that we will get in touch when those great opportunities come along. Not only does this mean that you don’t have to keep your eye on job boards yourself, but it also means that we can offer opportunities through our connections that aren’t even advertised. But figuring out who is a bad recruiter and who is a great one can be tough – so make sure you take the time to choose the best recruiter for you.

So this week, why not update your CV, polish up your LinkedIn profile, and get in touch with Harvey John for accountancy, tax & treasury and legal jobs? Not only will you take care of some of the job-hunting hard work now, but you will also put yourself in a better position to discover and apply for great opportunities throughout the year.

We look forward to working with you.

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