It may feel premature to be talking about New Year's resolutions, but when it comes to your career, there's a lot you could be doing now to help lock down your dream job in 2017. Here's why: In general, the holiday season is a slow time in terms of promotions and new opportunities. Most teams are eager to close out 2016 this month. By knowing this intel, you can lay the groundwork for a serious professional leap in 2017.
Whether it's scoring a promotion, transitioning to new responsibilities, or moving to a new company or new field, here's exactly what you need to do to get there. Best of all, we've broken down the sometimes overwhelming task of getting a new gig into totally manageable, bite-size chunks. Try one each day through the month of December or pick a few of your favorites and get ready to have a new job in the New Year.
Schedule A Coffee Date With Yourself
Take an hour, sit down with a pad of paper and a pen (or your laptop and an open Google doc) and write out what you want — and even more importantly, why you want it. Some questions to ask yourself: What do you like about your current job? What do you hate? What has your employer praised you about in the past? Where do you need work? Where do you see yourself in one year? What about five years? Ten years? The more detailed you answer these questions, the clearer you'll be on what type of job you want to go for.
Consider Becoming A Holiday Temp
If you're currently full-time job hunting or have a flexible schedule doing shift work, offering your availability for the holidays, either informally or through a temp agency can be an easy way to get your foot in the door somewhere.
"I had just ended a contract in November and didn't have a job," says Jenna, 30, a copywriter. "I just reached out to friends and told them I was available for the next month and landed what was supposed to be two days a week filling in at a small company to help out for the holidays. The job turned into full-time in February."
Often, companies don't have a budget to hire until the new year, but may have a position they wish to fill — and a lot of work to get done. Becoming a temp can help them suss out your skills on the job and let you get to know the company while you net a paycheck.
Get Rid Of Gossiping
Here's the thing: Everyone indulges in office gossip at some point. And research has found it can actually be a good thing in terms of building rapport with coworkers.
When you're looking for a new job, it can be really tempting to talk about what you're doing — or commiserate with coworkers on why you all want to quit. That's why it's key to make a point to keep your lips zipped for the next month. If you have to spill, commit to actually talking in real life — not on Slack — and away from the office.
Book An Appointment With HR
We've talked up Human Resources a lot at R29 — and if you work in a large corporation, they're absolutely a great place to go in terms of getting a holistic view of how the corporation works.
Schedule an appointment with your HR rep with the idea that you want to talk about potential opportunities within your organization. Happy at your current position? Definitely stress that — HR wants to hear what's going well.
But also let them know if there are growth opportunities you're interested in, whether the corporation will cover educational reimbursement if you want to take a class relevant to your field, and whether they have any thoughts about your career trajectory. There could be a new position opening within a different department that needs your skill set — and you won't know unless you ask.
Update Your Resume & LinkedIn
You see a dream job posted — and your resume is two years old. Instead of rushing to update your resume when you need it (and are more likely to make mistakes), update it now and add relevant skills to your LinkedIn while you're at it.
Need some inspiration? Microsoft recently released cover letter templates with design input from digital print and designs company MOO that look polished and professional, but have a little bit more visual interest than 12-point font black on white paper if your industry is a little more creative and less formal.
Print Hard Copies Of Your Resume
Again, better to do it now than rush on your way to an interview. Ask a friend for use of their printer, use a copy shop, do it at your family's house during a visit, just don't print out your resume at your current job. Make 20–30 copies and have them in a folder so you can pass them out as needed when you score an interview.
Hit Up Your Holiday Party
Here's why: The holiday party is one of the few times where it's not weird, but expected, to chat to the big boss. No, you're not looking to pass out that freshly printed resume right now, but you are looking to talk shop with the very people who have the power to hire you down the road. Keep the conversations with everyone positive, focusing on how much you love the company (even if you don't) and any work wins (even if the past few months have been bleak)
And keep an eye out for any industry-related parties or end of year events. They're a great time to network.
Write A Holiday Card To Your Boss
Even if the relationship between the two of you has been rocky, the holidays are a good time to get back on the same page. Don't mention any negativity, just explain how much you've learned from them in the past year, citing a few specific, positive examples.
"I challenge you to find something nice or good or helpful about your boss. Describe how articulate they were in that meeting, how they won the client over so persuasively, how quickly they turned around that problem, and how you learned from it," suggests Ora Shtull, a career coach, author of The Glass Elevator, and co-founder of career resource site CareerBlast.
Practice "Shine Theory"
Remember the news about how Obama's female staffers adopted a meeting strategy called "amplification," where they reiterated what their colleagues said in meetings to make sure it was heard? The awesome thing about this is it doesn't just make that person look good — it also causes higher-ups to see you as a major player, too, according to Shtull.
"Self-promotion is critical to your professional ascent. But if this notion is challenging to you, start by 'tooting your own orchestra.' Your orchestra is the people you work with, and for, on projects. Tooting your own orchestra means directing the spotlight on their accomplishments. The catch is that you must include yourself as one of the players in the orchestra. The word 'I' must show up somewhere in your toot. It might sound like this: Madison was the perfect partner on this project. Her warmth and attention to every person on the client team definitely sold the project. I’m thrilled with her success and also gratified that I spent time drafting the strategy with her. There’s an added bonus to tooting your orchestra. When you point out a colleague’s success, your collaborative ability and positivity also shine through," says Shtull.
Ask Around
Here's a startling statistic: According to Glassdoor, nearly 50% of jobs are found through personal networking. Obviously, looking for a job while you have a job can be tricky, which is why it's key to be subtle when you're searching. Obviously, don't post on your social media networks that you're searching, but reaching out to a few trusted former coworkers or friends of friends to ask about potential opportunities is totally fine. Again, keep the communication positive and vague — you can talk about specifics in person later, the point of the e-mail is just to open the door to a conversation.
Spend Some Quality Time With LinkedIn
You know how you're always curious to see who has viewed you on LinkedIn — same goes for everyone, even people in relatively high up positions of power.
Doing LinkedIn searching as you stream Gilmore Girls will help you become familiar with who does what at your dream company — and is also a super low-touch way to let them know you're looking, too. Nervous to look publicly? You can always log out and search privately. The key is getting to know how your dream company is structured and who you should reach out to about potential positions come January.
Get Stuff Done
Now's the time to buckle down and get some serious wins done at the job you have. Not only will this sound awesome in future interviews, but it'll also continue to help you feel inspired at work.
One thing to try: Tamp down on so-called "junk productivity." This is the stuff — responding to every single e-mail, making sure your to-do list is organized — that makes you feel like you're doing stuff, but it's not necessarily helping your longterm career goals. Save mindless tasks for when you're less focused and use your time at work to slay.
Connect With A Mentor
Finding a new job is tough, and it can be incredibly helpful to have someone in your corner. While some people will hire a career coach for exactly this reason, you can also find similar unofficial support from a mentor you trust. If you don't already have a mentor — a former boss, someone who is five to ten years ahead of you in the same career field, or even someone in an entirely different career field whose drive and vision you admire is great — it's time to find one.
Ideally, you want someone who can do some regular check-ins with you, if the one you seek out doesn't have time to answer your e-mails or sends back short responses, it may be time to find someone else.
Dress In Interview Mode
Because right now, even if you're just going to your regular job every day, you are in interview mode. Shifting your wardrobe to what you'd wear if you got a promotion or started working at a new company can help get you in the productive mindset you need. Not only that, but if you're already dressing a bit more formally during your regular days at the office, it'll be that much easier to sneak out for an interview without being detected when it counts.
Follow Luminaries In Your Field On Social Media
Whatever your field, find 10–15 people who you aspire to be one day. These should be a step removed from mentors — people who may not have the time or the bandwidth to help you in a one-on-one capacity, but whose lives and words inspire you. Following them can help you get a sense of where you'd like to be one day plus give you an overarching view of how your industry is shifting.
Celebrate What You've Accomplished
Take a day and give yourself a huge cheers for taking a proactive approach to your career.
"My friends and I created a monthly media ladies wine night," says Melissa, 38, a PR executive. "We invited our friends and would book tables at cool wine bars around the city. Yes, it was networking, but we didn't necessarily talk shop. In fact, we had a rule where positivity was embraced. Some people did land gigs from it, but the focus was just on celebrating all we've accomplished."
Get It Done Or Let It Go
Chances are, there's some to-do on your list that's been following you for months, if not years. It could be cleaning out a junk drawer. It could be reach out to a key contact. It could be finally updating that not-urgent deck. Whatever it is, get it done or give it up. Obviously, with some things, you'll need your boss' okay to just not do it. In that case, figure out what's holding you back: Is it that you don't understand a key step or that it takes a lot of hours for little reward? Whatever it is, knowing what's held you back can give you the tools you need to get it done.
For example, say your boss gave you a huge deck to update. You know it will take at least eight hours and you've put it off since August. Schedule a sit down with your boss and say, "I know this has been on my to-do list for awhile and I'm excited to get everything squared away by the end of the year. I'd love to discuss how to prioritize this with my other projects." She may find it's not worth it and then you can cross it off your list, guilt-free.
Clean Out Your Workspace
Not only can KonMari-ing in your workspace make it easier to get work done (less time looking for things, more time getting stuff done) it also makes it that much easier to pack up and go when you finally get the new gig.
Add Value To Your Resume
If there's something lacking on your resume — say you've never managed people, but the positions you're applying for require some management experience — you can augment your resume by adding in volunteer experience, says Lynne Sarikas, Executive Director of the MBA Career Center at the D'Amore-McKim School of Business At Northeastern University in Boston.
While organizations are always looking for volunteers, the holidays are a great time to get your foot in the door. And it goes without saying that you shouldn't volunteer just to enhance your resume, but it is a great bonus.
Plan A Reward
When you do get the dream job, what are you going to do? Having a dream purchase, trip, or way to treat yourself can be a powerful incentive to remind you that a new job will enhance your whole life.
Edit Your Social Media Presence
Especially in what has been an incredibly contentious election season, it's smart to make sure your social media presence is one that won't raise any red flags to future employers. Delete any inflammatory or emotion-driven Tweets, put your Instagram on lockdown if it's primarily photos for friends and family, and see what comes up when your Facebook profile is searched.
"Many potential employers check applicants online before making an offer. Be careful what you post knowing that it may be seen by a potential employer. Put your best foot forward," says Sarikas.
Walk To Work A Different Way
Sounds so weird, but career experts say that switching up small stuff in your routine can snowball into big changes. Another thing: Download some motivating podcasts while you're en route to work: Ones we love with a career bent: Being Boss, Beyond The To-Do List, and How Did You Get Into That?
Start Searching
Have some downtime? Now's a good time to start searching online job postings. Apply if you feel motivated, but also consider this more a fact-finding mission: You're seeing what's out there, and also seeing how positions are framed — skills you can use in your upcoming interviews.
"I had always worked in magazine editorial, but wanted to make a shift," says Carolyn, 30, a copywriter. "So I began looking at copywriter job openings and saw the language they used was slightly different to describe the same skills I had. I felt like it was almost a foreign-language course — I had to become fluent in their terms in order to show I was ready for a job in that field."
Make A List
All right! Now's the time to pop open the bubbly and make a list of all the ways you've killed it this year. Don't be shy, you won't share this list — but you will draw from it for future interviews. This is also a chance for you to realize that even if the job you have held has been less than ideal, you got a lot of transferable skills and experience that will help you slay at your next gig.
Take A Deep Breath
Go to yoga, take a hike, stretch out on the couch and watch a documentary on Netflix — anything that honors the part of you that's not work.
Want some inspiration? Read how majorly impressive luminaries like to start their day. Even if they're being pinged with hundreds of emails a day, they still take plenty of time to do stuff they love — and even consider that a secret to their career success.
Have An Out Of Work Project
We've heard it a million times: Finding a job is a full-time job. But so much laser focus isn't exactly fun. In fact, people who've found their dream job say it happened when they extended their focus to another one of their passions.
"I feel like my career took off when I started training for marathons," says Kim, 30, an attorney. "Training gave me motivation and discipline and a place to just turn my brain off." We're not saying sign up for long distance events if they're not your thing — but do consider branching out your interests for maximum success.
Be Responsive
If you have put out feelers, make sure you're responding to potential hiring mangers — even if you're on vacation, says Sarikas.
"Make a positive impression with every interaction, including e-mail," says Sarikas. In fact, if you are on vacation and have emails out asking for informational interviews or have already started reaching out to recruiters, it can be smart to post an out of office on your personal e-mail, letting people know when you'll be back online.
Do A Mock Interview
If your interview skills are rusty — or you've never had to do a formal interview for a job — now's a great time to start. Either have an informational interview with someone in the industry (a holiday week can be a great time to do this, since a lot of people in the office may have more downtime than usual) or sit down with a friend and talk through your skills. At the very least, brush up on your answers to the most common interview questions.
Get Your Thank-You Notes Ready
Take advantage of post-holiday sales and stock up on card stock for future thank-you notes, suggests Sarikas. "Interviewers remember when candidates send a hand-written thank-you note. Stand out from the crowd. Time is a precious commodity, so say thank you when someone is willing to share time with you."
At this point, most employers expect an e-mailed thank you immediately (like, by end of day) but placing one in the mail a few days later can also be crucial in helping you stand out. While you're at it, make sure to stock up on stamps.
Put Your Action Plan In Motion
You've set the groundwork and are ready to go. For the next month, devote at least 30 minutes every morning to making your career search happen — and set a Google reminder and time on your calendar to make sure it does. Sure, some days you may spend that time just reading an industry blog — which totally counts — but having that built-in time every day will allow you to keep your momentum going and not get trapped in a "there's no time" excuse.
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