Peninsula Employment Group



"Bay Area Employment with the Personal Touch"
	HOME	ABOUT PEG	JOB FAIRS	CONTACT PEG

	*TEN RULES FOR PREPARING TO FIND A JOB IN THE NEW YEAR*
By Ron Visconti

As we approach November and December, we often get into a holiday mode, and "write off" our job search process. In fact, this time period can provide excellent opportunities for us to in make job transitions during the coming year.

Here are some things to keep in mind, related to your present strategy (winding down this year) and planning for next year:

Never stop your job search.
This means that you should always be in a job search mode, whether it is November, December, or January. Psychologically, if you stop your job search, you’ll need extra effort to pick it up again, due to lost time.
Take the months of November and December to talk with potential contacts.
Normally, these are more relaxed times for some companies and their representatives may be more open to talking with you.
Learn from the accomplishments and achievements of your year.
Do an inventory of what you learned, including key projects and the new contacts you made. Be mindful of new areas of growth and ways to strengthen you skills. Visualize what you would like to do next year and in the incoming year. What is a new direction you would like to try? What did you wish you did not have to do?
Take the opportunity to take your co-workers and vendors out for coffee to thank them for their support during the past the year.
It is important to build allies throughout your career.
Take this time to meet with new people in other companies and / in or your company to anticipate either industry or organizational changes.
Start looking at articles in your field to anticipate functional changes.
In your field, what will the new buzz words, concepts, and areas of growth be?
What new goals do you have for the new or upcoming year?
Review them at the end of the year. One goal might be to increase your salary by a specific amount, or perhaps, to join an association.
Update your resume to reflect your new goals and objectives.
Include your new skills and achievements. Remember: you must be like the Minute Men - always prepared. If your resume is ready, you can chat with people right away.
The holidays are also about doing good for others.
Find ways to volunteer for the holiday season and beyond.
The holidays are also about balance---
finding time to be with friends and family and telling them what they mean to you, in your personal life, as well as in your career. Remember: what you do and how you live affects others.

Ron Visconti is a career and recruitment specialist who has worked with and assisted numerous career changers through the career change process.