5 Job Hunting Tips for the New Year

New year, new you! If you’re job hunting in January, you’re likely both excited and terrified. You’re not alone—the first two months of the year are the most popular time for job hunting.

Maybe it's something about past reflection or future resolutions, but whatever it is, BeamJobs has got your back.

If you're searching for jobs in 2023, strive to hit these five tips for job hunting!

1. Google yourself

You wouldn’t date someone without looking at any of their social media pages, and employers follow this same rule.

You can bet your future employers are going to Google you, so it’s in your best interest to know what you’re up against.

Search for your full name (and maybe add your location, too), then see what comes up. What articles are listed? What pictures are posted?

Then try searching for your email address or phone number. What comes up? Is it good, bad, or neutral?

Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to what’s associated with your name on the web, so do a 10-minute search to avoid being in the dark.

2. Delete and adjust

Remember that embarrassing photo from your last company Christmas party? Yeah, there’s a good chance it’s somewhere on the Internet. Even if it doesn’t come up immediately when you search, it’s safer to just delete anything negative.

Here are some of our tips for protecting your online profile:

Delete any aggressive or inappropriate pictures or posts (even on your personal accounts)

Create social media handles that are different than your name (nicknames are a good place to start)

Change your privacy settings on your personal accounts

Overhaul your professional email address so it’s a variation of your name

3. Figure out what you want & what’s available

Money is important, but so is your personal happiness. Are you applying to jobs with your future in mind, or are you picking anything you can tolerate?

We’re not saying to be so choosy that you’re broke and unemployed by Valentine’s Day. What we are saying is that you should know what you want.

Do you want to be a data engineer or a data analyst? What about an editor versus a copywriter?

We’d definitely recommend keeping an open mind, but even if you’re desperate, don’t apply for just any old job. Your skills are valuable, so hunt for positions within your skill set and desired field.

And while you’re looking for positions, look into hiring trends. What kind of companies are hiring, and who are they looking for? It doesn’t hurt to know a bit more about what’s going on in your field.

Our advice? Develop a list of target employers you’d love to work for someday. Then make a separate list of who’s actually hiring. That way you’ve got both a future plan and a right-now checklist!

4. Update your LinkedIn

As we’ve said before, employers are going to search for you online. So, make sure they’ve got a good place to find your career history and accomplishments.

You've already decided what you want, so you should have a good place to start on tailoring your profile. This is also the perfect time to reflect on the year and determine your biggest accomplishments.

What are you most proud of that you achieved last year? What do you hope to achieve this year?

Write down the answers to these questions and practice talking about them for your upcoming interviews.

5. Begin the networking process anew

Networking can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be. Start by developing a process that you can repeat several times throughout the year.

You may have a good network built up already, but it doesn’t hurt to repeat these steps:

Thank the people who have helped you this past year. Being humble and grateful will take you far, and people love to know they’ve played a part in your success.

Determine how you want to reach out to your contacts: LinkedIn, email, phone calls, conferences, career fairs, or any number of options.

Join a job-hunting group or a professional society (like the Society of Children’s Book Writers or the Association of Data Scientists)

Those are our top tips for job hunting in the new year! Don’t forget to reward yourself for your successes. Maybe you wrote three cover letters in a day or submitted 15 resumes. Or maybe you got that interview you were dying to get.

Either way, treat yourself for a job well done!

You got this,

Stephen, Co-founder @ BeamJobs