Heading in to the New Year is always the perfect time to recalibrate. Starting a brand new year allows us a fresh start to reflect upon, evaluate & reset goals. While this is traditionally the time of year when everyone starts getting healthy again, putting their diet on the right track and jumping back into the workout routine. This can also be the perfect time to address that job change you’ve been contemplating and explore your next career move. Are you waking up every day un-energized about going to work? Are you feeling stagnant in your current role simply because you’re ‘comfortable’? Career growth – especially in technology – is often driven through change. If it has been a couple years since you last market tested your skills make it part of your new year’s plan to explore new frontiers.
Here are 7 tips to help you get started in finding your next dream job:

1. Resume & LinkedIn Profile

Get that resume out and dust it off. If it’s not up to date, add the missing positions with your current position at the top. Make sure your responsibilities are in a bulleted list, and include the accomplishments and successes that you personally contributed to the project. Don’t forget to do a spellcheck – you don’t want a few oft overlooked mistakes to diminish your credibility.

In addition to the resume, make sure to update your LinkedIn profile, complete with a professional picture … if you don’t have a profile, now is the time to make one! Recruiters will be searching for you on LinkedIn, and you want to ensure they can find you, plus simply updating your profile will signal some activity coming your way.

2. Network

Reach out to your friends, past colleagues and other professional contacts in your network. Let them know you are looking for new opportunities because they may be able to connect you with relevant positions or someone else in their network that may be able to help you out.

Get out and attend some Tech events or Meetups in your community. This is a great way to establish new connections with people from other companies who may be hiring. You can never have too many people in your network. Check out the calendar section on our Newsletter for upcoming events near you over the next month.

3. Contact Your RMC Recruiter!

Call, email or text your Recruiter to let them know you are looking for something new. That is what we are here for! We want to know when you are ready for that change or starting to look around so that we can help you move to the next step in your career. We want to know what your ideal opportunity looks like, so that we can connect you to it.

We also have great relationships with hiring managers so you don’t have to worry about your resume getting lost in a black hole, and we can help move the interview process along.

4. Research Interview Questions

Do some research on most common interview questions, and come up with answers for them so that you are prepared for anything that comes your way. Your Recruiter can also help you with this, as we have good insight into the types of questions that are asked in interviews.

5. Know Your Stuff

Be able to talk about your experience and your roles that you’ve held. You should be able to articulate your current and past responsibilities and what YOU specifically did on each project … avoid talking in terms of ‘we’. Hiring Managers want to know how you contributed to the team and what you did in order to ensure successful completion of a project.

6. Assess Your Interview Apparel

Don’t wait until you are scheduled for an interview to look in your closet for what to wear. Be proactive and assess your interview apparel. If you don’t have a suit that fits, now is the time to go out and buy one. It pays off to look sharp. Rule of thumb, always dress one step above the manager you are interviewing with … suite and tie is the default.

7. Remember to Carry Yourself Well

First impressions are lasting ones. Get a good night’s sleep the night before an interview to make sure you’re on your A-game. Make sure you have a firm handshake and make eye contact with your interviewers. Most importantly, don’t forget to smile throughout the interview! You’re not only being assessed on your skills and experience, but also your personality to ensure that you would mesh with the team.

When in doubt, if you have questions you can always contact our team at RMC and we will answer any questions you may have in terms of a job search, resume/online profiles and interview prep. Whatever you do, don’t deny yourself the opportunity to advance in your career. If you are unhappy in any aspect of your current role, you owe it to yourself to start the hunt for the position you are worthy of … there are some great opportunities out there.

Happy New Year!