Happy New Year – Time To Get Cracking In The Job Search!

iStock | Panuwat Dangsungnoen

Even if you doubled down on your job search during the holidays, now is the time to lay the groundwork for the entire new year.

Here is a five-item checklist to supercharge the fulfillment of your professional aspirations. It’s not going to be easy. It’s trench warfare, so this is what you’re going to do. You’re going to hire yourself to do it and compensate yourself with whatever it is that will make you sit down and complete this checklist. Whatever it is, give it to yourself as payment for services rendered. If you don’t want to spend any money, write out a quick contract with yourself that you will pay yourself [insert compensation here] the day you get your new job. Sign the contract and stick to it.

If you’re currently employed and not actively seeking a new job, this applies to you as well. It’s always better to invest a little time at the beginning of each new year than be faced with the Herculean task of writing years’ worth of professional experience all at once.

1. Update your resume. That’s right. We said it and you’re going to do it. If you’re a new job seeker, this should go without saying. There is no time like now to create a dynamic professional resume. If you’ve been looking for a new job and failing to make any breakthroughs, now is the time to revise and improve your resume. If you’re currently employed, first, be sure you have your current position on your resume. Chances are you don’t. Add it, and while the memories are fresh include your top one or two accomplishments from last year. Remember to proofread!

2. Update your LinkedIn profile. Yes, more updating. Get used to it. If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, create one. For existing members, update your profile so it covers the same ground as your resume (which you just updated, right?). However, remember that a LinkedIn profile is an extensive multi-media supplement to your resume. While the most important information on your resume should be included, your LinkedIn profile is NOT a verbatim regurgitation of what’s on it.

3. Update your job boards profiles. Yes, a lot of this process is torturous repetition. If you have an updated resume, you need to update every job board on which you have a profile. Not only should you upload the newest version of your resume, but make sure all the information in your profile is updated as well. Job boards are trying to become career ecosystems like LinkedIn, so they continuously roll out new features for their posters. It’s worth the effort to explore what the job boards offer to see what may be advantageous to your job search.

4. Follow-up on any promising pre-holiday leads or communications. Don’t wait by the phone. Nobody will fault you for disappearing down the holiday hole, but you should not allow too much time to pass before aggressively pursuing any potential connections formed before the holidays. Since you updated your resume and LinkedIn profile (right?), you now have an additional reason to reach out to any recruiters or hiring managers with whom you believe you have traction.

5. Prepare for your job interview even if you don’t have one. Don’t wait until you’ve scheduled an interview to line up the tools you’ll need. Make sure you have multiple printed copies of your resume on professional resume paper. You may never need them but be prepared if you do. Make sure you have professional interview clothes (and shoes) dry cleaned and ready to go. If you’re in a creative field that requires a physical portfolio, make sure it’s updated for the new year and interview ready. If you’re employed but interviewing for new jobs, create a strategy to get time off for interviews without drawing undue attention to what you’re doing. Consider investing in some business cards. It seems archaic, but you’d be surprised how helpful they can be if you dole them out at an interview. Finally, if you want to go the extra mile, practice, practice, practice!

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

I Left My Last Job For This? How To Approach Going Back To A Prior Employer

In 2021, an estimated 48 million people resigned from their jobs, with the Great Resignation's wave of job hopping has reverberated throughout the labor market.

Let’s say you were one of those 48 million individuals who jumped jobs. And oh, boy, do you regret it. Maybe you walked into a poor workplace culture, a hideous commute, or simply a boss who makes your blood curdle.

You start saying to yourself, “I wonder if I can go back to my old job…”

It’s actually a somewhat common occurrence for people to return to past employers. There’s even a term for it, "boomeranging," and many companies have comprehensive staffing policies to address this specific circumstance.

So, what do you do if you switch jobs and realize you want to return? While some companies may frown upon bringing back employees who have shunned them once before, companies receive many benefits from boomerangers: they’re a known quantity, little or no training will be required, and they already know the ropes, the systems, and the culture. Many hiring managers find this a pretty attractive alternative.

That said, trying to go back to an old employer can require some tact and finesse. Before reaching out to your former company hat-in-hand, consider the following.

1. Be Smart About It. You left your job and ended up in a worse place – but be honest with yourself; are you really sure you want to go back? Or are you simply thinking of your old company as a safety net? Be certain that you want to your old job for the right reasons, and that if you do somehow finagle an offer, you’ll plan to take it. It’s not wise to play games or over-negotiate when "boomeranging," or you may damage your professional reputation and close that door forever.

2. Did You Leave On Good Terms? Downsized? Quit? Fired? Almost every company records in their employee database whether or not a former employee is eligible for rehire, and in order to be able return to a job after quitting, having left on good terms is invaluable (for example - offering two weeks’ notice as a courtesy). By the way, having been laid off or fired doesn’t necessarily mean you won’t be able to come back – but be prepared for detailed conversations about what happened the first time around, and the skepticism that accompanies it.

3. Find a Sponsor. If you have an ally that still works for the company, reach out to him or her and express your remorse for leaving and the rationale behind your desire to return – they may be willing to “sponsor,” or advocate for your return. With a sponsor, your chances of making a return can increase substantially. In addition to providing a valuable reference, they can let you know the insider chatter about your candidacy, which can be an advantage when prepping for interviews.

4. Your Old Employer May View You As a Flight Risk. In other words, you’ve already left once, what’s stopping you from leaving again? A rehire may attract a heightened scrutiny beyond the regular confines of HR, and employees normally uninvolved in a hiring process may weigh in when word gets around that a former co-worker is under consideration. It is common for people to view rehires as a flight risk. The onus is on you to make it clear that you are serious about returning for the long term.

5. Prepare to be Interviewed – Extensively. The rehiring process might be a more rigorous ordeal than you may anticipate. Take it seriously and don’t assume you have the job, just because you made it this far. There are no shoo-ins. You have to demonstrate more than what they already know about you. And don’t take offense, they’re doing their job.

6. Don’t Make It About the Money. If you receive a "boomerang" offer, do yourself a favor and downgrade your expectations. Do not string everybody along and make a stink about wanting a salary increase. That's the job interview equivalent of the Titanic hitting that iceberg, since they may feel like they’re being played. While it’s hardly unheard of for people to get more money upon returning (yes, it does happen, especially when they are the ones initiating the recruitment of a former employee), this needs to be counterbalanced with the distinct possibility your former company will want increase your compensation as a reward for leaving. It's all fun and games until you get an offer. Be prepared, and be realistic.

7. Understand Bridging. Last insider tip. When you left your former company, you were vested at a level commiserate with how long you were an employee (this date can impact your calculated tenure for vacation time accrual, profit sharing, 401(k) matching, bonuses, and other compensation). If you successfully boomerang back into a former job, many companies approach your renewed employment with a simple formula called "bridging," which at its most basic refers to bridging and closing the gap between your departure and return. Some companies handle returners with no gap in service date. At others, there might be a period you must work before you are eligible for the benefits you had previously earned at the time you left the company. Either way, once the offer is extended, it’s important to bring up bridging at that time, so that you can understand and (possibly) negotiate this.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

iStock | Nuthawut Somsuk

Graduated From College Without An Internship? How To Compete For Entry-Level Jobs

iStock | AndreyPopov

One of the advantages to higher education is access to career-starting internships. Companies may prioritize job candidates that have an industry-related internship, or two, on their resumes. Recruiting and onboarding new employees, including recent college graduates and soon-to-be graduates, is a 24/7, 365-day investment for every business, no matter how small.

You should expect recruiters and hiring managers to mitigate the economic risks associated with every new hire. However, it’s not just the Human Resources department. The IT department often calibrates its Automatic Tracking Systems to boost resumes with the keyword “internship” for entry-level roles.

Where does that leave talented college students and recent graduates who, for whatever reason, never worked an internship? Are they second-class citizens in the job marketplace? Do they suffer a career-starting disadvantage? The good news is recruiters and hiring managers weigh many factors before extending job offers. Here are five tips to help you level the playing field:

1. Don’t panic. The fact you don’t have an internship is not the end of the world. You will get your first job and it will be the start of a long and productive career. You can’t build a time machine and change the past (and if you know how to time travel you don’t need our advice!). Focus on the future and what is in your control. Be proactive. There are a finite number of internships. If you never had one, you’re in the majority.

2. Update your resume. You may not have internship experience but you have experience! Highlight academic projects and coursework related to your career objectives that demonstrate your knowledge and skills. Dress up your work experience with “soft” skills and “transferrable” skills. Yes, that includes your summer job. Even if you delivered pizzas, you learned something that will help you in any occupation. Consider a professional resume writer to help you. 

3. Use your school’s career center. Even if you never took advantage of your career center while you were an undergraduate, you should explore what services and aid are available for alumni. Even if the career center staff has never seen your face, they will help you to the best of their ability. For example, your career center may connect you with helpful alumni, direct you to unadvertised job openings, or give you invaluable le job search tips.

4. Apply for the jobs anyway. You will not get the job if you don’t apply for it. Forget about the obstacles or the fact the job listing specifies “candidates with internship experience.” Now is the time to be aggressive. The worst that can happen is that your resume never makes it past the ATS filter or a recruiter quietly tosses it in the trash because you didn’t follow their directive. There are no long-term consequences.

5. Get post-graduate experience equivalent to an internship. It can be tricky to land an internship after graduation. Most internships are intended for undergraduates and companies recruit on campus (or through a school’s career center). If you feel like you’re not making any progress and the lack of internship experience is a contributing factor, explore other ways to get the skills you need to compete.  Entry-level jobs, part-time jobs, contract work, and consulting are potential pathways that will elevate your value in the labor marketplace and increase your future opportunities.

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Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.