The Indeed website is suggesting that up 25% of people in the USA have finding a new job as a priority for 2017 and another 27% were open to the possibility of a new job this year. I suspect those figures are comparable in Australia. As they sing at Christmas “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”

Candidates are on the move in January. This is the busiest time of the year for changing jobs. People who don’t get their bonus or pay increase they were expecting in December are looking to move, along with those who were made redundant before Christmas, plus all the people that have had two weeks off and come back to work and think “I can’t bear another year of this!” are all in the market.

Employers are finding their staff are leaving and creating the opportunity for someone else to take their spot that will love their vacant position. Combined with all the employees that left their jobs in November and December and the employer left it till the new year to replace them. It’s busy with job openings too.

If your new years resolution is to get a job you love, well here is what you need to know

How do you prepare for the highly competitive new year job market?

• Your resume should be in tip-top shape. Check our resume tips to help you put your best foot forward.
• Update your resume with your latest achievements – this helps to get your resume to the top of the pile (and there is plenty of competition this time of year, so this is important!)
• Update your LinkedIn profile. There is a new feature on LinkedIn launched last year, so recruiters can see you are in the market and interested to talk about new jobs. LinkedIn have assured candidates that your current employer can’t see this to preserve your confidentiality.
• Be clear about your reason for leaving, a wishy-washy reason for leaving is a big turn off for a lot of employers. They assume if you are so quick to leave your last employer without some solid conviction, then you could be just as quick to leave them.
• Be clear about the direction of your career and the types of roles that will get you there.
• Have a robust discussion with an experienced recruiter. They can offer great advice about career options, salary expectations and potential employers that could be a good fit for you, given they understand your objectives, long term goal and skill set.
• Contact previous managers and workmates that love their current job – you might be a great fit for their employer too… as they say “birds of a feather, flock together”.

What if you are not in the market for a new job?

• Update your resume with your latest achievements and responsibilities – this should be an annual task each year to keep your resume up to date, regardless of your career move intentions.
• Update your LinkedIn profile – Recruiters are constantly keeping an eye on LinkedIn and searching there for candidates. You don’t want to miss out on a head hunt call that is the job opportunity of a lifetime because you haven’t bothered to keep LinkedIn up to date.
• January is a good time to think about how you can move your career forward in the next twelve months with your current employer. Ask to sit down with your direct line manager to discuss it. Agree on some milestones and responsibilities to achieve each quarter to help fast track your career.
• Have you got a mentor? Then get one. This person can be a wise person from a business you’ve worked in previously, or alternatively look for someone in the organisation. Ask to catch up each month or bi-monthly to help provide alternative options on how to handle tricky situations, provide guidance on internal politics and policy, team influence and advice on advancing your projects. Still not sure, ask me – I often help candidates find mentors from outside their organisation.

Happy job hunting in 2019!