8 Things to do differently in 2022 to improve your job search and your career

The job market is hot right now. Employers, regardless of industry, are having trouble recruiting and retaining the talent they need, and candidates have more interview options than ever before. While this is an excellent environment for job seekers, it’s putting a strain on hiring companies and employees trying to execute on goals amid constant uncertainty and chaos. The pace of voluntary turnover shows no sign of slowing down, nor do the hiring needs of companies in all industries and fields. Add to this the ongoing pandemic; to say these are uncertain times is a gross understatement. Here are some things you can do to improve your focus and optimize your brand, your job search, and your current company:

Craft a well-written, succinct resume. LinkedIn, digital resumes, and personal websites aside, most hiring managers still want to see a resume. Ignore the urge to be super creative with format or graphics. Keep your graphics minimal and organize your resume in a reverse-chronological format. Do NOT use a “functional” resume. Everyone hates these. They beg a lot of questions with no readily available answers.

Up your game on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is the most important professional networking site out there. You probably have a profile, but are you using it to your best advantage? Check out my recent blog for some specific tips on how you can maximize your LinkedIn results. 

Take a personal/professional values inventory. Sit down and think about this. What is most important to you in your life right now? Disabuse yourself of the notion that there’s a personal life and a professional life. You only have one life. What do you want to be doing with your limited time on the planet, and how does your career fit into that? 

Work on your brand. If you don’t actively manage your personal brand, you effectively cede ownership of it to your network. You want to decide what your brand is and not leave it up to others to draw their own conclusions. 

Manage your expectations. It’s a hot job market, but it’s still competitive. Most job searches take time. Manage your expectations so that you’re not disappointed. 

Conduct interview post-mortems. At the end of any big project, a post-mortem is standard protocol. You should be evaluating your interviews in the same way. What went right? What could be improved? What can you learn and apply to the next one?

Optimize your video. Video meetings are the new normal. They’re not going away. Organize your workspace in a manner that reflects professionalism. I’m not talking about the occasional visit from the cat or your child. Both are okay and unavoidable. I mean, don’t have baskets of laundry, dirty dishes, or a hoard of magazines stacked in view of your camera. Alternatively, you could consider using a green screen. Don’t forget your ring light! 

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Despite the myriad communication media available to us all, we are less connected than ever. You could even consider going “old school” and having a phone call! Be purposeful with your communications and consider which medium is best for the situation.

Most importantly, be adaptable. Focus on what is within your control. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we need to be flexible and not hold on to the “old way” of doing business. Failure to adapt and change will mean stagnation. If you wish to progress and grow, you need to do new things.