Five Ways To Kickstart Your Job Search In 2023

Congratulations, you made it to the new year! With this fresh start comes new career goals for many professionals. If you are considering a new challenge or transitioning to a different industry, you’ve come to the right place. 

As a former recruiter, I can tell you that the new year is the best time to look for jobs. Companies have renewed their budgets and have set ambitious goals for the year. At the same time, recruiters and hiring managers are fresh from the holidays, ready to receive thousands of applications.

So, how do you stand out? Here are the five best things you can do to kick-start your job search for 2023.

Know what you want

Are you looking for a new challenge that will enable you to learn new skills? Perhaps a job with better pay and flexibility? Before you start scrolling job boards and polishing your resume, you first have to determine what your next ideal role would be. 

What is the main motivation that keeps you going? What do you dread most about your current role? Reflecting on your current or past jobs will give you precious insight. Figuring this out would help you know what you want for your next role.
We covered this on Day 1 of our 5-day free masterclass series: New Year, New Career, and got great feedback from our viewers, who typically don’t consider what they really want in their job search. But it’s not too late to learn, join us for Day 4 & Day 5 this week and learn all about interviews & how to negotiate the best job offer!

If you want to pivot to a different industry, we’re here to tell you that it’s possible. With the right help, your 2023 career goals are within reach.

List your top companies

Many industries have been shaken up by what’s happening in the world and in tech. Take a look at the companies that are on a hiring freeze or have made recent redundancies in their workforce. If one of the companies you want to work with is on that list, we would suggest taking a pause in considering them. They are most likely affected by something and would not accept new people anytime soon.

On the flip side, look at companies that have been raising money, growing, and doing well in previous years. These are the companies you would want to target. It will be a bonus if you’re interested in their product or services and their industry.

Job sites like LinkedIn (all jobs under the sun), Wellfound (jobs in fast-growing startups), and WeWorkRemotely (remote jobs) are good starting places to help you look for fast-growing startups in the tech industry. With all that in mind, I encourage you to make a list of at least ten companies you would love to work with and for. Bonus points if these companies have an open role that would be an excellent fit for your past experience and skills.  

Tailor your Resume and LinkedIn profile

Now that you know where you want to go, it’s time to craft your resume & LinkedIn profile to fit each role you’re applying for. The keywords you use are crucial. Tweaking your resume to highlight relevant skills and experiences that would match the role’s job description and top keywords should be the goal. Check for important keywords on the job description that you can integrate into your bespoke resume.

A key thing to remember is that your resume should be as relevant for the role as possible. Highlighting your transferable skills here would be a plus. Here’s a tried and tested free resume template to help you optimize your current resume.

Take the extra step

We know it’s tempting to spam “easy apply” until your fingers tire. We’ve seen people hit apply a hundred times, waiting for a bite from recruiters. This strategy is ineffective and reactive. 

We recommend reaching out to hiring managers or teams on your top company list. Just like anything else worth having in life, relationship-building will require time and patience! It’s not something you can do overnight. To start, simply commenting on their LinkedIn post or sending them a DM asking about their current project can go a long way. Engaging in consistent and meaningful interactions would help you get noticed and give you better chances to be interviewed.

Prepare for the interview

Interviews are the last step in the hiring process. It’s your best chance to show recruiters or hiring managers why you’re the right person for the job. 

Here are a couple of things to prepare you for the big day:

• Research the company and its priorities, and get to know who you will work with.
• Look up common interview questions and take note of your best stories to answer each of them.
• Prepare work experience examples that are relevant to the role and, most importantly, highlight the IMPACT. (ie. % of growth from your recent campaign)
• Think about questions to ask your interviewer that focus on THEM and their unique experience

Equipping yourself with this information ensures that you’ll be able to speak their language and understand why they are hiring for this position. Remember to showcase your value and sell the amazing skills & experiences that you bring to the table!

As you head off into your job search, remember that the goal is not just to get any new job… it’s to get the job right for you right now! Our goal is to help you feel more confident in yourself and inspire you to make 2023 the year land the ideal career you so deserve!

If you’d like to see me in action and work with our Workhap team, I encourage you to:

1. Attend Day 4 & Day 5 of our free Masterclass series: New Year, New Career!

2. And check out our signature job search program: Get Hired Academy which is now open for enrollment until January 18!

We can’t wait to see what the new year has in store for you. Always rooting for you!