How Should I Prepare for a Job Search

How Should I Prepare for a Job Search The start of the new year is traditionally a good time for hiring. Yes, this means that job seekers should refine their résumés. But your C.V. is just one of multiple ways job seekers should market themselves. I can think of 10 more off the bat. I know what you’re thinking: 10 tools, in addition to a resume, sounds like a lot of work However, many of these build on each other and support the answer to “Why should an employer hire you?” And that’s a question job seekers must answer confidently and convincingly. Here are the 10 things you’ve got to work on to help propel your search: 1. Social Media Profile More companies are using social media to find candidates. When you update your resume, update your online profiles as well. 2. Social Media Activity Don’t just change the details on your profile. Update your status, post an interesting article related to your line of work, make a comment that showcases your professional expertise. If you are looking for a job that requires social media savvy, having a static profileâ€"however, updatedâ€"will not be enough without regular and relevant activity. 3. Headshot You don’t need a professional to take your photo, but you do need a professional-looking photo. A photo on your social profiles makes you seem more personable. Also, from a practical standpoint, a picture can help you with networkingâ€"some people won’t remember your name after having met you once or a while ago, but they might remember your face. 4. Cover Letter A cover letter is not a rehash of your resume. It enables you to highlight your most relevant and compelling facts. It helps you smooth over a story that includes employment gaps and/or career changes. It is a chance for you to make the case for why your dream employer should hire you. 5. Cover Email You can’t just copy and paste your cover letter into the text of an email. It will be too long and too formal. A cover email is like a cover letter in that it highlights the best, explains away any red flags and makes a compelling caseâ€"but it has to do this in a fraction of the space. 6. 20-second Pitch When you meet someone, you need to introduce yourself. What you say is part of how you market yourself. Keep in mind that your new connection ideally can introduce you to others, including possible employers. So what you say needs to be memorable and repeatable. 7. 2-minute Pitch You also need to be able to talk about yourself in more than a 20-second sound bite. You may book a networking meeting over coffee and have the chance to share more about your background. Aim for two minutes. This is enough time to give the arc of your career, as well as highlight key accomplishments. 8. Your Pitch for Someone Else to Use Your friend offers to help and will forward your resume or make an introduction at an event. What do you want your friend to say? Using your cover email and 20-second pitch, be ready with a version in the third person that someone can use to introduce you. 9. Portfolio Of course, a writer should have clips, and a designer should have samples. But a software developer can showcase programs, a marketer can share a campaign, a consultant can share a slide presentation that summarizes the business case developed. Every professional can showcase their work in some way. A visual, tangible example is so much more powerful than a wordy explanation. 10. Personal website You can pull all of these items togetherâ€"social profile, social updates, headshot, short introduction, portfolio, and resumeâ€"in a personal website branded with your name. You can list your URL on your business card and résumé to point employers to additional information. A recent survey of over 15,000 job seekers by branded.me and The .ME Registry showed only 4% had personal websites, which implies just having a personal website would be one point of differentiation. Caroline Ceniza-Levine is co-founder of SixFigureStart ® career coaching. She has worked with professionals from American Express, Condé Nast, Gilt, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, and other leading firms. She’s also a stand-up comic. This column appears weekly. Read more from Caroline Ceniza-Levine: 5 Career Questions that Will Make You More Successful in 2015 How to Ace Your Next Phone Interview 3 Ways Women Can Get the Raises they Deserve 5 Ways You’re Sabotaging Yourself in Job Interviews How to Cold Call Your Way to a New Job