How To Keep Your Executive Job Search Going Strong In The New Year

Now that the New Year is upon us, it’s time make some choices regarding your executive job search that could help offer you a fresh start. You've likely developed some very effective habits to find a job, but the beginning of a new year is a great place to take a look at your methods and ensure that you're doing everything possible to find that perfect job in 2010.

Reevaluate What You Want

As you’re thinking about the executive career you’re looking for, it’s good to make sure you feel the same way that you did about your career track a few months ago. It’s natural to evolve over time and have your career objectives evolve with you.

So before you go with the “flow” you’ve created for yourself, take some time to make sure you’re heading in the direction you want to move in at this point. You may realize that it’s time to actually reevaluate your goals and begin searching for a career in a totally different industry.

Look for New Industry Trends

If you’re sure that you’re on the right track with the career you’re pursuing, even at this stage in your career, it’s good to keep searching for new trends to learn and understand. You may know a great deal about your industry, but without being entrenched in it regularly, it’s hard to know everything that’s going on.

So in the New Year, it’s a good idea to see what new trends are expected in your industry then take the necessary steps to prepare yourself for changes (i.e. take new classes, add new categories to your blog, etc.).

Build Your Online Professional Brand

If you have yet to expand on your online presence, it is more than important that you get started sooner than later, so why not do it for the New Year? Many employers recruit executive-level professionals they’ve found online, so it’s important to build a brand in this area.

Websites like LinkedIn are a great way to develop an online presence, as they allow you to connect with other professionals, post your resume and employment history, and you can even get recommendations from others in your field. Also, you could create a free blog that allows you to give tips, advice and insight about your field.

Another great way to expand your online presence is to purchase a website domain in your name. This can be cheap--expect to pay as little as $10 per year, with additional costs of about $5 per month for hosting. On your website, you could create a simple page that lists your name, title, contact information and a link to your LinkedIn page/resume (don’t forget to create a creative, yet professional design).

Review Your Resume

One of the most important ways to get a good start to your job search in 2010 is to review your resume. If you can find some recent accomplishments, awards, or even guest blogs to add to your executive resume, add them in. You might also want to double-check your spelling and grammar, and if you've got a digital resume, check to ensure that you're submitting it in a common document type (such as PDF or DOC).

With every new year comes a breadth of new opportunities, and you'll certainly want to take advantage of these opportunities whenever and wherever possible. So as you prepare for a new year of job seeking, don’t forget to refresh and rebuild for 2010.