Happy New Year: A Guide to Making Job Search Resolutions

We are just days away from the New Year, meaning that you can’t help but reflect on what 2015 brought and how you can excel in 2016. While some people might shy away from making resolutions for the New Year, when working towards a goal, like getting a new job, it can help you put together a plan that you can look forward to in the coming months. Here are four tips on making job search resolutions for the New Year:

Plan Steps, Not Bounds

The problem with many New Year’s resolutions is that people set a major goal without setting smaller ones that they need to meet on a daily or weekly basis. While you may set a goal to have a new job by April, what are you going to do on a weekly basis to ensure that you get to your goal? Just like it’s easier to reach your weight loss goal when you plan weekly steps, it’s going to be easier to get that new job you want if you make weekly goals you can hit.

Make Resolutions That You Will Be Happy To Follow Through On

The more excited you are about doing something the more apt you are to see it through to completion. One of the reasons resolutions fail is that they are looked at like chores instead of something that should be enjoyed. It is important to be positive and enjoy your job search. If your resolution is to network more, find networking opportunities that you will enjoy. If you want to learn EXCEL, take a class with a friend so you can practice together. Think of ways to improve your search while having a great time.

Set Dates for When You Will Accomplish Each Step 

While it may be tempting to make “open ended” resolutions, it is always better to give yourself a date for when you intend to accomplish each goal step. For example, if your goal is to put together a list of target employers, give yourself a deadline of researching and approaching 30 target employers by February 28^th. By focusing on a date, you know how much work you have to put into hitting smaller steps along the way.

Make Your Resolutions Realistic

We would never tell you not to reach for the stars. If your goal is to increase your application output by 300%, more power to you. However, you need to know how you are going to achieve that. A goal you don’t hit can be demotivating. Think realistically about a goal that will cause you to stretch beyond what you are doing now, but that is still possible to achieve with a bit more effort.