Did your new year get off to a strong start? If not, don’t worry. There’s plenty of time to make a course correction. However, if you were thinking about launching a new job search this year, you’ve already missed your chance to gain early momentum (late December would have been a good time for that). As the saying goes, though, “all is not lost.” You just need to get cracking!



Key Points for Your Job Search



As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said, “The only thing that is constant is change.” That’s probably as true for job searching and career management requirements as for anything else in life. While keeping that in mind, the following are still potentially valid points to consider in planning and conducting your next job search:

• Last year’s trends might not be this year’s trends. Be aware of them and remain alert to signs that the “old” ones are either strengthening or diminishing in the coming weeks and months, but don’t get fixated on them as you develop and adjust your career management plan throughout the year.




• Complacency is not your friend. Don’t allow the comfort of your current situation (if comfort exists) to lull you into a false sense of security, as a result of which you let active job search energy dissipate into nothingness.




• Revitalize your network. Touch base with key people in your network to (a) see how their year is going, ask how last year was for them, etc.; and (b) share with them appropriate information about what you’re up to. The main point is to demonstrate sincere interest in them, and you’ll probably find that interest reflected back to you.




• Ignorance is definitely not bliss. Although you don’t necessarily have to be on your (mental) toes nonstop, you shouldn’t assume that what you don’t know won’t hurt you. Make it an important part of your job search and ongoing career management to stay on top of emerging developments that could affect your career and/or your job prospects, either adversely or favorably.

Job Search Preparation and Execution



Preparation is the process of getting ready for something or taking the steps necessary to make it happen. While getting ready for your job search (making plans) is certainly important, remember that plans that are never executed do not produce desirable results–they can’t. A job search that stays in your mind amounts to nothing more than wishful thinking.



Wishful thinking never accomplished anything worthwhile. Note: This is different from dreaming and visualizing a goal that impels you to take action to achieve it. Action is a key component of that process.



Where do you really want to be at this time next year? What do you want to see yourself doing? Figure that out as soon as you can and begin moving in that direction.