Looking for a job? A congruent career path doesn’t always give you a competitive edge and even with years of experience, there are several factors that will impact your job search.

Whether you’re in the midst of applying or laying the groundwork for a future career move – here are some tips to help:

Know what your career goals are

One word: CLAMPS. This acronym covers the aspects of what makes you happy in your career. Before you pursue a new job, you need to consider these 6 areas:

C – Challenge: Are you looking for a position that is constantly presenting new and challenging opportunities?

L – Location: Would you prefer to work remote, live across the country or stay in your current city?

A – Advancement: Are you looking to climb the ladder and get promoted?

M – Money: Do you know the market value for someone with your skills? What are your salary requirements?

P – People: How important is culture to you?

S – Stability: Can you live with re-organization or possible merger down the road, or do you need guaranteed security?

When you look at this list, consider the most important qualities to you. What is non-negotiable? Is it important that you live close to family? Or are you looking for role where you’re guaranteed an annual raise?

You should take these into account with your current or previous role. If you’re considering a new opportunity, odds are that your boxes aren’t all checked off.

Tap into your network

What are the benefits of using LinkedIn? Not only can you build your brand and maintain a virtual Rolodex, but you can foster meaningful connections with your future colleagues.

LinkedIn’s internal search algorithm only finds profiles that rank as complete. Therefore, it’s important that you get the “All-star” status on your profile. You should have an updated headshot, profile summary, headline, and areas of expertise. You need to be searchable.

Don’t just wait for someone to contact you. You can go through LinkedIn’s robust job board and just as importantly, connect with recruiters. Recruiters are some of the most active LinkedIn users, posting about new opportunities on the daily. Reach out to them if they’re posting about relevant openings. If you’re connecting with hiring managers, you should do some relationship building.

Also, take this time to connect with former colleagues and tap into THEIR network. Even if you don’t know someone, you likely know someone else who does.

HINT: Don’t start sending your resume out unless it’s specifically requested. Start with a conversation. Be upfront and let them know what position you’re seeking and ask them for their insights.

Get a second opinion on your resume and cover letter

When you spend a long time staring at something, it’s hard to find any mistakes. Your brain automatically skims over any errors. If you’ve decided to take some creative liberties with the design, you have even more reason to get some feedback.

Have a friend or family member look over your resume. You can even contact someone in your network and ask them if they would be willing to look over it. Some job seekers choose to work with a professional resume-writing service or career coach to save time.

As you’ve probably heard many times before, you need 2 resumes. You need a standard one for quick networking and any last-minute opportunities. You also need one that is customizable. Each position is going to be different. Having the right keywords is often the difference between an interview and a let-down email.

If you’re working with a recruiter, they will let you know if you need to make any changes before they send it to the hiring manager.

Enhance your skills

Even if you’re dealing with 10+ years of experience, employers love when you demonstrate the proactive desire to learn. Right now, there are more online courses and workshops than ever. You can easily learn new technologies and processes – often for free.

If you are unemployed, this is a fantastic way to fill gaps in your resume.

If you are just entering the workforce or starting a new career, an internship and/or volunteer experience may be vital to getting your foot in the door. These opportunities are going to expand your network and advance you to a full-time position.

If you’re looking for new opportunities, follow our LinkedIn, check out our job listings or email info@jdisearch.com / www.jdisearch.com.