Jumpstarting Your Job Search

As the new year begins, it is the perfect time to re-evaluate your goals, reflect upon your current situation, and plan for your future. Sometimes, situations and circumstances, including your job search and employment goals, might change.

This article provides you with tips for refreshing and strengthening your job search for the new year.

Reinvigorate Your Job Search

One of the best ways to reinvigorate your job search is to reflect on the past year. This can help guide your current search and identify the jobs you want to apply for.

Some helpful questions you can explore include:

Where do I want to be in my career?
Am I looking for a short or long-term opportunity?
Where do I want to be 2-3 years from now?
What accommodations do I need?
What are the next steps I need to take?

Exploring these questions is essential to self-discovery, creating new goals, identifying gaps in your skills and experiences, and strengthening your market value.

Once your goals are established, updating your resume and cover letter with new experiences and skills is another key step. This can include adding recent accomplishments such as work projects, volunteer experience, certification completion, and professional development.

It is important to remember that fields are constantly evolving, and the industry you are interested in might have exciting new developments or desired skills. One way to stay updated in your field is by researching the latest news, findings, and trends. Subscribing to newsletters, following industry leaders on platforms like LinkedIn, and attending industry events are ways you can keep up to date with this information.

Another way to revitalize your job search is to reinvest time into your professional relationships and form new connections. Through networking, you can stay up-to-date in your industry, demonstrate your knowledge and competency, and simultaneously learn about others’ perspectives. These conversations are also a good opportunity for you to learn about the future of the industry and the vision of those currently working in your profession of interest. Lastly, it can help you get your foot in the door, as partaking in these conversations can help others get to know you and allow you to build your brand and identity.

Leveraging Technology

In the current job market, new and emerging technological programs, tools, and applications are designed to make the application process easier, more accessible, and less painstaking. If you find aspects of the job search challenging, like formatting your resume, writing your cover letter, or managing your time, there may be a program that can help you tackle these items with more ease. For example, if you struggle with writing and formatting your job search documents, free online tools like Goblin Tools, Grammarly, and Chat GPT can help you get started.

Many employers currently use online tools, such as applicant tracking systems (ATS), to quickly review resumes and find desired keywords and skills necessary for the job. Programs like Jobscan can help you easily scan for essential keywords and tailor your resume to get past an ATS. Read our previous article, Understanding Keywords and Applicant Tracking Systems, for a more in-depth review of keywords and ATS.

It is essential to remember that just because these tools exist, your job search documents should reflect your actual skill set. After utilizing these AI-based technological resources, you should review all materials to ensure an accurate representation of yourself and your capabilities.

Additionally, your phone and computer likely have apps such as a timer, a stopwatch, and reminders to help you manage your time. Utilizing spreadsheets and calendars through platforms like Microsoft Office and Google can help you organize your current job search goals and projects.

If you would benefit from leveraging these new technologies or applications, spend time researching what is available to you and how to utilize it within your current job search.

Skill Development

As you start identifying potential jobs, you might realize you need additional skills, certifications, or qualifications necessary for the position. Obtaining or enhancing new skills can help you stay current with the latest technology, processes, and procedures employers seek.

Ways in which you can start learning new skills include:

Working with a mentor
Applying for an internship or apprenticeship
Exploring available training opportunities with current employer
Participating in a volunteer role
Taking educational courses or certifications
Networking and participating in community events

It might also be worth considering applying for a scholarship, as continued education might be needed to fulfill some requirements or prerequisites for certain positions in your field. Even if not required, learning new skills through additional courses could make your resume more competitive, boosting your chances of securing a job.

The Organization for Autism Research (OAR) offers various scholarship opportunities to autistic students, including postsecondary scholarships and the Synchrony Tech Scholarship.

Once you develop new skills, remember to add them to your resume and cover letter to showcase your qualifications.

Maintaining Momentum

When you are ready to start applying to new jobs, it is beneficial to take a proactive approach. This means regularly engaging with your network, reviewing job boards, and setting job alerts for positions that align with your employment goals. Lastly, once notified of a new position, it is essential to submit your application before any deadlines, demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role and company, and respond promptly to employers.

The job search landscape is constantly evolving. By staying proactive, informed, and flexible, you can position yourself for success both this year and in the future.

Use Our Resources

While many of you may already be familiar, Hire Autism is happy to offer a variety of resources to help your job search, including:

Resources: