Looking for a new career or new job this year? Well, you are in luck! The economy is recovering and January is often when companies get new budgets for hiring people. As with any big change, you’ll have to put in some hard work to make it happen. To help with that, I’ve outlined a few key points to help you get organized and hit the ground running with your search.

Take small actions

If your goal is to find a new job or new career path this year, break down that goal into actionable steps. This will make the process seem more manageable and make it easier to track your accomplishments. Taking a big step like finding a new job or new career path can seem overwhelming, but if you can break it up into small steps you will see progress quickly.

Be specific

Understand what you truly want. Letting people know you want “a new job” is too broad. Spend some time thinking through what you truly want for your next step. Get specific.

Build Relationships

Always focus on building relationships with your network. Don’t wait until you are looking for a new job or career path to cultivate those relationships. Building a relationship takes time. This process should be started well before a job search begins. Create a plan of how you are going to build relationships with your network this year.

Take stock of your brand

What does your online profile say about you? If you are on LinkedIn, but not actively using it, individuals can still see the information you have put out there. What do they see when they view your profile? Make sure this and other publicly accessible information is up-to-date and accurate.

Take stock of your job search tools

When was the last time you updated your resume? The last time you looked for a job? You want to make sure that resume is up-to-date with all of your great accomplishments from your current job. Even if you are not actively looking for a job, you may be approached about an open position that interests you. You want your materials up-to-date and polished in case this happens.

I hope this advice makes things easier for you. If this feels like a lot of work, consider career transition services. Interview coaches and find the right one for you. Ask them about their experience around resume writing, LinkedIn and online profile branding, networking strategy and job search success with other clients.