6 Tips to Spring Clean Your Job Search

6 Tips to Spring Clean Your Job Search6 Tips to Spring Clean Your Job SearchAll of the late-winter snow and cold weather thats affected much of the U.S. may make it seem like spring is a long way off. But check your calendar the change of seasons is officially here. If youre a job seeker, its a good time to spruce up elend just your house, but spring clean your job search as well.Here are a few ideas that may inspire you to rejuvenate your job search and gain a renewed sense of purpose with the presence of spring.Check out these six tips to spring clean your job search1. Dust off your resume.One of the major obstacles to avoid in a job search is sending a one-size-fits-all resume every time you apply for a position. Know this employers often interpret uninspired, cookie-cutter resumes as a sign of laziness- a warning shot that youre not really fired up to get the particular job theyre offering. You can counter this problem by havingseveral resume versionson hand that you can work wit h and customize for each job application.Spring Cleaning TipNows a good time to consider going over your resume,updating skillsand accomplishments and establishing baseline resume templates that you can tailor individually every time you apply for a position. Remove older or outdated information, and commit to aresume updatethat showcases new skills and accomplishments.2. Polish your cover letters.In the interest of time and effort, you may be tempted to do a copy-and-paste job on your cover letters just to get them out the door. Resist the temptation The more you can customize yourcover lettersas well, the more you might increase your chances for positive responses from potential employers.Spring Cleaning TipIn the spirit of spring renewal, take on a fewskills and drills for your cover letterthat can help you stand out from the job applicant crowd. Understanding how to use keywords is agood exercise that can really spring clean your search for flexible work.3. Spruce up your bewerb ungsinterview strategies.Whether your job interview is conducted online or in person, you want to put your best face forward. If youve made it to the interview stage of the job application process, how you present yourself can be a make-or-break moment. This can be especially true if youve worked from home for a while and have fallen into the habit of dressing, well, just for yourself.Spring Cleaning TipIf a potential employer requests anonline job interview, be prepared and make sure youre dressed appropriately, that your background environment looks professional and clutter-free, and that, as much as possible, youve eliminated potential distractions such as family members, pets- whatever Do a practice session if you can, and check to make sure your technology is working properly.4. Air out your network connections.You know the drill when things sit around for a while, they can get stale. Thats true for yourprofessional network if you havent nurtured it consistently, it may need so me pruning to make room for new growth. Bring some daylight to your network by finding ways to maintain meaningful connections, and grooming new contacts too.Spring Cleaning TipMake an effort togrow a networkthat can actually work for you and help you meet your career goals. Draw up anetworking checklistas a way to establish guideposts and invest in long-term career goals that can really energize your job hunt, no matter the season.5. Polish your elevator pitch.An elevator pitch is a short and quick synopsis of what you do and what your skills are. Its designed to quickly draw attention and platzset you apart. Elevator pitches can come in handy in any networking situation, or even a casual conversation with someone you strike up some chitchat with at the store.Spring Cleaning TipEvaluate your elevator pitch and make sure its current. Does it pack a punch and get across the message you want it to? Can you think of a better way to word yourself? If youre satisfied with what you have, consider writing some more elevator pitches for different audiences and different settings.6. Clean up your social media profiles.The springtime is perfect to look over your social media profiles and clean them up. When youre job searching, you want to put your best foot forward. Many, many hiring managers will do a Google search on potential candidates. You want to ensure what they see on your social media will reflect well on you.Spring Cleaning TipLook over each of your accounts and check your privacy settings. What is visible to the public? Look over your pictures, and any groups youve liked or joined as well. All of these things will be evaluated by a hiring manager.