Tips for your job search in 2016

Last year I drew inspiration from Stuart Scott's public battle with cancer.  He ultimately lost that battle, but we all learned a lot from him in the process.  This year as I reflected over the holidays I drew inspiration from Mark Zuckerberg.  I know, easy target, right?  But his combination of two announcements late last year were pretty amazing when he welcomed his first child into the world and simultaneously announced he was giving away billions of dollars.

A few of you may be able to relate to having children recently, but I am guessing no one else that reads my blog today has plans to give away $45 billion in the near future.  With that in mind, I will focus today on the relatable portions of Mark's story as it could inspire your job search in the new year.

1)  Be yourself.  While I can't recommend wearing t-shirts and hoodies to your next job interview, you have to give Mark credit for remaining true to himself as he rocketed into being one of the top ten richest people in the world in the last several years.  Far too many times I hear from employers that it was clear a potential candidate they were interviewing tried way too hard to be something they weren't.  Stick with your strengths in an interview and don't stray from your true self.

2)  Embrace change.  Notice that I did not recommend you changing necessarily.  Just like being yourself, embracing change keeps you ahead of the curve, just as Mark Zuckerberg has in the near past to keep Facebook on top of their game.  The fact of the matter is that the world changes around us every day.  How we respond to that is where we find our success.  Same goes for the interview process or a job search.  You may need to shake things up a bit regarding how you communicate with a hiring manager.  Or consider doing something different with your resume format.  Maybe even consider how you search for new jobs online using new tools.  It may not be comfortable, it may not seem effective at first, but without trying a few new things you may not have the ultimate success you are seeking in a new job or career change.

3)  Think globally.  You may not be able to take this advice quite as literally as Mark might be able to, but consider it on the micro level for your own search.  Instead of just seeking a pay increase or a slightly bigger title, think big.  These may seem like cliched questions, but what are your five and ten-year goals for your career?  Do you desire to move into management?  How can you impact others in your professional circles?  Would you consider moving for the right position?  These are the questions you need to be asking yourself if you truly want to get ahead in your career.

4)  Pursue excellence.  Unfortunately many people enter a job search with a ho-hum attitude.  Maybe they respond to a posting online, but put no effort into a cover letter or updating their resume.  Or they passively upload a resume to a database and wait passively for their phone to ring.  Or maybe they even enter an interview process, only to give it 50% effort.  In everything, do your absolute best and it will lead you to where you want to go.  Even if you don't get the job every time, you are bound to leave a good impression and ultimately the job you are really seeking.

5)  Be positive.  In a world filled with negativity, this should be the easiest tip to implement.  I know far too many candidates, however, that hold grudges, worry too much about the past, grumble about their current employer, complain about colleagues they don't get along with, and the list goes on and on.  No employer wants to hire a candidate simply running away from a problem.  Instead they want the candidate who is running TOWARD them because it is a better future for them.

Here is to hoping 2016 is a great year for all of you and starts off on the right foot here in the first week of the new year.  Happy New Year!