Top 5 Things to Do Now for Your Career

The top 5 things you need to do while the market is still hot:

1. Build a professional presence on LinkedIn. Your profile needs to succinctly describe your skill set and include a professional-looking picture. Increase your connections so you have higher odds of knowing someone at a potential employer.
2. Self-assess. What sets you apart from other candidates? Be able to articulate your value-add, and make sure that comes across consistently in written form (resume), online (LinkedIn, firm profile) and in-person.
3. Prepare an up-to-date resume, even if you are happy with your job. You never know when a great opportunity will come calling. Your resume should contain recent achievements (include metrics) and read cleanly (you get 3-5 seconds!). The resume should make clear your competitive advantage in a quick skim.
4. Know the job market. Use indeed.com, the best job search engine, to gauge hiring and to spot trends. How many jobs are out there that are you interested in? What are common requirements, and do you have them? If not, go get those skills.
5. Network. You must be on people’s minds for them to refer a job to you. They won’t do that if they think you are happy where you are or if they haven’t heard from you in the last 6-12 months. They also need a positive impression of you, so start trying to help others now.