It’s a great time to refresh and update your job search tools!

No matter what your age is, the start of fall symbolizes new beginnings, perhaps because the end of summer and the month of September has historically been the start of a new school season. What naturally goes hand-in-hand with a new start is the desire to set goals.

Whether you have been working a short time or for many years, finding a new job inside your company or with another employer is a natural goal. This post will cover some of the things you can do to prepare and position yourself for success in eventually finding a different job, or a new career.

Your resume – if you are like many people, you have not updated your resume in a long time. Look back at your most recent performance reviews and add some quantified achievements to your jobs. New employers are much more interested in reading about your accomplishments then they are about the description of your job.

Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software is what the majority of companies, organizations, job boards and LinkedIn use to scan and parse resumes to find the best ones that match a job description. In layman’s terms, these are called keywords. Be sure the right ones are listed on your resume and LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn – speaking of LinkedIn, be sure your profile is 100% complete. This means posting a photo, asking colleagues or former managers for recommendations, and populating the skills and endorsements section with 50 words and phrases (keywords.)

Google yourself – many employers will Google you to see what information is posted on line about you. It is a good idea for you to do this on a regular basis, because whatever is online stays online, usually forever. Hence the term “digital dirt.”

Create a target list of 25 – 30 companies that interest you, whether or not they have posted openings in your functional area and start following them. Also see who you are connected to at these companies on LinkedIn. So many more jobs are created now and this doing this will enable you to track a company’s history and successes.

Remember that like many meaningful goals, finding a new job takes time. Be patient, keep focused, and you will succeed.