{"id":3992,"date":"2014-12-13T14:37:45","date_gmt":"2014-12-13T22:37:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/?p=3992"},"modified":"2014-12-16T14:30:31","modified_gmt":"2014-12-16T22:30:31","slug":"avoid-3-mistakes-career-success-2015","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.careersingovernment.com\/tools\/gov-talk\/career-advice\/avoid-3-mistakes-career-success-2015\/","title":{"rendered":"Avoid 3 Mistakes for Career Success in 2015"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"career<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the end of the year again (already!) and a great time to start planning<\/strong><\/a><\/span>.<\/strong> What would YOU like your career to look like next year?<\/p>\n

Is it time for you to make a career move?<\/p>\n

Are you bored in your job?<\/p>\n

Are you making a difference where you want to be?<\/p>\n

Are you excited about starting your work week, or do you get the Monday blues?<\/p>\n

Are you unemployed and just spinning your wheels?<\/p>\n

Avoid these 3 massive mistakes to position yourself for career success in 2015!<\/strong><\/p>\n

MISTAKE #3. Your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is not ready on demand.<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is to wait until an opportunity presents itself,<\/strong> THEN rush to create a less-than-stellar r\u00e9sum\u00e9 that actually repels the employer.<\/p>\n

Solution:<\/em> Keep your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 updated and target it to each<\/em> job announcement. Yes, this takes effort, but this small strategy will pay off big, if it is done right.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 need a fresh design, or a new strategy that will work? Think about this past year. What major projects did you work on? What accomplishments made a difference? How did they make a difference? Did you receive a great performance review, a commendation letter, or any awards? Were you published, or did you attend any training? Did you earn a new certification?<\/p>\n

Make sure that your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 is always current and speaks to what you have to offer a potential employer. The best strategy is to keep your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 current<\/strong> so that only fine tuning is needed to target any opportunity that may come your way. When you are rushed, important things get forgotten.<\/p>\n

MISTAKE #2. Lack of a professional<\/em> social media presence.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How can you \u201cbe found\u201d by employers and recruiters if you are not active on social media? Are all of your social media profiles up to date? Do they strategically position you so that recruiters, hiring authorities, and experts in your industry find YOU?<\/p>\n

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According to Jobvite\u2019s 2014 Survey, 94% of employers<\/em> use LinkedIn as their principal source for recruiting!<\/strong> Recruiters also use Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for sourcing.<\/p>\n

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Keep your profile updated.<\/strong> Use your headline to capture their attention. Your photograph needs to be a professional photograph of just you and free from distractions. Your summary should express what solutions you bring to the table. If it does not convey your personality, and if you do not make it easy for the employer to see your value, then it needs to be optimized.<\/p>\n

Did you know that according to Jobvite\u2019s latest report, 4 in 10 job seekers have found their favorite or best job through<\/strong> personal connections?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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According to Jobvite, \u201cTop recruiters use social media at each stage of the recruiting funnel.\u201d Where do you want them to find you and what do you want them to know about you?<\/p>\n

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MISTAKE #1. Neglecting your network.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I know\u2014networking can be time consuming and is on the bottom of the job seeker\u2019s list for a number of reasons. It is hard to focus on networking when the outcome is not immediately measurable. LinkedIn is the #1 a fast way to keep in touch with your network. It is also a great career tool to showcase what YOU have to offer an employer.<\/p>\n