You’ve decided you’re ready to look for a job. Great! But what next?! Job hunting can be overwhelming, but the more prepared you are, the more confident you’ll feel and the better impression you’ll make on potential employers. So let’s make sure you’re prepared for the job hunt with these six tips.

 Start with a little introspection. Think about what type of job you’re looking for, what role and industries are you interested in, and what you are looking for in a company. What type of culture do you desire? Is a position where you can lead and mentor others at the top of your list or are flexible hours a non-negotiable for you? Narrowing these down and determining how you can best benefit a company before you start looking will help you weed out jobs that aren’t the right fit for you early on. In addition, it will help you articulate your ideal position to others.

Polish up your resume and LinkedIn profile. Ensure that all of your information is current, relevant, and accurate. And if you want to give your resume a little flair, try a modern template that is appropriate for the type of position you are pursuing. You want to have your resume ready to hand out before someone asks you for it. You can get your LinkedIn profile up to speed by following these simple steps.

Reach out to your network. Let people know you’re looking. It is estimated that upwards of 70% of jobs are found through networking.*
Contact a staffing agency. Staffing agencies are experts at finding a great match between employers and employees and they manage a number of job openings.

Answer the questions. You know the ones, the most common interview questions: tell me about yourself, what are your strengths and weaknesses, etc. Chances are you’ll be asked one or more. Go ahead and think through these answers and make a few bullet points to jog your memory as you go through the interview process.

Make a list. Now that you’re prepared to tell them why you’re a great fit, think about general things you want to know about roles, companies, and their expectations of the candidate. Make a base list of questions you want to ask each company during interviews that you can add job-specific questions to as you research the companies who offer an interview. Don’t forget you’re interviewing potential employers to make sure it is a great fit for you as well.

Look the part. Ensure you have an outfit that fits the style of the type of companies you’ll interview with before you schedule them so you’re prepared to interview as soon as they offer. You’d rather be reviewing your notes the night before your interview than searching the racks or trying on your closet. Invest in a professional pad-folio or folder to carry your extra resumes and questions in and a nice, non-promotional pen. If you prefer to hand write your post-interview thank you notes, have professional looking note cards on hand so you can send them out the day of the interview.

Now that you’re prepared, you can feel confident heading into your job search. No matter how prepared you may feel, remember to take a deep breath and be yourself.

 For more job search advice, visit our Career Tips blog!

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 *source: payscale.com