As 2025 winds down, many potential clients calling about services are just starting to think about a job search in the new year. However, 2026 is nearly here, and you truly need to start now!
So, what needs to be done to get ready for mid-to-late January, when companies get into the swing of hiring again, and job ads increase.
- Decide specifically what career or careers you are targeting.
- Review your existing resume and create or update (or hire someone to create or update) customized resumes for each job type/career for which you will apply. Remember, general resumes don’t work!
- Determine if you have “holes to plug” in experience, training, or certifications, so you can start closing the gaps now.
- Don’t use AI to write resumes or give you interview answers. AI confabulates information – which means when it doesn’t have an answer it fabricates a false memory of one. This is a one-way ticket to incorrect information on your resume, in an interview, and an overall bad job search and interview experience.
- Do use AI to help in other ways.
- Looking for related job titles to target? Try AI, while using other non-AI tools to ensure recommendations are a good fit. Casting a wider net, that’s well-researched, yields faster job search results.
- Need a better action verb on your resume, ask AI for synonyms?
- Fighting with a long bullet point, AI can help you be more concise.
- Struggling to optimize your job application results, ask AI to identify keywords and key phrases to better tailor your resume in Applicant Tracking Systems.
- Don’t over-rely on AI, as it will take the human element out of your writing and negatively impact your results. By using it sparingly you get great benefits without losing “you” in your resume, interview, and overall job search.
By beginning your preparation now, you will hit the ground running in 2026. To marketing you at your best!