Spring has officially sprung. Crazy, I know. After such a long year, it’s hard to believe that it’s April again. With warmer weather and the blooming of flowers comes more motivation to clean up and get organized. If your one of those many people getting started on spring cleaning, take it one step further and spring clean your job search. Whether you’ve lost track due to submitting so many applications, put it on hold due to a loss of hope, or simply need to rejuvenate your job search, now is a perfect time. Here are some tips to help get you started on spring cleaning your job search now that spring has finally arrived.

Work on your technique.

If you’ve been on the job market for quite some time, it is a good idea to re-evaluate your methods and see where there is room for improvement. Maybe you struggle with responding to your emails, or LinkedIn messages. Whatever it is, take this time to fix any habits that aren’t helping your job search.

Revamp your resume.

This is the perfect time to update your resume. Add any new skills or accomplishments that may be missing and freshen up your work experience! Additionally, one of the biggest obstacles that job-seekers face is not customizing their resume for each position they apply to. If this is you, work on creating basic templates for different positions that you can tailor individually when you need to. 

Clean up your cover letter.

Just like a resume, cover letters need to be tailored to each specific job you apply for. Making templates for cover letters can also be of great help. Additionally, Figure out what could set you apart from other applicants depending on the job requirements, and work that information into your cover letter. 

Track your applications.

This is sure to help keep your job search organized. When applying to 10 or 20 jobs per day, it gets hard to keep track of. You don’t want a hiring manager to reach out to you and have no idea which company they are from. To avoid this, you can either write down all of your applications and information for each in a notebook, or you can use a spreadsheet or other online tool. Be sure to include:

    • Company name 
    • Name, email, and phone number of your contact at the company
    • Date you submitted your application
    • Dates and times for any deadlines/interviews
    • Date you followed up after an application or interview
    • Status of your application (waiting to hear back, interview scheduled, or rejection).
    • Job description, application or cover letter, and resume that you submitted to each company

Perfect your elevator speech

An elevator pitch is a short and quick summary of who you are, what you do, and what your skills are. It’s meant to quickly draw attention and set you apart. Elevator pitches can come in handy in different networking situations or even a casual conversation with someone you strike up a conversation with at the store. Make sure you have one prepared and that it gets your point across. 

There is no better time to rejuvenate your job search than the start of spring. While you’re working on cleaning up your house, clean up your job search too! You might just land the job of your dreams after following these tips.