Searching for new job opportunities can almost feel like a job unto itself. However, getting everything in order doesn’t have to be a strain to be successful. If you want to kick your job search into shape before we celebrate the new year, here are some tips to get you headed in the right direction for 2017.

Everyone searching for a new position has an idea in mind regarding the type of job they hope to find. However, not everyone stops to evaluate whether their expectations are realistic. Even if you are pursuing the next logical step in your career path, there are numerous factors in play that can make a seemingly reasonable goal unattainable.

Make sure your salary expectations are appropriate for your skill level and the job duties which you are looking to undertake. Review the standard experience and educational requirements for similar positions and verify that you can demonstrate you meet these needs based on the information in your resume.

Now, being realistic doesn’t mean selling yourself short or only going for jobs that are practically “sure things.” Feel free to push the limits, especially if you can demonstrate you are an efficient learner in any areas that may be lacking. However, make sure you acknowledge which positions are nearing the edge of your capabilities, and anticipate results based on that.

At this point, having a resume is still expected even if you maintain profiles on every employment-related site you can find. With that in mind, taking the time to refresh the content on all of them is a very good idea. Make sure your job duty information is accurate, and your contact information is easy to locate. Think about current keywords relating to your target positions and work them into the content in a natural way.

If you want to update your LinkedIn profile discretely, temporarily shut off the activity broadcasts. That way, your entire network isn’t informed of every little change you make (unless you want them to be). Once you have everything set correctly, then feel free to turn the broadcasts back on.

For any job site that has an option to keep your profile public or private, make sure you set appropriate selections to public. That way, if anyone is searching for candidates through the available profiles, yours will show up when it counts.

Not every open position is posted for the world to see. Many people find new opportunities organically through people in their existing network. If you plan to be open about your job search, feel free to reach out to those in your circles for information. This is especially true if you know someone working for your target company or ideal position.

Once your network is activated, feel free to check in occasionally, but don’t go overboard. Asking them for updates every day may make helping you feel like a hassle, though occasional update requests (especially if your connection said they would reach out to you in a specific amount of time) are acceptable.

If you want to make sure you’re using every outlet, working with a professional staffing firm can be highly beneficial. TempStaff has the knowledge, skills, and resources to help whip your job search into shape. Contact TempStaff today.