Finally! Your youngest is in school and you are ready to hit the job market after an extended absence. As you scrape the last of the Fruit Loops from the kitchen table, you ponder a few unfortunate truths: Your network has gone stale Your industry contacts have moved on You are not in the loop anymore. Face the facts: you are at a disadvantage compared to those who have been in the job market continuously. You need a winning job search methodology to jump-start your career. Most job seekers use only one or two methods to cover the marketplace, and miss 75% of available opportunities. In order to get maximum exposure you will need to use multiple job search methods simultaneously.

Let s get started! First, assess what you have to offer. Take a personal inventory of your: Knowledge Skills Accomplishments If you can t think of many accomplishments, ask those around you to give you feedback on your talents and abilities. Often those close to us are more aware of what we have to offer than we ourselves are. When you have completed your skill and accomplishment review, use the results to write a compelling resume that clearly shows your value to a potential employer. If you have been out of work for a while, you many be wondering if your skills are still relevant. You can burnish your resume by taking on some volunteer work in your area of expertise. Here’s a great example.

Is your niche public relations? There is bound to be a community group or local non-profit that would really benefit from having a professionally designed newsletter. Or, you could volunteer to serve as a media contact to publicize the organization s events. Is marketing your area of interest? Approach to local school and volunteer to design some marketing materials to promote their programs.