10 resolutions to kick-start your job search in the new year

It’s been a particularly tough year for global development job seekers. The shutdown of the U.S. Agency for International Development caused mass layoffs across the sector, contributing to a saturated and highly competitive job market. Many organizations put hiring on hold or paused their internship programs, and while there were job opportunities throughout the year, these were increasingly for short-term contracts. If you’ve already been on the job search for a few months, it can be easy to spend hours each day scrolling LinkedIn and applying for every and any role. But the experts caution against this approach, recommending instead that job seekers set realistic daily goals, concentrate on nurturing meaningful connections, and focus on how their transferable skills could be applied to new roles or sectors. Here are 10 resolutions to help you start your job search afresh in the new year. 1. Prioritize your mental health Take small steps to protect your overall health and well-being during the job search — failing to do so can impede the process, according to the experts. “It's a real need to have a job and be financially stable [and people] think that that should supersede the need to look after yourself, but what I find is when people let go of looking after themselves, they often come to a stage of burnout,” said Jeeda Alhakim, a specialist counseling psychologist and senior lecturer at City St George's, University of London. 2. Identify your goals Start your development job hunt not from a place of fear — which can lead to frantic applications — but by identifying your main goals. These could be financial, geographical, based on the skills you want to utilize, or the trajectory you wish your career to follow, said Mona Chergui, a counsellor, psychotherapist, coach, and well-being project manager. “Spend time determining what your priorities are, thinking about what you can compromise on,” she said. 3. Aim for quantity, not quality When planning your job search strategy, don’t think in terms of “more hours” but rather “a better system,” advised Kelsi Kriitmaa, a social impact career coach. Kriitmaa recommended setting clear, controllable daily metrics — such as submitting one targeted application or reaching out to five contacts per day — rather than chasing every new opportunity. 4. Highlight your transferable skills If you’re exploring roles in different fields or types of organizations, you will almost certainly have skills that can be applied to those opportunities. For those interested in pivoting to the philanthropy sector, for example, many of the job titles at these organizations are similar to those at NGOs or government agencies. And many of the skills needed for these roles are life skills, explained Frederick Hillinger, business manager of fundraising and development at TPP Recruitment. For fundraising roles, “it’s about people skills, seeing opportunities, and getting involved with things. … It’s emotional intelligence,” he explained. Meanwhile, listening and being able to identify shared interests is key for those working in major gifts from individuals, trust foundations, or institutional donors. 5. Rethink your approach to networking Effective networking doesn’t necessarily mean walking away from a conversation with a solid job lead, said Dan Perez of SRI Executive. Remove that expectation from the start, he said — the main thing you are trying to gain from a networking conversation is information. Much of the value that comes from networking takes time to emerge, said Stephanie Mansueto, social impact job-hunting coach, which is why “you want to maintain those contacts even after your conversation,” by using platforms such as LinkedIn to share thoughtful messages and comments that keep you on someone’s radar for when a position does open up. 6. Ask for introductions For job seekers exploring opportunities in a new space, outbound networking should be the focus, according to Simone Anzböck, international career coach. One of the most effective outbound networking strategies, Anzböck explained, is to ask your existing contacts for introductions to those who are relevant to the work you want to be doing next. She encouraged job seekers to move forward with networking efforts, even if they’re feeling unsure exactly where they’re going with the job search. “It's really just about starting and you [can] clarify [what you want] with the next iteration,” she said. 7. Reframe transitions with confidence Kathryn Harper, who has supported numerous job seekers in refining their CVs, encouraged job seekers to frame career pivots as moments of adaptability and growth. Career pivots often require job seekers to explain gaps in their CV or shifts within a sector, but Harper urged job seekers to clearly and concisely contextualize such issues. That can be a simple line to clarify the motivation for a move and preempt assumptions about instability. 8. Use AI as a tool but not as a crutch When used efficiently, there are advantages for job seekers in using artificial intelligence tools in their job search, said Luan Prinsloo, global talent acquisition manager at World Vision. They can help you identify the key requirements of a role, check spelling or grammar, craft LinkedIn posts, or practice mock interviews, she advised. But, in a highly competitive job market, “candidates and job seekers have to do a little bit more to make themselves stand out,” and when they rely too much on AI tools, recruiters can end up receiving several almost identical CVs or cover letters. 9. Stop preparing like it’s a test Spending hours rehearsing responses for potential interview questions isn’t always effective, as you can’t predict what specific questions will crop up. However, “you can know who’s going to be talking to you, said Spencer Campbell, social sector talent agent, and “you can know what [the] organization cares about, [and] what the problem [is] that this role solves.” He recommended that job seekers use their time to research and better understand these elements rather than trying to memorize lines for a large array of questions that might never get asked. 10. Consider learning skills in emerging areas Building expertise in in-demand and emerging areas, such as artificial intelligence or global health digitization, could open up more opportunities, suggested Kriitmaa. “Even things like blended finance, impact investing, some of these more financial models of bringing in blended capital to development, which traditionally, maybe a lot of people wouldn't have looked at,” are areas to explore, she said.