PHI THETA KAPPA International Honor Society of the Two Year College

Lindsey Pollack of ABC News on Campus suggests a dozen New Year resolutions that can boost career goals and put you on the radar of companies seeking serious, qualified and enthusiastic employees. 

One of Pollack’s suggestions is to join an academic or professional association. This can support your career goals and introduce you to new people – two of the many benefits offered through Phi Theta Kappa participation. Review all of Phi Theta Kappa’s membership benefits here.

Pollack also believes it’s very helpful to visit (or revisit) the career services office. Phi Theta Kappa’s Career Resource Center offers a wealth of news, networking advice and career-oriented tips for students and job seeks. Career services offices at community colleges also have plentiful (and usually free) resources.

Ten more resolutions on the ABC News list are as follows:

Do one thing every day to find a job or advance your career. Even if it’s just five minutes a day, it’s time well spent.  Use it to research potential employers, read advice articles, follow up with people you’ve met or practice for interviews.

Update your résumé once a month. Especially in an economic downturn, your résumé needs to be ready to send at a moment’s notice. 

Regularly review your online presence. Many organizations rely on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook for recruiting, so it’s quite likely your next employer will review your online profile before seeing your official résumé.

Read or watch the news every single day. Read about new companies forming, industries that are expanding despite the recession and upcoming employee-recruiting events and job fairs. 

Become an expert on the organization you want to work for. Set up free keyword news alerts for the companies and industry you want to work for. This will ensure you are the very first to know when the organization appears in a news story, press release or blog.

Practice introducing yourself.  Be prepared to introduce yourself with a short, positive description of who you are and what you want to do. For help formulating and practicing your pitch, check out www.15secondpitch.com or www.surespeak.com.

Set a goal before any networking event you attend. It’s your job to make something happen at events! Meet at least one helpful new contact, get a referral for a great career coach or ask the speaker a question about current industry trends.

Keep in touch with the people you meet. Seventy to eighty percent of jobs are found through networking, so the more people you know – and who know you – the more opportunities you will be exposed to.

E-mail like a professional.  Avoid cute acronyms (LOL, BRB), emoticons and writing in all lowercase. Double-check every important e-mail for spelling and grammar. Don’t overuse exclamation points.

Don’t be afraid to fail. Failing stinks – but real failure comes from never trying something in the first place.

Read the article in its entirety here - and best of luck in 2009!