How to Get a New Job This January

How to update your résumé and cover letter

Earlier in your career, you may have had one version of your résumé that you sent for every job opening. Today, it’s easy and more effective to customize your résumé and cover letter for each posting.

However, Berndt says you shoudn’t get carried away with customization. In his career, he’s mostly worked in technology and higher education, so he has two versions of his résumé — one for each “world.” Each résumé uses the language common to the jobs in those fields, but he wouldn’t create a new résumé for each prospective opportunity. “I don’t change all that much and what I’m looking for doesn’t change all that much,” he says. Cover letters are a different story, he says. Create a customized cover letter tailored to the opportunity.

Janet Mertens, senior vice president and head of research at The Josh Bersin Company, a human resources consultancy, says you should make your résumé and other application forms  use keywords that appear in the job posting. “AI [artificial intelligence] tools are the first access points,” she says. If the right keywords are not in your materials, you might not make the first cut.

Be sure to check your résumé for graduation dates or other details that might reveal your age to recruiters to minimize the chances of age bias hurting your job search.

How to use your network to find a new job

“Over the course of your career, you’ve developed a vast network,” Reisdorf says. “Reach out to your contacts and research companies that have openings and fit what you’re looking for at this stage of your career.” Berndt adds that information-gathering interviews can play a critical role in helping you decide what your next move should be — and possibly in uncovering new opportunities.

Make sure to showcase critical job skills

Older workers may need to pay particular attention to how they’re presenting themselves to hiring managers, Mertens says. Job skills you learned years ago may now be outdated, especially with the arrival of new technologies such as ChatGPT and similar types of artificial intelligence. (Research in one recent edX report estimated that half of the skills necessary in today’s workforce would be obsolete by 2025 thanks to generative AI.)

Job seekers should review their documents to make sure they’re emphasizing what Mertens calls “power skills” like empathy, mobility, adaptability, collaboration and problem-solving. Showcase additional training or work you have done in attaining new skills to show that you’re always learning. “For job seekers, understanding what critical skills are in the market and in their industry, and showing that constant continuous upskilling is going to be really, really important,” she says.

Reisdorf says it’s a good idea to highlight where you delivered return-on-investment or other value. And don’t forget to share your experiences with training and mentoring colleagues to showcase how you helped younger professionals develop. Robert Half research found that 51 percent of Gen Z workers and 65 percent of millennial workers find the ability to learn from colleagues with different levels of experience to be one of the greatest benefits of working with people from different age groups.

You might also consider building new skills through free or online courses on AARP Skills Builder for Work.

Keep your job application materials concise and consistent

When you’re showcasing the best you have to offer companies, think about highlights — not background daily duties. Berndt says it’s important to cull your experience down into a “representation of your most recent and most relevant accomplishments, educations, skills, qualifications and certifications,” he says. Avoid the temptation to include a comprehensive history of your life’s work. “If they’re not interested in what you’ve been doing for the last 10 years, they are not going to be interested in what you did for the 10 or 15 years before that,” he adds.

Mertens adds that you should ensure that your skills, roles, education and other information are uniform across your résumé, LinkedIn profile and any profiles you have on job-search platforms.

How to use AI and other technology to help you find a job  

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be useful in your job search, acting as a writing assistant, interview coach and even helping you uncover where to search for jobs. Platforms like Indeed have functions that alert you when a job for which you might be qualified is posted on the site. But bots need human supervision, Berndt says. Be sure to review all AI and automated content carefully to confirm that it is accurate and sounds like a human being.

Create and maintain boundaries around your job search

Berndt emphasizes that it’s important to set boundaries around your job search. “Don’t let it be consuming,” he says, even if looking for a job is your full-time job right now. Set a goal for what you are going to do each week, whether it’s sending out five or 10 résumés to new opportunities or spending an hour or two each day working on your job search.

“On Friday, look yourself in the mirror, look at that list and ask, ‘What did I get done? Did I get everything that I intended to do?’ And if you did, celebrate the fact that you’re making progress,” he says. Balance is important, even when you’re looking for your next opportunity.