A Guide to Crushing Your 2021 Career Goals

By Sidney Hubner, Serving Spouses Transition Specialist

We can all agree that we’re excited to put 2020 behind us and look ahead to a fresh start in 2021. It’s also an opportune time to take a new approach to your job search. Today, I want to explore five key topics that will get your professional brand on track in the new year.

1. Update Your Headshot

If your 2020 was anything like mine, makeup and hair care were traded for sweatpants and messy buns. However, it is critical to keep your professional image up-to-date. When you do land a video interview, you do not want your potential new boss to feel like he was catfished on a Tinder date because of a 2-year-old picture. Instead, treat yourself by dressing your best and updating your headshot.

The key items to keep in mind as you take the fresh pic are:

• Frame the image from your shoulders up.
• Keep the focus on you. Avoid background or clothing distractions. Your best professional dress and a blank wall are best.
• Smile! Engage your audience so they want to know more about you.
• Please, no selfies (especially in the car). However, this doesn’t mean you need to hire a professional to take the photo. Smartphone cameras can capture the perfect look. Just have someone in your home take the photo and follow the tips above.

2. Touchup Your LinkedIn Profile

That professional summary headline and skills section are all mission-critical for landing your dream job. Don’t fill it out and forget about it, but rather update them regularly. What better time than right now to give your profile a fresh touch? Change some verbiage, add something new, and stay relevant to the industry you are targeting by maintaining an active brand.

3. Craft Your Elevator Pitch

On the same note, January is a great time to make sure your pitch is current. Were you laid off in 2020? Have you been balancing a filler job with being an at-home teacher for the kiddos? The silver lining of the pandemic is that we all have been on the roller coaster ride. Use your experience as an opportunity to build rapport within your network and with potential employers to show off your adaptability and how you can make contributions to their team.

4. Fill in Your Resume

If 2020 left you with an employment gap, do not leave it blank on your resume. Make sure it is up to date with all work, volunteer, and at-home responsibilities. The main goal of your resume is to make a genuine connection to a position you are interested in, not to chronologically list anything you were ever paid to do. Instead, you can build a comprehensive and impactful story from all experiences that can have an impact on the professional environment.

5. Freshen Up Your Skills

With how quickly technology evolves, a new year is a perfect time to freshen up across the board. There are a multitude of resources, including LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or MyCAA benefits, to explore opportunities to expand your skill set in areas that connect to the job you are targeting.

As we embrace this season with hope for something new, I encourage you to reflect on the impact 2021 can have to set your career on the course to your true passion. What goals can you set to get yourself to where you want to be by December? What about by 2025? More importantly, what do you need to do to get yourself there? These ideas are only the start, and with a fresh take and a strong drive, 2021 can be a successful and fulfilling year.

Happy hunting!

Sidney is a Transition Specialist with the Serving Spouses Team at Hire Heroes USA where she has supported more than 400 military spouses and veterans in finding meaningful employment…so far. She is a military spouse herself, married to a USMC veteran and has personal experience navigating the balance between career, family, and military life. She has a diverse professional background across the social work field, including child welfare, domestic violence survivor support, and homeless employment empowerment. Since joining Hire Heroes USA in 2018, Sidney has engaged with clients individually as their personal Transition Specialist and in groups by facilitating more than eight virtual workshops. While she has always helped with behind-the-scenes projects, her passion is social advocacy through building unique relationships with clients to ensure they have all the tools and support to achieve their career goals.