Jobigami: Hey you! It’s time to polish up those resumes.

With the 2016 election only five months away, it is time to update your resume and your skills. History has told us repeatedly that Presidential elections almost always have an impact on the state of the economy and the job market. Under the current administration many workers have felt abandoned, thrown overboard and left to tread water for months if not years until someone comes along to rescue them from the ocean of despair. Unfortunately, some displaced workers have given up all together and many economists say those workers number in or around 93 million.

What does all this mean for me you ask? What it means is new leadership, a change in the country’s direction, and renewed hope in economic recovery. With the wind in its sails the job ship will start moving again and you do not want to get left behind wishing you didn’t pass on your ticket.

Now what do you do? Simple, you prepare yourself ahead of time. Like any voyage, you must prepare and be ready for what’s to come. As you prepare yourself for the new job market, you will have to get back into “Working Shape”. For some, this may be an easy fix. A new wardrobe and a new school to enhance that full array of skills. For others it maybe more complex, a makeover, practicing and sharping those computer or customer service skill sets.

Many have attended college during the economic downturn over these past few years and now it’s time to put those skills into action. A good way to put those skills into action is to volunteer somewhere a few days a week to begin using those skills and showing potential employers you have more than book knowledge. When you are ready to put yourself out there consider these five tips:

Update your resume. Do not forget to use the new terminology. Look for archaic lingo in your resume and update it with modern terms that companies use today and always make sure to check your grammar and spelling.
Practice your interview skills with family and friends. If it has been a while since you have done an interview this will get you back into practice so you feel confident and polished when being asked those pertinent questions.
Brush up on your skills through volunteering. Be sure to include your volunteering in your resume. It not only shows you aren’t sitting around idle, but is shows you care about others as well through the giving of your time and talent.
Search the current salary scales for the position you seek. This enables you to negotiate your salary on more favorable seas. Many career fields have taken hits to the pay scales, so be prepared for this. A job once paying $50,000 a year may now only pay $36,000. Do your homework so this won’t make you appear unreasonable or out of touch when negotiating.
Monitor your social networking accounts. Although discrimination is unlawful, we walk a thin line in today’s world and it is in the eye of the beholder of “what is” and “what is not” considered discrimination when it comes to what you freely put out there for others to see. A quick suggestion to this problem is to deactivate all social media accounts while looking for your next employment opportunity. Potential employers can or will use these sites as a pre-employment screening and you may have no idea of those conditions. Play it smart and do not give them anything to toss your resume aside and move onto the next one.

Now you have the basic steps for getting back into “Working Shape” and a head start when the job market returns and you will not be standing there wondering why your ship did not come in. It will come in and you will be at the helm. There will be attempts to sink your ship, but remember what Admiral David Farragut said, “Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead!”

Search for local job listings at www.jobigami.com