One of the most popular resolutions is our commitment to changing jobs in sequence with the calendar year. However, with the unemployment rate at 4.1% in November 2017, the likelihood that you’ll find greener pastures in January 2018 will be more difficult than it has been in the past ten years. Just to throw a little salt on the wound, the U.S. created 16,000 less jobs in November 2017 than October 2017.  I’m sure this hasn’t sounded like a pep talk up to this point, but there’s hope for you (and this commentary) just around the corner.

You see, the above statistics are just that…statistics; and they’re reported at a macro level with the goal of telling a story about the economy. Yet, identifying, applying, and ultimately receiving a job offer is at a much smaller, personal, micro level…which is you and your resume. The rapid increase in job application services, social media, and professional digital networking has made it all too easy for anyone to apply to any open position at any time. Not only are your competition the economic job report indicators, but you also must contend with artificial technology (AI), bots, and humans conditioned to search for key words. So, how do you win?