2007 is off and running. We’re four days in and many of us have already let those good old resolutions fall by the wayside. Who knows, maybe that whole exercise thing is overrated. Even if the resolutions didn’t pan out in your personal life, it’s important to stay strong when it comes to the job search. With the new year comes new hope and new opportunities. People on all sides of the job search are ready to give some advice on how to get things started on the right foot. Many of the strongest pieces of advice center on what we refer to here as candidate control. They might not phrase it that way, but that’s how we see it:

”For those of you who plan to find a new job in 2007 you should break down the job search process into steps and set a date by which you plan to complete each step.” (From Magic Pot of Jobs)

Setting clear goals for yourself is a great way to start off the new year. However, it becomes much easier to meet those goals when you have the means to control the job search. If you’re stranded, depending on job sites and recruiters that don’t allow you to dictate the scope and pace of your search, it becomes very difficult for you to move forward. We believe that candidates need the ability to control which companies they approach and when. They must have access to all of the information and research they need to effectively engage with those companies, and they have to have the opportunity to evaluate themselves against the needs of a company and the skills of other candidates.

While total control may be a dream (for instance, you never know exactly what questions an interviewer is going to ask), having control over your job search is possible. With the right tools and a high level of commitment, you can move towards your goals and meet your deadlines. Candidate control is the key to an effective job search, and it’s the best way to get things going in the new year. Of course, as was pointed out on Job Tuition, there are a couple of other things you might want to do as well:

”Maybe your network could use an overview, to identify areas in which you should expand it. Perhaps you need a wardrobe revamp to look more professional at interviews and networking events.”

Somehow, it always comes back to fashion in the end. We hope things have started off well for you this week.