• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

The emerging deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz reportedly recognizes Iran’s control—and the U.S. may have to accept it

2

Leo DiCaprio teams with Jeff and Lauren Sanchez Bezos on $200 million plan to save 100 endangered species

3

The deportation economy is backfiring on American workers, top economist warns

1

The emerging deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz reportedly recognizes Iran’s control—and the U.S. may have to accept it

2

Leo DiCaprio teams with Jeff and Lauren Sanchez Bezos on $200 million plan to save 100 endangered species

3

The deportation economy is backfiring on American workers, top economist warns
Work It Out

How to succeed in your January job hunt

By
Anne Fisher
Anne Fisher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Anne Fisher
Anne Fisher
Down Arrow Button Icon
January 22, 2020, 12:00 PM ET
PeopleImages Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Kicking off the new year by looking for a new job? Good for you, but beware: You’re facing more competition this month than at any other time of year.

New research from career site Glassdoor says more people apply for posted openings in January than in any other month. In 2020, the “January spike” is a hefty 22% in the U.S., and even higher in some other countries—29% in France, for instance. At the same time, though, the report says employers, having just closed the books on the old year, post fewer jobs than in other months. So far in January, U.S. help-wanted ads are running at about 4% below average.

So how can you improve your odds of winning the new gig you want? It might help to focus your search on companies whose workforces number from 50 to 500 employees. ADP’s latest payroll report notes that, while U.S. businesses added 202,000 jobs in December, about 88,000 of those new openings were created at “medium-sized” enterprises. That’s almost twice the number (45,000) of new jobs at “large” businesses with 500 to 1,000 or more employees.

No matter what size company you’d like to work for, here are two ways you can stand out from your fellow job hunters—both now and for the rest of 2020.

1. Take a fresh look at whether you’re doing the right things.

Michael Steinitz, executive director at staffing firm Accountemps, says it might be time to take a fresh look at whether you’re doing the right stuff, especially if you haven’t put yourself on the market for a while. “A strategic job search now requires much more than putting together a polished resume,” he says. “Employers are looking for people with a strong online presence and a passion for their work.”

A new Accountemps survey of 2,400 hiring managers in 28 U.S. states found that they’re most impressed with candidates who “network on social media with employees at the company of interest” (49%) and “provide access to an online portfolio or personal website” (47%).

What should your site look like? An infographic, or clear charts and graphs that quantify your achievements and show them in visual form, can tip the scales in your favor and get you chosen for an interview, while cartoon images and Bitmojis tend to turn employers off, the survey says. Suggests Steinitz, “Steer clear of anything that could be considered distracting or unprofessional, like flashy fonts and images.” None of that means an old-school resume doesn’t count anymore, but what employers want to see on it has undergone a shift.

2. Highlight your soft skills instead of your technical ones.

“Companies now are looking to hire candidates with strong ‘people’ skills, with the idea of training them in any necessary technical skills on the job,” says Michelle Armer, who works as Chief People Officer at CareerBuilder. “About 80% of employers have told us they value ‘soft’ skills more than the ‘hard’ kind, especially in three main areas: critical thinking, teamwork, and customer service.”

It’s not hard to see why “soft” skills (also known by other names, like human skills, power skills, and E.Q.) are in demand. For one thing, more and more jobs in every industry have been transformed by technology. With A.I. and machine learning taking over the routine, repetitive parts of work, what’s left for human employees to do usually calls for traits like empathy, creative problem-solving, and even humor—beyond the ken (so far) of algorithms. And unlike tech skills, which now obsolesce at an average rate of every 18 months, soft skills will grow even more essential as technology keeps racing onward.

Also, remember that collaboration is crucial. So many jobs these days require effective teamwork, Armer points out, that your resume will fall short unless it highlights specific examples of situations where you achieved notable goals by playing well with others. Even, or especially, if your technical savvy is stellar, she says, “don’t downplay your soft skills. Emphasize them.” Noted.

More must-read stories from Fortune:

—Why this 20-year-old Bosch apprentice chose to work first and get a degree later
—How freelancing can help your career
—No, humanities degrees don’t mean low salaries
—The 4 main reasons people change careers
—Ready to jump at that great job offer? Read this first
Get Fortune’s RaceAhead newsletter for sharp insights on corporate culture and diversity.

About the Author
By Anne Fisher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Careers

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Careers

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.