If you're among those thousands of men who want to change jobs in the new year, however, hiring professionals will tell you that Jan. 1 isn't the time to kick off (开始，着手) your preparations-it's now. Starting to gather resources, credentials and goals in advance puts workers in the best position when opportunities come around.

Here are some tips help you to get well prepared when chances come. Furthermore, for workers who are not planning to embark on a job hunt at present, these tips could help to lay out the welcome mat (有利的铺垫) for that dream job in the future.

1. Grab your compass, get your map 确定工作方向

You can't drive somewhere without a map, and you can't get your dream job without first planning an ideal route to arrive there. Begin with the end in mind. Know where you want to be when you retire and build a plan backwards from there.

Ask yourself: how am I going to get there? What paths can I take? You identify the types of jobs you will need to have and the amount of time you need to be in each. You'll probably want to be at the director level at 35. This type of plan enables job-seekers to be flexible when they need to be

When the interviewer asks where you want to be in five years and you walk them through that plan, they're going to be impressed. It's the best answer to the question.

2. Make sure you're jumping ship for the right reason 想清楚为什么要换工作

Understanding the reasons you want to leave a job can have a great deal to do with where you go next.

Often, people will say they are looking for a new job because they want to make more money, but David Foote, CEO and chief research officer of Foote Partners, an IT work force research company based in New Canaan, Conn., argues that when workers complain about money, there are a lot of other issues involved.

"Maybe you say it's a money issue, but you're really looking for more management opportunities. Take a look at where you want to be and when you know where that is, you have a much stronger, concentrated path to where you want to be."

3. Build your personal brand 建立你自己的优势

Recruiters noted many things workers can do to become the job candidate. No employers worth their salt would pass up (他们是不会拒绝能胜任的员工的). The first was to figure out what sets you apart from anyone else that applies for the same job.

What do you want to be known for in your field? Do you want to be an innovator? If so, continually point back to places where you have innovated, and what your managers thought of it. Competency in change management helps here.

4. Make yourself known 要懂得推荐你自己

Give yourself the opportunity to become known, through a number of different channels. You could speak at industry events, you could hook up with your own internal media or PR (public relations) folks and let them know you want to get your knowledge out there, and a third thing is if you have the ability to write, become a letter-to-the-editor or writer in trade magazines, letting people know what you think.

5. Refresh your personal connections 有效利用人际关系，找个合适的推荐人

If you know someone at a company where you would like to work, this is the time to give them a call.

The holidays are a great time to position yourself for the next opportunity. Go out there and make sure that you're extending your network through systematic and periodic communication. Talk to the people that have been important in your career and when you connect with them, find out what the market is like and where the opportunities are.

The right references can carry a lot of weight when a worker is lined up against equally worthy candidates.

6. Focus your search 集中精力找一个工作，避免漫无目的的撒网

Most recruiters and hiring agents agree that sending resumes in blindly to companies gets applicants the least amount of attention, if any. Using a personal connection to get introduced to the right people, on the other hand, makes a lasting impression.

7. Your resume should always be ready 随时准备好递上简历

When that call comes in about an opening for a perfect job, the worst response is, "Sure … er, can I get you my resume, er, tomorrow?" If the job hunter's resume had been frequently updated, the response would have sounded like this: "I'll have it in your inbox in 5 minutes." Which candidate sounds ready for the next big thing?

Don't just dust it off. Resumes should be updated once a year, whether you are looking or not. You should look back and say, 'What have I accomplished this year that's out of the ordinary?' 'What sets me apart?' 'When did I go above and beyond?' and incorporate it into the resume or cover letter.

Put together a skills inventory, everything you know how to do and every program you have a proficiency in. In the end, resumes are just pieces of paper, but if you're proactive, you'll know just what to say when called into interviews.

（改编自：eWeek 原作者Deborah Rothberg 英语点津 Annabel 编辑）