As the holiday season approaches, many professionals find it difficult to stay motivated and “lock in” to their job search. To help job seekers finish the year strong, career experts from resume-writing service TopResume’s GetHiredNow program recently hosted a free LinkedIn Live event, “Hustle Season Hiring Hacks: Get Hired Before 2026,” offering practical advice to maintain focus and momentum through the fourth quarter of 2025.
“The job seekers who succeed aren’t necessarily working harder; they’re working smarter, with clear goals and structured approaches,” said Amanda Augustine, a career expert for the GetHiredNow program. “Our goal wasn’t just to motivate people who are navigating a tough job market, but to share practical steps they can start implementing right away to make real progress.”
Hosted by Augustine and career coach Ben Day, the interactive session outlined six key strategies to help professionals refocus their search and enter 2026 with confidence.
1. Build your professional “brag book”
In its simplest terms, a brag book is an ongoing record of your major accomplishments and contributions. Its purpose is to keep track of your professional “wins” so you’re always prepared, whether you’re refreshing your resume or LinkedIn profile, preparing for an interview, or simply reminding yourself what you do best on a tough day.
Use frameworks like STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) or CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) to capture the details: what you did, the skills you leveraged, the outcomes achieved, and what you learned along the way.
“This living document should be updated at least quarterly, whether you’re actively job searching or not,” Augustine explained. “When it’s time to tailor your resume or prepare for an interview, your brag book becomes an instant confidence boost and a ready-made source of proof to back up your accomplishments.”
2. Identify and fill a career gap
Pinpoint one concrete gap that’s holding you back, such as a missing technical skill, limited familiarity with an industry-standard platform, or an employment gap you’d like to bridge, and take one actionable step before Dec. 31 to fill it.
Consider completing an online certification, attending a product demo to build tool familiarity, or applying new skills through pro bono consulting, passion projects, or skills-based volunteer work. These activities strengthen your resume and improve your candidacy at the same time.
“This approach is a double win,” Augustine said. “You’re not just strengthening your resume; you’re expanding your skill set and signaling to employers that you’re proactive about your growth.”
3. Adopt a “marketer mindset” for your job search
Regardless of industry or experience level, every job seeker becomes a marketer when looking for a new role. Adopting a marketer mindset means approaching your job search like a sales or marketing funnel—defining your target audience, clarifying your goals, and building your materials to support that strategy.
Start by identifying the type of opportunities and employers you’re targeting. Then, position your resume and LinkedIn profile to highlight the details and achievements that best support those goals, while downplaying or omitting information that doesn’t. Your resume should never be a transcript of everything you’ve done; it’s a marketing document designed to showcase your most relevant, best-selling qualifications.
“You wouldn’t expect a company to succeed with generic, one-size-fits-all marketing,” Augustine explains. “The same is true for your job search. You need to define your goals and make sure your story—online, on paper, and in person—consistently supports them.”
4. Create a master “foundation resume”
No one should be rewriting their resume from scratch for every job application. Instead, build one comprehensive foundation resume that serves as your master document—a version already positioned for your current job goals. Include a full professional summary, an expanded list of key skills or core competencies, and detailed bullet points under each role from the past 10 to 15 years.
From there, make small, strategic edits for each application. For example, you might reorder or swap out the key skills listed at the top, remove a line about job responsibilities that isn’t relevant to the new role, or replace one accomplishment bullet with another that’s more aligned. These light adjustments allow you to keep your resume concise—ideally two pages—while tailoring it for the job at hand.
“Think of your foundation resume as a hybrid between a traditional resume and your brag book,” Augustine explained. “It contains all your best material in one place, so you can easily pull and refine the most relevant details. Making minor updates, like mirroring the employer’s language in the job description, helps your resume pass through applicant tracking systems and stand out to hiring managers.”
5. Network strategically, starting with your existing circle
Networking is crucial—especially in a competitive market—but not all contacts are equally valuable. Start with two priority groups: people directly connected to your target industry, company, or role, and “power connectors” with broad networks who can make targeted introductions.
“Start close to home,” Augustine advised. “When competition is high, lean on people who already know your work and can vouch for you. Warm connections open doors far more often than cold outreach.”
Focus on cultivating authentic relationships over transactions. Building connections around shared interests, such as professional associations, alumni groups, or social activities, where natural conversations can lead to opportunities.
6. Diagnose your job search bottlenecks
If you feel like you’re doing everything right but still not seeing results, it’s time to take a step back and diagnose where things might be breaking down.
Start by looking for the bottlenecks:
- Not hearing back after applying? First, compare your job goals to the current market to make sure they’re realistic. If they are, take another look at the types of roles you’re pursuing versus your actual qualifications—are you applying for jobs that make sense based on your background?
- Landing first interviews but not moving forward? Revisit your marketing materials. Your resume or cover letter might not be positioning you effectively, or you may need to strengthen how you’re telling your story during interviews.
- Making it to the final rounds but not receiving offers? Focus on delivery—how clearly and confidently you’re articulating your value, fit, and impact.
“Start at the beginning and look for the bottlenecks,” Augustine said. “Once you identify where you’re getting stuck, you can address that specific issue instead of spinning your wheels. And if you’re unsure what’s holding you back, consider working with a career coach or resume writer who can help you get unstuck and reset your search strategy.”
Photo credit: courtneyk/iStock
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