It’s a new year, which means new opportunities and new resolutions! Job seekers, take time to set goals for your 2015 job search and understand what you want to go after. From there, build up an impressive online presence so recruiters can find you and get to know your professional background.

As the job market continues to improve, job seekers will have to create new ways to have a competitive edge during the job search. Glassdoor offered up some great tips for how to prepare for the 2015 job search.

6 tips to prepare for 2015 job search (2)

Brush up on your persuasive speaking skills. By strengthening these skills, you will be able to write better cover letters, increase your interview skills and negotiate needs in a stronger, more confident way.

Get involved with an organization that you’re passionate about. The more you are involved with things that interest you, the more likely you will discover opportunities within your desired realm of work.

Touch base with references so they are in the loop. Schedule time to sit down or speak with references so they are up-to-date on your job search.

Take a moment to think about business cards. If you don’t have one, create one, if you do have one, look it over and determine if it represents you properly. If not, redesign it to highlight your professional background.

Review your portfolio and see if you need to update it. A lot can happen in a year, and sometimes we forget to update things so take time to go over your portfolio.

Use keywords to market yourself online. This is an important part of your professional online presence. Make sure you use the keywords that highlight your professional experience and grab the attention of recruiters, hiring managers and other employers online. And be consistent with the keywords, using them in all aspects of your digital presence.

A new year, brings so many new opportunities and struggles. Focus on what you want to get out of the job search and from there, revamp your resume, digital presence and anything else that might need tweaking. For the full list of ways to prepare for the 2015 job search, visit Glassdoor.