Brian Alden: Beginning of a new year can be great for people looking for employment. Many companies are using their new budgets to hire on fresh talent. There are some things you can do to make sure you rise to the top of the applicant pool. First, make sure to tune up your resume and highlight your most recent accomplishments. And remember that many employers are now only accepting digital copies of your resume. So before submitting it to any career websites, make sure it can be viewed properly online. To increase your chances of landing an interview, apply for job with the companies, planning to hire in the first quarter. Online news publications are great sources for information. They not only provide timely reports and articles on top growing industries, but they also reveal the companies and areas of the country most impacted by the growth. Take advantage of all the tools and resources available to you for networking and finding available positions. There are plenty out there.

Online career sites like job.

com, social networking sites, job fairs. and the classifieds. Keep in mind that you're applying in an extremely competitive time; stay positive, be flexible. Consider looking outside of your current field for new opportunities. This can be a great chance for you to transit your skill set to a new and exiting field. It'll also give you a chance to broad new talents and make you more invaluable as an employee in the future.