Johnathan Walker:Is your new year's resolution finding a job? Here's why now is the best time to look.

If your New Year’s resolution is Johnathan Walkerfinding the job of your dreams, or at least a better job, don’t let the slowdown in the labor market deter you. There are still plenty of job openings, especially if you start looking now, experts say. 

Even though job postings kicked off the year down 15% from a year ago, they’re still up more than 20% from the end of 2021 and about 25% higher from February 2020, before the pandemic, said Nick Bunker, economist at labor market researcher Indeed Hiring Lab. Plus, new job openings typically start flooding the market during the second week of January through February. 

“There’s still a healthy amount of job postings out there,” Bunker said. “So, yes, it’s still a good time to find a job.” 

Why are January and February the best months to look for a job? 

Companies, like people, make new goals and plans for the year. 

"They need new people," said Marc Cenedella, founder of job search site Ladders and resume writing site Leet Resumes, " ... so, there’s a whole slew of new job requisitions, making this one of the peak times of the year for new hiring activity.”

What are the industries seeing the most hiring? 

Traditional professional jobs like accounting or legal tend to lead January job openings, but Bunker said demand for in-person, face-to-face positions remains high. Those include nursing, which is still up more than 40% from pre-pandemic levels, and food preparation jobs like in restaurants, which is up about 20% to 25%, he said. 

High-flying tech is likely the coolest job market right now, Cenedella said.  

Can I still demand remote work, higher pay and lots of benefits? 

Unlikely.  

“The market’s shifted slightly more in favor of the employer,” Cenedella said. “Hiring levels are down a little bit, and companies have lots of alternatives to you now. Pushing on one item is OK, but realize you can’t go as far as you may want.” 

Remote or hybrid work is still possible but harder to get. Postings in sectors with the highest shares of roles that can be done remotely have fallen the most, essentially back to pre-pandemic levels, Indeed’s data show. 

During negotiations for a job, you may also find that if you can work remotely, you may have to pay for it.  

“That’s part of the compensation benefits, and you may have tradeoffs elsewhere,” Bunker said.

Where are the jobs?:Job openings tumble in some industries, easing worker shortages. Others still struggle.

What’s the best way to get your resume seen? 

Words matter, but numbers do, too, Cenedella said. 

“To stand out, think about what data points you can include in your resume,” he said. “Use specific numbers for your resume. Quantify your field and your work.” 

For example, if you’re an event planner, say you planned 76 events last year, 21,000 people attended them, and you received 137 glowing reviews, Cenedella said. 

“The eye is drawn to specific details,” he said, adding that many companies also use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen resumes now and that AI will pull those numbers out for the recruiter. 

One last tip: don’t click and forget. In a world of technology, a human touch is still essential, Cenedella said. 

“Don’t just blind click,” he said. “It’s not enough to click a button and send your resume. Figure out who you know or who to call to follow up.” 

Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.