CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- If you hope to find a new job in 2020, now is a good time to start looking.
The first two months of the year are the most popular time for job searches.
Career expert Amy O'Neill, who works for the employment agency Avenica, said that's because executives are back in the office after the holidays and have new fiscal year budgets.
But the beginning of the year also can bring a lot of competition so O'Neill suggested you apply right away.
A good place to start is to learn who the hiring manager is and reach out to them directly.
After that she suggested you network to see who has openings in their company and any advice to share.
Despite low unemployment, about 43 percent of recent college grads are underemploye, meaning they're working in fields unrelated to their degrees or where they'd like to work.
To address that, compile your top skills and examples of how you've used them as part of your pitch to prospective employers.