Alas, I am inside at my computer, occasionally staring out my window at the bright blue sky. And, after I finish writing, there is more inside work to be done today. I’ve just received a delivery of three brown boxes filled with file folders, storage bins, crates and plastic hangers. I have a stack of garbage bags at the ready. There are fresh batteries in my label maker.

That’s right; it’s spring cleaning time.

The truth is that I absolutely love organizing, filing, folding, purging and alphabetizing (my accountant told me I am her only client who color-codes my tax documents). Yes, I am a Virgo.

But I know that spring cleaning (or any-time-of-year cleaning) is not easy for everyone. It can be hard to let go of the old and make room for the new. But it must be done, and spring is a great time to refresh and renew every nook and cranny of your home, office, garage or any other space that needs sprucing up. It’s also a great time to spring clean your career. Here are three important ways to do that:

Clean your career (literally). When was the last time your organized all of your career documents, both on paper and on your computer? Take time now to toss or delete outdated versions of your resume, file past cover letters, put company information you’ve gathered into marked folders and organize that rubber-banded stack of business cards you’ve collected over the past several months. (Hint: if there’s a card whose owner you can’t remember, Google that person or check out his or her LinkedIn profile to see if you can jog your memory. If not, toss the card.)

Clean up your online image.  According to a recently released Microsoft survey, 85 percent of HR professionals responding said that positive online reputation influences their hiring decisions, and 70 percent said they have rejected candidates based on information they found online. Make no mistake about it: your online image will affect your job search and your career. If you haven’t already, set up strict privacy settings on all social networks (often, including on Facebook and the new Google Buzz, the default setting is for all of your information to be public, so check every setting!), take down any inappropriate pictures or content, set up a 100 percent professional profile on LinkedIn and Google, and think twice before posting any new content on Facebook, Twitter or a blog.  In many recruiters’ minds, you are what you post, so keep it clean.

Clean out your to-do list. One of the biggest concerns I hear from students and young professionals is about how outrageously busy they are.  Between studying, working, volunteering, socializing, texting and occasionally eating and sleeping, it’s amazing you have any time to think! Take time this spring to sit down and analyze your time commitments. What’s really enjoyable to you? What work is most fulfilling? What activities do you dread attending? I challenge you to delete anything from your calendar that is not either totally necessary or totally enjoyable. Spring is such a glorious season — don’t miss it because you are too busy running yourself ragged.

What other tips do you have for spring cleaning your career? Please share!

Image: ApartmentTherapy.com

Here are some interesting stories I recommend, with a little bit of personal commentary:

1. Articles about finding a job in the current economy:

The Personal Business page of this weekend’s New York Times features a follow-up to a recent article about online job hunting. Alina Tugend’s “When Job Hunting, Be Your Own Salesman” reminds readers to continue face-to-face networking in addition to online networking efforts.

Also in the Times, you’ll find a story about undergraduate finance and economics majors looking for post-college jobs. “Finance Students Keep Their Job Hopes Alive” suggests that students at top-tier schools aren’t too worried — they believe this downturn will pass and they’ll be just fine.

I’ve found this sentiment to be true in the Ivy League (and the article points out a related trend that I recently blogged about: one student in the article says, “[E]veryone I know is studying for the LSATs right now, people who a month ago had no intention of ever going to law school.” Ugh.). While it’s interesting to know that top students aren’t worried, what about students at the thousands of other colleges in the country? If you’re a job hunting student, please share your experience.

2. Articles about young entrepreneurs:

If you’d rather start your own business than get a job, there’s lots of good reading for you. BusinessWeek recently celebrated America’s Best Young Entrepreneurs 2008. Don’t miss the special feature on whether or not to hire your parents.

Inc. magazine weighs in with its current cover story, “Cool, Determined, Under 30,” celebrating 18 young (and, according to the photos, pretty hip) entrepreneurs.

Finally, StartupNation.com names its “Dorm-Based 20,” celebrating collegiate entrepreneurs.

I love all of this great coverage of young professionals NOT being portrayed as entitled, unmotivated slackers. But I have a complaint: While BusinessWeek and Inc. feature a good mix of genders, StartupNation.com features zero young women. I know for a fact that there are lots of college-aged women out there starting businesses — let’s give them some attention too! If you are a female college student with an entrepreneurial venture, please let me know. I’d love to interview you about your experiences.

3. Last but not least, another story about Facebook:

If you don’t want to find a job or start your own business, you may be looking into graduate school. If so, according to BusinessWeek.com, you may soon get friended by a grad school admissions officer. “The Admissions Office Finds Facebook” details the ways in which grad schools are trying to attract candidates through social networking.

Willy Franzen over at One Day, One Job blogged today about a unique experiment he coordinated with some entry-level job candidates:

Instead of helping employers target students with recruitment messages, why not help students/new grads target employers with Facebook ads? Basically, we want you to create an ad for yourself. The goal is to sell yourself in a few short sentences and convince any recruiters who may see your ads to click through to your resume/web page/contact information. 

Read Willy’s post to see how five job candidates fared with their Facebook ads.  He also provides a step-by-step guide to how you can apply this strategy if you’re interested in trying it.

All of this reminds me of the former investment banker who drew headlines this summer. Frustrated with his job search, he decided to stand on Park Avenue handing out resumes and wearing a sandwich board that said, “Experienced M.I.T. Grad for Hire.” The Facebook experiment seems to be the online version of the sandwich board job search strategy.

Do I think these types of stunts are effective ways to find a job? Well, they’re clearly a way to make yourself visible and make some new connections, which can only help your prospecting. The danger is that you might turn off the exact people you want to impress — some employers may find Facebook ads a little too self-promotional. On the other hand, some employers might love the idea of a go-getting job hunter who isn’t afraid to be aggressive.

I’m looking forward to seeing if the five candidates in Willy’s experiment get real-life jobs from their online ads. What do you think of this approach? Share your thoughts!

To find out my answer, check out 20-Something Manifesto author Christine Hassler’s recent column for the Huffington Post, where she interviews me and shares her advice on net etiquette…

Read “Net Etiquette for Job Seekers” here.

Yes.

The proof is currently sitting on the couch a few feet away from me, watching the Indiana returns on CNN. My husband Evan got his job on LinkedIn. It’s such a good story that LinkedIn featured him on the LinkedIn blog, and Alison Doyle, the About.com guide to job searching, wrote an article featuring Evan and other professionals who landed jobs through LinkedIn. Check out these stories for tips on how to use LinkedIn and other social networks to find real opportunities.

I like Doyle’s other articles on this topic, too. Check out “How to Use LinkedIn to Job Search” and “Should You Use Facebook for Professional Networking?” for more tips. Here are a few highlights:

- Be sure to include keywords in your profile that are related to the jobs you want to find. Not sure what words will pop? Grab words and phrases directly from job listings that appeal to you.

- Post content that is professional and relevant to your career, such as links to articles you’ve written and testimonials about your professional skills and experience.

- Increase your visibility to potential employers by building your network. Remember, it’s not just who you know, it’s who knows you (and can see your profile).

- Be active. People are more likely to contact you if you are actively updating your profile, updating your status and adding connections.

Have you found job opportunities, new clients or other professional benefits from social networking? Please share!