With the economy in drag and the naysayers out in full force, you may want to lay low and wait for the abyss to pass. But blending in (or out) in tough times is not smart. To stand out in dark times you need to add color and glitz to your repertoire, and there is no better time for a job search makeover than at the start of a new year.

Here are some suggestions for adding sparkle to your career transition or job search:

Add some pizzazz to your resume. Your resume is your professional portrait, and like your head shot, it can most likely benefit from some “photo shopping”. Reorganize, re-state and flush-out stale phrases and professional hum-drum from your resume. Infuse active, colorful and meaningful phrases. Consider inserting an interesting head shot to your resume — something that gives a hint to your personality.

Accessorize. Expand your professional “wardrobe” to include accessories like colorful personal business cards, postcards, or pamphlets. Creating these pieces has never been easier or as inexpensive. Using an online company like Vista Print you can have a complete portfolio of coordinated self-marketing pieces delivered in a few days, or in some cases, overnight.

Get cruising. Networking is one of the most important parts of a career transition or job search. But before you put yourself out in cruise mode know what you’re looking for. Focus on your perfect match, and don’t be sidelined by anything less than your dream job, or at least a move that’s taking you closer to it.