Set Weekly Goals in your Job Search

Staying motivated is key to success in any job search, especially those that end up dragging on for longer than expected. Another key is to make sure you assemble a strategic plan from the start, and stay organized throughout the process. Part of staying organized is making goals, and striving to attain those goals as you move along. You can make goals on any time basis that best fits you, but the timeframe I have found to be the most useful for most job seekers is on a weekly basis.

It’s been said that a goal is not a goal until is written down. “First you write down your goal; your second job is to break down your goal into a series of steps, beginning with steps which are absurdly easy.” - Fitzhugh Dodson. And that is as complicated as it needs to be. Once broken down, it will alleviate some of the overwhelming feelings that can easily creep in.

The method you choose to document and track your goals is of no consequence, as long as you do it. It really is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer recording their goals in an Excel spreadsheet, while others favor a personal planner. You could track them in your iPhone, or in a spiral notebook. The most important thing is to keep them all in one place,

The next step is to choose a day and time to list your weekly goals, and to evaluate the attainment of goals from the previous week. This is imperative because only by analyzing your prior activity will you be able to make modifications or alterations to your plan. I have found it works best to keep that day and time consistent each week so that it becomes a habit.

Additionally, a number of factors you may want to consider are as follows:

• Make your goals realistic – successful goals should be measurable, attainable and specific. They should also be realistic, and not completely out of reach. Is it implausible to send out 200 resumes in one week? No. However it’s also a goal that may not be as productive if being sent out just to satisfy your objective. It also isn’t worth stressing over if you only sent out 100 resumes to quality contacts; 200 is quite ambitious.

• Look at the big picture - your weekly goals should break your monthly goals down into manageable portions. You need to factor in undertakings that may take up substantial chunks of your time; it doesn’t need to be nor should it be a 24x7 job.

• Manage your time – it is very easy to become distracted when searching for contacts or jobs online with Facebook, games, personal email, and other time wasters. Treat it as you would any full-time job.

• Stay motivated – don’t be afraid to have some fun from time to time after you have put the work in. You could be in this for the long haul, so doing little things to keep yourself motivated – whatever those may be – will help you stay focused over the long run.

• Reward yourself – part of staying motivated is to reward yourself in some way for meeting weekly goals. It is okay to have events or fun times to look forward to, so use these as incentives to stay on track and work hard, as well as smart.

• Don't be too tough on yourself if you fail to meet a weekly goal. It takes time to know how much you can reasonably accomplish in a week, and when you are starting out give yourself some leeway in order to accurately gauge what can be attained each day, week and month.

Develop a plan, make adjustments, execute it to the best of your ability, and expect results. In the words of Napoleon Hill, “set your target and keep trying until you reach it.”