A Successful Job Search Is An Organized Job Search

When it comes to a job search, organizing your time equals money. An extended job search will cost you, so planning and prioritizing each hour of each day in conjunction with a well-created strategy for your search makes all the difference. I have come up with a few recommendations that draw from personal experiences shared with me by job seekers who organized every facet of their job searches, and subsequently had tremendous success doing so.

1. Define a space where you will establish your “headquarters,” but not where you will spend all of your time conducting your search. Sitting behind a computer screen all day and applying to any and all jobs you can find posted is not a productive use of your time, nor is it in line with the strategy successful job seekers are using to secure positions today. Contrary to what others may say, get out of that chair and out of that house and network! Meet a colleague for lunch or coffee, join professional associations and attend meetings, and conduct informational interviews with professionals in your industry. Connect with fellow alumni, and find a great place to volunteer. In today’s competitive job market, you cannot assume that the calls will be streaming in by simply posting your resume online. In fact, in my opinion posting your resume online is one of the worst things you can do. You need to be proactive, and connect with people as much as possible. Aside from briefly scanning new jobs posted online (use Indeed.com), the bulk of your designated online time is best spent on networking sites such as LinkedIn.

2. Once you have a defined strategy and headquarters, make sure you organize and keep track of all interactions so that you are as productive as possible. Whether that be by using a calendar, holding physical business cards, or utilizing an electronic system for organizing your contacts and job leads, the important thing is that you find the method that works for you and implement it. Some people do well with handwritten lists while others use spreadsheets. Still others use color-coded files. How you choose to do so is far less important than actually carrying it out.

3. Set aside defined times. Treat your job search as you would a full-time job. If you want to break it up in periods throughout the day, that’s fine. If you want to work a straight 8 hours, that is fine too. The importance of defining set times is so that you avoid wasting it on things that will not get you to that job any quicker.

4. Set weekly and attainable goals, and measure your success. 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. Lastly, make your goals realistic. Goals that are set too high will inevitably produce feelings of failure, and keeping a positive attitude is vital to a successful job search. And don’t forget, it is okay to reward yourself once attaining your goals. Having something to look forward to is a big component of staying motivated.