In the job search, when there’s only so much time in the day, it can be easy to lose track of what you need to get done. Between applications, interviews, networking and the other responsibilities in your daily life, keeping an eye on everything you’ll need to do in a given day can be tough. However, if you set up a cohesive strategy and stick to it over time, you’ll have much more success.
Get off on the right foot
Forbes reported that when you want to start the job search process, you can’t just sleep in and hope that a brilliant idea strikes you. Waking up, getting ready for the day and thinking of the exact things you want to get done in that day’s time is a good start. It might also be a good idea for some introspection, too – if you think about your long-term career goals that may only further inspire you.
The next step should be a quick glance at your resume. Too many people make the mistake of logging hours on their resume, tweaking and twisting it so that every word would have the perfect emphasis. That’s a mistake, as that time can be much better spent doing other things. An hour per day is more than fine in this context. After that, make an effort to network, whether you’re on LinkedIn or meeting someone in real life. Keeping an active network can be a great boost to your hopes as it will allow your friends and colleagues to keep an eye out for any opportunities that might be right for you.
From there, you might want to update any social media pages you have, whether you’re on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. You never know where an opportunity may arise from, and taking this step certainly won’t hurt. From there, you can search job openings, and The Huffington Post noted that working to improve your skills by taking a new class of some form can be a great way to spend your time. Whether it’s online or in-person, such a class can help you develop some long-term skills.
Weekly plans can be effective
The Huffington Post added that you can also set up a search plan over a longer period of time. Writing out weekly goals, such as meeting with a certain number of people or sending out a certain amount of applications, can help you gain confidence over time, and will allow you to stick to your guns over time even if you don’t see initial results.