Finding a job is hard work. Here are 3 things you can do to increase your chances of success:
Woman searching job in newspaper | Photo by Ron Lach – Pexels.com
Approach your job search as if it were a full-time job.
If you have a job, come to work at the same time every day (e.g. 8 a.m.), take a one-hour lunch break (or less), and leave at the same time every day (e.g. 5 p.m.). You will be working five days a week, and you will work hard to accomplish as much as you can because your career depends on it.
If you’re looking for a job, you should follow the same schedule because your future depends on it.
If you treat your job search like a part-time hobby, it’s sure to take even more time.
So, report to work tomorrow and spend your day doing work-related tasks.
Approach your job search like a project.
This means you need to set goals, make a plan, and monitor your progress. You need to apply all of the tools and skills you used in your last job to the project of finding your next job.
As you can imagine, this is a big project. The faster you complete it, the faster you’ll get promoted.
Be your own boss.
Set goals, give instructions and monitor your work.
Check in with yourself once a week and evaluate your performance. I recommend that you write two reports about this. The first one is an honest assessment of what you have achieved in the past week. The second part is a description of your plan for next week. Your plan should include goals, actions, and priorities.
If this is your first time creating one of these reports, write a review of what you’ve done so far. Describe the results this effort has produced. And compare those results to what you wanted to achieve.
Next, create a realistic plan for next week based on achievable goals. For example, you could set goals for the number of people you will call, the number of networking meetings you will attend, the research you will conduct, etc.
In the coming weeks, compare the results you achieved in the previous week with the goals you set. For example, if you planned to attend 12 networking meetings but only attended 2, you should a) explain why this happened and b) plan actions to make up the difference. You should also analyze why you did not achieve your goals, so that you know what you need to do differently. For example, your goal (such as attending 12 networking conferences) may be too ambitious. Or, here are some things you can do to make it easier to reach your job search goals: For example, collaboratel with a friend who is also looking for work.
Finding a job is a full-time job. Make a plan and get the support of a great manager (yourself) to get through this.
We wish you the best of luck.