This Week In My Job Search I Will:

If you aren’t already doing it, I have a task for you today.  And each Sunday or Monday during job search.  Write down the title of this post on a single piece of paper and place it on the table in front of you.  Then pull out a pad of paper.  This task will take about an hour.

The first step (40 minutes) is to complete a master list of all the possible things you could be doing in your job search this week.  This list might include:

• Attending networking events
• Scheduling or having a coffee meeting
• Updating your resume
• Applying for a new position
• Writing a new version of your cover letter
• Make new target company connections on LinkedIn
• Meeting with a career coach
• Build new relationships on Twitter
• Creating or updating you target company list
• Building your specific job search objectives
• Following up on a phone or in-person interview
• Creating a SoloSheet™
• Updating alert notifications on job search engines like Indeed or Monster
• Creating a Flashcard™
• Connecting two of your networking friends
• Attending a career fair

Of course this is just a smattering of all the things you could have on your list.  I encourage you to make it as specific as possible.  Instead of “Follow-up on leads”, say “Contact Mike Williams about position with Johnson Electric”.

Now that you have your master list, decide what you will actually do this week (20 minutes).  What from the master list will actually propel you forward?  And what will simply feel like successful busy work?

You want to act with purpose during job search.  Not that there isn’t some room for impulsive action (to react to something immediately that is not on your list).  But generally you should get done what you decide to get done.  When you were thinking objectively at the beginning of the week.

Try to identify two big things and five small things per day.  Minimum.

Time flies when you are having fun.  It also flies when you are acting on impulse.  And I’d rather hear of your search moving at a more measured pace.  Knocking the big stuff off your list and seeing real results.

What ended up on your list for the week?

what	where
job title, keywords or company	city, state or zip jobs by