Staying motivated during your job search can be hard. Why not make a weekly checklist?
Sometimes when you are trying as hard as you can, and not getting results, it seems like the best thing to do is give up. This is especially true during an extended job search. After a long period of time, things can seem as though they will never improve. The truth is that unless you are planning to retire, you most likely will have another job at some point in your life. Even though it seems like things will never get better, they will.
If you are finding yourself getting discouraged, maybe it's time to shake things up a bit in order to create some movement, enthusiasm and momentum. If you have been working hard at finding a job and not getting the best of results, why not create a weekly checklist in order to change the way you approach your job search.
Conventional wisdom says that you should treat your job search as a full time job. While that's partly true, most people interpret that as saying that the best thing to do is apply for jobs all day long. However, wallpapering the world with your resume isn't nearly as effective as launching a strategic “get-a-job” campaign.
To start this targeted strategic job search you should schedule your week to have time allotted for different activities that will raise your chances of finding a job. Here are some things that should be included in your list:
- Research other career possibilities in your industry. Read job descriptions for related jobs and decide what types of jobs would be the best fit for you.
- Select the companies that hire people in those fields. Research the companies and find out about their corporate culture. Follow them on your social media site.
- If you are considering changing careers or even job titles, schedule informational interviews to find out more about the particular job. If you can find someone who works at one of your selected companies, even better.
- Attend every networking event you can. Network with people everywhere you go. Don't let being ashamed of being unemployed prevent you from talking with people at meetings, job fairs, the dentist, you kids baseball game or wherever.
- Spend some time catching up or communicating with at least 5 of your friends or follow up with at least 5 new contacts you met through networking.
- Look for volunteer opportunities. Think about your skills and what you are passionate about. This will give you an idea of what type of volunteer work you should look for. Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community, keep you busy, have something to show for your time unemployed and it will help keep your self-worth high.
- Take care of yourself. Take the time to eat right and exercise. Schedule time to get out of the house and enjoy some fresh air.
- Update your skills. Read a book about your industry, go to workshops, learn a new computer program or even look for courses at your local community college that will help you in your chosen profession.
- Use social networking tools like Twitter and Linkedin to keep up with what is going on with your selected companies.
- Of course, apply for jobs. Always write a cover letter for each job.
Sometimes, when you change the way you do something, it will give you a new perspective and can lead to a break. And, all it takes is one good break to get back in the workplace.
What do you think about this targeted job search strategy? Let me know in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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