Finding a Job is a Job
I don’t mean the title as “finding a job is hard work” (which it is) but rather, employment searching is your current job, especially if you don’t have a paycheck coming in. It is important to keep your self-esteem up. Job searching in PJs and not getting up until 11am can negatively effect certain people.
If you believe that finding a job is your current job, you are more likely to get employment quicker. The one mistake I made was not setting certain hours searching, but rather spreading it out over the entire course of the day. By the end of it, I was tired because I never had a break. If you look for a job during 9am-5pm and leave the evenings to have fun, you’re more likely to be refreshed for upcoming interviews and networking. Depending on what you are searching for, you should give yourself at least 1 day off (probably Saturday or Sunday).
Things to do:
1) Plan out what you are going to do the night before. Who are you going to call, and when? If you have trouble with the phone (I know I do), plan a script. You should have a script ready in case you get an employer’s voicemail. If you think it will go disastrously, leave a voicemail on someone else’s phone and have them play it back for you so you can see where you need improvement.
2) Dress for success. Now is not the time to be wearing PJs while you search, because you won’t feel as professional. I’m not saying wear a suit while surfing at home, though (unless that works for you!).
3) Plan out what companies you are going to research. Print out the web pages you’ll need and place them in a folder for later use (along with company contacts).
4) Look at appropriate web sites for industry news. You might find something you can mention to an employer as a segueway or similar.
5) Build your networking contacts. School Alumni, old job contacts, industry, etc.
6) If you’re staying in town, check for local business web sites to see whether any are hiring (I got my current job that way). Check to see if your town has its own web page. Google Local might help for this part.
7) Look at local (or online) volunteer opportunities. Anything to improve your resume and get you out of the house and socializing.
8) Keep a record of everything you have done to try and search for a job. That way, when you are depressed (as will happen) you can look back and know exactly what you have done to try and remedy unemployment. If you are having a particularly tough time, consider counseling until your situation changes. If you don’t have much money, consider state-funded operations or similar, where you pay based on how much you can afford.
I couldn't agree more. Your idea of collecting websites and having a special folder for them is a great idea-provided the candidate actually goes back and does the research! Volunteering is another great approach to job searching, because it increases the candidate's marketable skills and, as you say, spruces up the resume. Thanks for a wonderful survey of how to make a job search your job. Best of luck to you.