Whether you’ve been laid off or deciding whether to make a job move, it’s important to think through a strategy to prepare for a job search. Here are some tips to get you through this stressful and often emotional roller coaster so your approach can be organized and successful.
1. Identify your goals
Write down your career and position goals. This can include a list of job titles you will be searching for, as well as the industries. Go ahead and make a list of target companies where you would like to work. This includes companies that match the culture you desire, size, or policies you like. Think through your ideal job but also be realistic. Once you complete it and clearly know what you want, share it with your network of friends and family. People want to help but if they don’t know what you are looking for then they cannot keep their eyes open for you.
2. Create a spreadsheet for you to track action items
Put together a spreadsheet with fields for the name of the company, contact, and status of your application. Include a space for notes and any action items you will need to follow up on. You can also include a column for the URL to the application. By creating this list before you start, it will help you keep organized. As you continue throughout your search, it will remind you of what needs to get done, and help you keep track of where you’ve been and who you’ve spoken with.
3. Come up with a weekly plan
Create a written job search plan with weekly goals around how many positions you intend to apply to. Spend an hour per day browsing for jobs and an hour per day researching companies you might want to work for. Job titles can be tricky so if a friend works at a company you would like to work for, read over their open positions as there might be something that fits you. Also include on your plan, time for networking and reaching out to new people even if it’s via LinkedIn. Consider asking someone to be your accountability buddy. By checking in with a friend each week for 30 minutes, it might inspire you to keep up with your plan. Plan for applications, as some can be lengthy, and consider starting a list of potential references you’ll need when you get to an offer. Think about spending time each week preparing for job interviews, as well. Even if you don’t have an interview planned, it might be helpful to write down and think through answers.
4. Check out Google and bookmark other job boards
Go to Google and type in a job title with a location. If you scroll down to 100+ more positions and click onto it, you will see openings from different sites, as well as filters such as how far away the position is in miles or how many days ago it was posted. Also check out job boards from associations you are affiliated with and make sure you bookmark any job boards you like on your computer. You might even start saving alerts to come to a specialized email account created just for your job search.
5. Get your network together on LinkedIn
If you do not have a profile created on LinkedIn, it is imperative that you create one. Ensure your profile showcases your employment history including a few bullets around what you did in each position (like you would your resume), along with a summary about your experience and skill sets. Start sending out invites for connections so you can get your network going. This way if there’s a job you are interested in, you can search on LinkedIn to see who you might know that works at the company. Don’t be afraid to reach out and start asking for a referral or questions about whether they like working there. You can even craft some LinkedIn connection invites so you can easily copy and paste them as you find people you want to connect with.
6. Google yourself and clean up
Start googling your name and see what pops up. Way too many employees have been fired or reprimanded or job seekers looked over because of what the employee or potential employee finds on a social media site. Take the time to clean up anything you wouldn’t want your mother to read or find.
7. Write a strong resume and send it out for review
Get your resume drafted and start sending it out to your friends and family for review. Most helpful are those who may not know exactly what you do for a living so you can see whether they understand what you wrote. While you want it targeted to your industry and market, you also don’t want to be so unclear that a layman has no idea what you’re talking about.