Light the Fire Under Your Job Search

Light the Fire Under Your Job Search Its time to light the fire under your job search in get it in high gear! When do you feel you need to put the pedal to the metal and zoom into full speed? When are you going to treat your job search as a race? It is tempting to take some time off. DONT! Summer can be one of the best times to network and catch people at work.   In order to make the most of your time and efforts and to be able to feel productive, youll want to think about deploying some of these strategies. Act With A Sense of Urgency Lets face it, it is so easy to say, well, she never called me back or Ive been meaning to contact him, Ive just been so busy. No more excuses. Act with a sense of urgency! Set deadlines for yourself, just like you had to do at work. Here are some thoughts on how to do this: Self impose deadlines for activities such as setting up specific networking meetings, followup after an interview or meeting, increasing your LinkedIn connections or adding more target companies to your list. Assign a due date to every task helps hold you accountable. It also can provide a greater sense of ownership. If you are looking for a list of job search activities that need deadlines, here are some  Job Finding Activities Attend Seminars and Workshops Create a Marketing Plan Explore new career opportunities Read Newspapers/Publications Attend Networking Events Use local One-Stop Contact College/University Alumi Office or Career Services Office Contact People In Target Companies and Jobs Online Networking (LinkedIn, etc) Create Interviewing Preparation Folder Conduct Mock Interviews Draft Thank You letters and Cover letters Attend Job Club Check Job Posting Boards (create alerts) Research Companies Conduct Informational Interviews Contact Search Firms, Contract Houses, Agencies Add More Companies To Target List Attend Job Fairs Networking Events Apply to Jobs Start a Blog Attend Professional association meetings and volunteer Participate in Religious groups Volunteer with Organizations Manage Your Time The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen Covey discusses the four quadrants of time management. The goal is to disperse your time appropriately.   I like this model because it helps us see where you SHOULD be spending more time (quadrants I II), however, we get lured into quadrants III IV way too often. Move Your job search isnt a paid vacation. Keep yourself moving forward. Do things that challenge you and feel uncomfortable. Set your plan into action and work it. Or as the Nike motto says: Just Do It.   Back in November when the government was adding extensions to unemployment benefits I wrote this post: Are You Determined to Get A Job or Ride Out Unemployment. You have what it takes to get a new job. This is just a small test and chances are very good that you will get a job sooner or later. Hopefully sooner. Career Collective I am honored to be part of Career Collective, a  community of extremely talented resume writers and career coaches. This post is one of many responses to “heating up your job search. I encourage you to visit other members responses linked below.  Please follow our hashtag on Twitter: #careercollective.   I  want to thank Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, MRW, CPRW, CEIP (www.careertrend.net) and Miriam Salpeter (www.keppiecareers.com) for bringing this team of experts together. Dont miss the expert advice below! Turn Off The Computer, Tune Into What’s Happening, Heat Up the Job Search, @chandlee Heating up the Job Search-How to Stay Motivated During the Summer, @erinkennedycprw Cool Job Seekers Heat Up Their Search in the Summer, @barbarasafani Some assembly required, @DawnBugni Summertime, Sluggish Economy Provide Strong Motivation for an Updated Resume, @KatCareerGal Upping Your Job Search Flame; Be Needed, Not Needy, @ValueIntoWords Put some sizzle in your job hunt how to find a job now, @keppie_careers Summertime and the Job Search Aint Easy, @KCCareerCoach Heating up your job search. 5 ways to dismiss those winter blues, @GayleHoward Hot Tips for a Summer Job Search, @MartinBuckland @EliteResumes Heat Up Your Job Search: Avoid Job Boards, @JobHuntOrg Treasure Huntâ€"Yo-ho-ho! Heat Up Your Job Search, @resumeservice