Many of us procrastinate when it comes to a job search because it can get so overwhelming, but unemployment will reign until you start doing something. Here are some tips to help you kick start a job search—from guest blogger Amy Feind Reeves of JobCoachAmy.
You’ve been telling yourself for weeks: I’m going to start looking. It’s time. So what do you do now? You know that you want to start a job search, but there is a lot you don’t know:
What other jobs are there?
What would you actually do in those jobs?
How do you get one?
How long will it take?
What will you get paid?
That’s just for starters. In short, a job search can be overwhelming, regardless of where you are in your career.
Many people often don’t know where to begin, so they don’t. They’ll talk about it, get frustrated about it and generally burn themselves out over the whole idea before they’ve sent out a single resume. For others, magical thinking can rear its ugly head: “Something will come along,” or “Things usually work out for me somehow.” Still others have figured out a few pieces of the puzzle thanks to a helpful college career office, friend or parent - but are overwhelmed at the idea of taking it to the next step.
All of these people can be best described in one of two words: 1.) unemployed or 2.) underemployed. Why? Because the worst thing you can do in a job search is nothing.
So, what’s the best thing you can do? One suggestion is to break down this completely overwhelming, vastly complex goal into a series of tasks and goals on a timeline.
Create Lists Pertaining to Your Search
Your list should contain three items: 1.) everything you know (likely 10% of the total items), 2.) everything you think you know (likely 20% of the total items), and 3.) everything you don’t know (likely 70% of the total items). For example:
I know I want to…
be in the New York City area
use my personality in my next job
not spend my days working with numbers
I think I want to…
do something related to health care
travel
work with people who are very interested in health and exercise
I don’t know…
what jobs there are in health care in New York City for people at my level
what organizations are hiring
what will get my resume noticed
how to explain why I want health care
who I can ask for help
why someone would hire me
Don’t edit yourself. Be honest, and get personal—if you want a job where you don’t have to show up until 9:30 because you are not a morning person, you can write it down. You don’t have to justify this list to anyone. So what's next? Devote Some Time to Learning What You Don't Know
Spend a few hours a week (or a day, depending on your timeline) learning what you don’t know. Take the elements of your list one at a time. Segment your questions according to how you will best be able to get them answered: college or alumni career office, friends who have conducted successful job searches, people you know (or who your parents friends or neighbors know) who work in the field, Google searches. Expect to add questions as you go. Don’t expect to get all your questions answered. Be sure to thank—personally and profusely—anyone who helps you. Refine Your Lists
Once you’ve done all you can, make your lists again. Be sure to have a notebook or a digital file with all of your notes to consult. Accept that you are going to start your job search without knowing everything. Everyone does.
Start Targeting
Take what you think you know and target a couple of industries, organizations, and roles.
Set up job alerts from companies and roles that are of interest. Here’s a great primer on job boards. Just reading job descriptions is great education for any job seeker. Industry associations are also a great place to learn about what kinds of jobs there are, who is hiring and what career paths look like.
Check out websites of organizations in your targeted field that seem interesting. Identify if anyone in management went to your school, is from your hometown, or knows someone you know. Follow the organization on social media. Keep abreast of any news that comes out of the organization or the industry. Learn about their philanthropic interests.
Get Your Digital Profile and Draft Applications in Order
Prepare your resume and create a cover letter template. Cover letters can really make you stand out so use them to draw attention to how and why you know you can add value. Update LinkedIn to reflect your updated resume and your goals or expertise. Make sure the information is consistent across all your profiles.
Apply Early and Often
Successful job seekers put out a lot of applications knowing that numbers increase their odds.
Follow two tracks in your job search: one where you are responding to jobs that are posted, reactive (applying to jobs that have been posted) and proactive (networking to find out about jobs before they have been posted). Read as much as you can about your field(s) of interest. Keep a notebook of what you learn.
This is just one example of a way to approach your job search. Do it this way, invent your own way or create something in between. There are other ideas out there. Something, anything, is better than nothing.