Have you ever noticed how much better you feel after you’ve completed a thorough spring cleaning? With all of the clutter from the rest of the year gone, you can see the new potential and feel rejuvenated.
The same thing can be done with your job search. Below is a step-by-step approach to getting rid of what you don’t need and streamlining your career quest.
Inventory: Evaluate Your Approach
Reflect on what tactics you’ve been using in your job search. Types of questions you can ask as you think about your search: How are you following up with recruiters and hiring managers? Are you applying to positions regularly? How do you spend the majority of your time in your job search? Ask yourself if there is anything you could simplify or get help with. Do a complete inventory of what you have been doing, what tools you’ve been using, and the frequency of different tasks. Once you have the complete picture of your habits and resources you can start to identify areas for improvement.
Job Search 360°: Ask for Feedback
After you’ve done your inventory, it is a good idea to get some input from others, as well as to get a full view of your efforts and how they are coming across. It’s possible to improve nearly every job-seeking activity, especially if you ask for feedback. Not all recruiters or hiring managers will be able to respond with feedback, but it is okay to respectfully ask for it. Also reach out to peers, colleagues, and trusted mentors with feedback on your resume, your job search strategies, help with networking, and to practice interviewing. The more you review and refine your approach, the more prepared you will be for your next opportunity.
Go Beyond Habits: Try Something New
If you aren’t getting the results you want, it may be time to try something new. If you solicited feedback, you probably have a few ideas about what things you might want to change. Try a new cover letter, switch up your job search keywords, revise your resume, or shift any part of your normal job search process and see if it sparks some new momentum, or yields different results. The changes don’t have to be big or happen all at the same time to make a big difference in your outcomes.
Best Practices: Make Note of What Works
Chances are not everything you try will lead to immediate results. Pay attention to the results of your new efforts. Any time a new or old strategy works, make note of it and determine if it is a best practice you can incorporate into the rest of your search. Whether it is a new question to ask in an interview, a resource to recommend when you are networking, or a new format for your cover letter; know which approaches, tasks or efforts create the best results and add them to your regular arsenal.
Use Technology to Help: Automate
Find opportunities to automate elements of your search. If you know your search criteria, you can save them and have automated emails sent to your inbox—eliminating the need to repeat the same searches over and over. Set up calendar items to help remind you to do daily or weekly job search activities. Consider finding apps and other tools to help you simplify your job search and your daily life. A wide variety of apps from personal accounting tools all the way to apps that help you remember to pick up groceries can help you find new efficiencies during your job search which can be a hectic time for many people.
Build a Cheat Sheet: Reference Document
You can also save time by creating a reference document containing all of the information commonly asked for on applications. This document should have the beginning and end dates for each role, supervisor names, addresses, phone numbers, starting and ending salaries, a summary of your role, as well as bullet points outlining accomplishments on the job. You can start with your resume and build out the additional information for your application “cheat” sheet. Be sure to add anything else commonly asked for when you apply to roles in your industry and field. Examples of industry/role specific items can be writing samples, links to websites featuring your work, your portfolio, or presentation slides. It isn’t easy to gather all of this information, but once you create a reference tool for yourself, it will help make the process of submitting applications much easier the next time you apply.
Build a Framework: Create a Plan
You might not stick to it exactly, but charting a course or creating an action plan will give your job search a structure with clearly defined activities and goals. Breaking down your search into individual action items can help you identify what resources you need, and help you identify people to reach out to, and will help you create momentum towards your overarching goal. Having smaller mile markers also gives you successes to celebrate along the way.
Make Time: Stick to a Schedule
Whether you are currently unemployed or working, creating a schedule for your job search will provide you with additional structure to aid you in getting more done in less time. Use the mantra, “What gets scheduled, gets done,” and stick to your timeline as best as you can.
Keep Momentum: Stay Focused Forward
It can be easy to spend time in your job search thinking about the last application you submitted, the last interview you had, wondering if there was something you could have done differently or better. It’s a natural tendency to worry about something you care about, and the downside is it can even feel like it’s productive, but for the most part—it isn’t. Review applications and interviews to see if there is something you can improve next time, make note of it and then move on to the next activity (job search, application, or interview). The more you focus on what is ahead of you, the more you will engage in activities which will propel you forward in your job search and will keep your momentum toward reaching your ultimate goal of finding a job.