Organize your Job Search

Post published:January 4, 2014
Post category:Financial Organizing / Organizing your home and life / Small Business Organizing

You’ve been back at your job for only a couple of days this year, and already you’re thinking that THIS is the year for a new position. Whether you want to get a promotion, change companies, change fields, or start your own business, getting your thoughts organized now can lead to a new job by the end of the year. Take 30 minutes to organize your job search.

Locate, print, and update your resume. Yes, even in the new world of social media, having your resume available is a must when job hunting. Most companies (mine included) want to see that you have a resume even before talking with you.

Don’t start with an online job search. Start with real people. Make a list of 10-100 people you already know (or know of) and ask them out for coffee. Specifically, you want to learn two things:
- How did they get to be successful, and how can you do the same?
- Who do they know who they could introduce you to, ideally in your chosen field?

Mark time on your calendar for daily job search activities. Write it down. In ink. Watching job boards, submitting applications, talking with people in your field, following up on applications all take time. Whether you commit to 15 minutes or two hours a day, doing something for your job search nearly every day will get you farther than wishful thinking.

Clean up your act. Review your profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, G+, and wherever else you hang out online. Make sure your info is current. But also make sure that your online personality reflects the job you want to have. Yes, those party pictures do really say something about you to your prospective employer.

One of my favorite clients (hint: they’re all my favorite clients) followed advice like this, and you can read what else she did to nail her job search last year.

Your reward? Heck, having a new job that you love will be the reward!

This post is part of my 31 days of 30-minute Organizing Projects. Be sure to subscribe (at right) for daily emails with projects you can complete in just a few minutes to start your New Year off right.