Depressing!
By Peter Roche
As the TV commercial says, "You've got to have a plan!" And, you need to execute against the plan. A job search requires focus and discipline, especially in a crowded job scarce market. How much work will it take? We don't know, so plan for more than you think it will take.
Until you find paid employment, "job hunting" is your full-time job. This means you need to approach your job search with the same rigor and discipline your future employer will expect.
Some "must do" daily activities - see more ideas;
1. Day 1: Create a plan:
* What outcome - and by when - be specific. You need the specific outcome to know what actions are needed
* Create a tracking mechanism for the plan; for example, who to contact, title, company, when contacted, when you sent a resume, meeting scheduled, and so on
2. Day 1 (continued) and every day until an offer is accepted:
* Tell people you are looking for a job - have a specific number in your plan.
* Ask them for one or two referrals and ask them to put the word out to their network, don't rely on them to think to do that
* Remind X number of people you have already told that you are still looking. Ask if they have thought of new referrals, or heard of any suitable openings, or have any advice for you. Ask is the operative word
* Speak to X number of contacts or referrals ideally in person or on the phone to arrange exploratory meetings or interviews
* Research: visit job sites, post on job sites, read trade press, go to networking meetings, job fairs and trade conferences
* Send your resume to all your search contacts
* Do an after action review at the end of each day and prepare the plan for the next day.