Finding a Job is a Job!

Regardless if you’ve been recently “let go” or you are a soon to be graduate looking for your first career position, finding a job is a job! It’s important to note this from the very start and engrain this in your mind – finding a job is a job. Repeat often so you don’t lose sight of this.

In fact, not only is it a job, it’s a full-time job that requires dedication and follow-through on a daily basis. Unless you have part-time employment, finding a job should be your 8am – 5pm position. This means going to bed at a decent hour, getting a good night’s rest and starting all over again at 7am in the morning. It means getting up, showering and getting dressed as if you were heading off to work for the day. Keeping in the habit will help you stay motivated and productive throughout the day.

Short-term Planning

Whatever your current financial situation is may dictate what you do from an immediate planning standpoint. If you’re in the unfortunate circumstance where you cannot go that long without having some sort of income coming in, then your short-term plan should be focused on getting a “job” to help you start bringing in immediate cash.

In late 2007, I found myself unemployed after I was let go from a position I held in Cincinnati, OH. While I wish I had done it sooner, after a couple of months I finally realized that I needed to start bringing in some cash and started waiting tables at a local Italian restaurant. While humbling at first, I later found it was something I enjoyed doing. Don’t be like me and let pride get in the way of doing what is in your best interest. People will respect you more for keeping yourself busy and money coming into the household rather than doing nothing.

For those who are fortunate to not have to run out and get a part-time job immediately, bear this fact in mind – I’ve often heard that for every $10k in income you expect to earn translates into one month of time required to find a job. Therefore, if you anticipate your earning to be $70k/year, it’s possible that your job search could take up to seven months. How true this fact is I do not know, however, it is something to keep in mind when evaluating your reserves and how long you can be without a job before crisis mode sets in.

Long-term Planning

Designing a long-term plan is more centered around what to do on a regular basis to achieve the long-term goal of having full-time employment once again (or for the first time for those just starting out). It means:

• Committing yourself to doing your best each and every day
• Thinking positively
• Achieving your short-term goal as quickly as possible
  • What type of evening and/or weekend work can you do to bring in cash and leave time for your day job (finding your new job)?
  • What kind of consultative work can you do?
• Setting measurable goals (remember finding a job is a numbers game)
  • Resume updated by [date]
  • “x” number of resumes out daily 
  • “x” number of resumes out weekly
  • Attend “x” number of networking events per week
  • Search internet during only the hours of X am – X pm. This way you don’t live on the computer
  • “x” number of phone calls
  • “x” number of hand delivered resumes (locally)
  • Sart my job on x day, in x city, doing x…..spell it out ….exactly what you want.
• Developing your target list of potential positions and employers
  • Prioritize the career positions that capitalize on 1) what you want to do and 2) your strengths
    • The list will become even more important when you start networking and looking for referrals into these companies
  • Exhaust your efforts locally or within closest cities first
• Setting up Informational Interviews
  • These are informal meetings with people (you know or are referred to) to see if they might be able to connect you with other people in their network
• Attending Networking Events
  • Put Networking events on your calendar. If you aren’t at these events, I guarantee you that others are. You’ll find that as you start going to these events, you start to see the same people. People know that they find careers by talking to other people – get out of the house!
  • Possible events and where to find them . . .
    • Trade associations
    • Job transition groups online (see my MeetUp Group at http://www.meetup.com/Columbus-Marketers-Job-Transition-Group/
    • Lcal young professionals groups
    • Chamber of Commerce meetings
    • Search Facebook and Linked In for groups and events in the cities you want to target. Join these groups and start dialogue with people.

As I continue to update this website, I’ll begin to start including links to sites and organizations that I’d recommend as part of your job search.

If what I’ve briefly listed above sounds like a lot of work, it is! The task ahead of you is not an easy one, but with proper planning and a positive attitude, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you can find yourself employed full-time once again (or for the first time).