012: Organize Your Job Search Step By Step – Part 2

The Job Search That Works Podcast: Career Coaching | Lifestyle | Resume Writing | Interviewing

Today’s episode, is the second of a two part series on how to organize your job search step by step by step. Part 2 is about the 13 daily rituals that will help put your job search into overdrive.

Highlights From the Previous Episode

But before we dive into those 13 daily rituals, Last week’s show, episode 11, covered the 20 Steps to take in sequence at the very beginning of your job search. These steps help you assemble the tools you will need to keep your job search running smoothly. Without this foundation, your search will be a frustrating series of starts and stops. If you missed it, I highly encourage you to go back an listen to it before continuing because this week’s episode picks up where last week’s episode left off. You can find it at JobSearchThatWorks.com/011.

On This Episode

Now … let’s pick up where we left off last week. We have covered the 20 steps to lay a solid foundation for your job search in quite a bit of detail, and now it’s time to examine 13 rituals that will put your job search into overdrive. In order to get our momentum for today’s show, I think it will be helpful to at least briefly list the 20 sequential steps we covered last week,

1. Pick a quite place to work without distraction.
2. Play instrumental music in the background to enhance focus.
3. Write a personal appraisal.
4. Write a professional appraisal.
5. Compile your complete work history.
6. Write your resume and cover-letter and resume cards.
7. Write your 30 second pitch or elevator speech.
8. Write your voicemail script.
9. Identify your network and your target list of companies.
10. Compile a list of networking events, such as job fairs and business expos.
11. Create a Google alert to be notified of upcoming networking opportunities. By the way, you can also use Google alerts to be notified of any news on companies you are targeting.
12. Make a list of job transition groups that meet in your area and put them on your calendar.
13. Compile a list of recruiters that work in your field.
14. Compile a list of temporary employment agencies.
15. Compile a list of contracting firms.
16. Select a job board service like Indeed or Simply Hired that aggregates postings from hundreds or thousands of job boards.
17. Select a planner to keep yourself organized.
18. Build a master marketing list from the list of companies you compiled in your target list of companies and from the people you listed in your network list.
19. Fill out your planner the night before.
20. Purchase envelopes, stamps and thank you cards.

Responding to Postings on Job Boards vs. Calling the Hiring Manager Directly.

Back in Episode 3, we talked about the Ten of the Ways to Look for a Job and Why I Really Like #10. If you are wondering why I think you should be making direct contact with the hiring managers in companies you are interested in working for, go back and listen to the episode at JobSearchThatWorks.com/003.

In the beginning of your search I recommend making phone calls. This is a much faster way to get feedback and will put you in a position to have conversations with people working inside the company. Without question, it is the quickest and most effective way to make rapid progress. One of the first questions asked by coaching clients in this phase of the job search is, “How do I get past the gatekeeper?”. I cover that topic in episode 008. You can find it at www.JobSearchThatWorks.com/008. I have also shared a sample script in the show notes to episode 008.

The next question that usually follows is, ” What do I do if I get the hiring manager’s voicemail?”. Great! Leave a message. You have already planned ahead and wrote your voicemail script. Just have it handy while you are making your calls. Remember to include a time and date you will call back. Consider making your next call two or three business days in the future and put it as an appointment on the calendar in your planner. I recommend putting the time of each call in your contact’s notes so you can change up the time of the call in the future. Jot down the names of everybody you spoke with while getting to the hiring manager, i.e. the front desk receptionist or administrative assistant, extension numbers, etc.

Okay. Let’s step back and take a look at all the tools you have created for yourself. this is an amazing amount of progress. You have set the stage for your success.

It is time to speak about a few daily rituals that will enhance your search and are often overlooked. But trust me, they make all the difference in the world.

1. Plan the night before
2. Get to bed at a reasonable time
3. Wake up early
4. Reserve the first hour of the day for you … no technology, no telephone calls, no social media, NO EMAIL! Spend this time praying, meditating, taking a walk, exercising, or appreciating nature. This time is just for you … do something that nourishes your soul.
5. Get cleaned up and dress like you are going to work. You are! Your are working for yourself and that’s the best person to work for that I can think of.
6. Set normal work hours. Just like your job, and eight hour work day. with breaks in the morning, for lunch, and in the afternoon.
7. Set an alarm once an hour to get up and stretch. Take a four deep slow breaths and then get back to your plan.
8. Schedule a specific time or two for email. Otherwise, don’t look at it!
9. Quit working at quitting time.
10. Spend time with family and friends.
11. Eat will and avoid too many carbohydrates. They tend to make us tired. It’s hard to get anything done when we are nodding off.
12. Celebrate your accomplishments.
13. Rinse and repeat.

In closing … if you find old habits beginning to creep in, here are a few suggestions.

• Become aware of that you are doing in the moment.
• Don’t judge yourself or beat yourself up. Simply acknowledge that it is happening.
• Ask yourself if what you are doing is in your best interest and helping you progress toward your objective.
• If not, what action can you take that will help you reach your goal faster?
• Do it!

Today we covered the 13 recommended rituals to put your job search in overdrive. This built on the 20 step foundation we laid in last week’s episode. Something to Ponder “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank you for spending time with me today. I truly appreciate it.

What are your thoughts? When trying to organize your job search, what are you having trouble with? Share your thoughts in the comment section of the show notes.

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The post 012: Organize Your Job Search Step By Step – Part 2 appeared first on Job Search That Works.