Speed Up Your Job Search with a 3 Week Plan

Speed Up Your Job Search with a 3 Week Plan Speed Up Your Job Search  with a  3 Week Plan Come on, job seekers!   If you are not organized and prepared  for your  search, then your odds of success diminish dramatically.    That means:   Youll miss a follow-up opportunity, youll forget to apply to a job you saw, youll fail at sending a thank you note in a timely manner,  or  worse, youll  blow  an interview.    Only the most focused, committed, active,  and organized job seekers are winning jobs today.   You get organized for other things    projects at work,  homework  or  tests in college, and logistics for a vacation   right?  Why is the job search any different? I’ve met  hundreds of job  seekers,  and  the first thing I ask  each one  is,  Where is your plan and job search tracking  system?”      Whether  its on paper or in the computer,  if they can’t  demonstrate  being organized to search, I dont believe they are truly committed. The smartest thing you can do in your job search is  to  treat the hunt for work as a  project.   There are  only a few  organization tools you need, but  I prefer Microsoft  Office since the calendar, e-mail, contacts,  and documents are all integrated.   It can reside on your PC  or  your mobile device,  and  documents and files can  be  shared with others.    Most of you have it and are only using about 10% of the functionality you  already own! A 21-Day Calendar Plan and a Calendar Tool You Will Follow.         My assumption is that you want a job sooner rather than later. The only way to get from here to there is to master the discipline around time management for your job search. If your goal is to have a job in 2 months, then it is really important to complete the steps in your 21-day program to get you on  the right  path. Plan what you will do with each hour  every day,  in one-hour increments. This way, you  will have plenty of variety with your  activities, stay focused, and make huge progress with each hour. Some of the key activities by week  should be: Week One:   Preparing to Job Search     Note:  Do NOT apply to any jobs during this week!   Set your goal.  Research the types of industries, companies, and functions you want to  look  for  and write everything down.       Refresh and improve your résumé.     Build your  job  tracking tool  where you will capture every move you make!   IF  you find job postings  you want to apply for, log them on your  job  tracking tool and begin researching each company.  Do not apply yet.     Send out formal networking e-mails  to key contacts, communicating your specific job search goals.   Week Two:   Preparing to Apply to Jobs       Identify and print  out  6 job descriptions you want to apply to.  Do NOT apply  yet.   For each one, put the job description next to your résumé  and assess the skills and experiences you have that match with  those called out in  the job specifications. Write them down.   For each job, write a cover letter that will sit on top of your résumé  in the same Word/PDF file.    Write the letter as if you are talking directly  to the hiring manager  and  avoid the use of “I” too many times. The sole purpose of this cover letter is  to  say,  â€œMr./Ms. Hiring Manager, you are looking for these skills and experiences, and this is why I’m the best candidate for your position.”   Take another look  at your résumé  and  determine  if you need to tailor it to each job. Often, when we read a job description, we remember skills and experiences we have  that have not been  called out in the résumé.  Add those and remove  any  content that is not relevant to  the required  skills and experiences.   Meet with key networking contacts;  attend networking meetings, job fairs,  and industry  events. Week 3:    Applying and Tracking Every Move for Follow Up Proof all  your  documents  and  correct  any  typos  and  grammatical errors. Trick: read them  out loud.   Apply and log the date  of each application  in your job tracking tool.   Put a new date in your calendar to follow up on  each  opportunity.     Send thank you notes to all contacts you have made, either  by  phone,  at a  meeting,  or  at a  networking event. If you applied to a position  that  someone made you aware of, send them a special thank you and keep them updated on your progress.       Many career coaches say job search is a full-time job but not everybody has 40 hours a week free to search.   Based on the time you do have    no, the time you MAKE    you need to schedule it and follow a program. Join Dana Manciagli’s Job Search Master Class ® right now and immediately access the most comprehensive job search system currently available!