How much is too much?: The Job Search Plan

How many times have you heard, and repeated, “Job hunting is a full-time job?”

But the aphorism doesn’t give you any further direction.  Once you’ve established a routine, how much time do you need to spend applying for positions?  And is applying for positions a good use of your time?  Where are your job search energies the most productive?  The most valuable?  One great way to manage your efforts is a job search plan.

Here’s the strategy that I’ve adopted:

15% – Job Boards and Listings
These positions are the low-hanging fruit, the easiest to locate and apply to.  Starting the day focusing on these opportunities helps me get some early-morning successes (I’ve made two contacts this morning for actual openings that seem suited to my background and experience).  However, the chances of finding my dream position on a job board are fairly low.  Spending too much time here will take away from more likely job sources, so focus on jobs for which you can be competitive (your experience matches their requirements) and that look attractive to you (the organization and location meet your needs.)  If you have extra time, you can always come back to the job boards for a deeper dive.

30% – Networking, Networking, Networking
To some people, networking comes easy–those people are skipping this paragraph anyways.  For the rest of us, networking can be intimidating and harder to quantify.  Start simply by letting former colleagues, friends and family know that you’re job searching.  Take advantage of your new, flexible schedule and plan a few lunches and coffee dates with people who may be able to help you locate your perfect job.  And don’t forget the social networks, LinkedIn and Facebook being among the more popular.  If you’re an introvert, like me, take some tips on how to make your networking both authentic and productive.

20% – Manage Your Personal Brand
The social networks aren’t just shortcuts to email; most feature a public profile that represents you to potential colleagues and employers.  What do your profiles say about you?  Like it or not, your online presence, or lack thereof, will impact your job search.  Review your online profiles to make sure that employers can’t see your embarrassing New Year’s Eve photos, and can see your professional accomplishments.

10% – Stay on the Cutting Edge
In a competitive job market, every advantage is valuable.  Take some time each day to monitor the state of your industry, the job market in your area, and major announcements from companies that you’d like to work for.  Keeping informed will serve you well in interviews and while networking, and just might lead you to identify a job opportunity that you wouldn’t have otherwise seen.

10% – Follow Up
Keep a good log of the contacts you’ve made and the positions you’ve applied to, and be sure to follow up appropriately.  Make sure that no action item goes unfinished.  Get that coffee meeting that’s been mentioned on the calendar.  Express again your interest in that perfect job you’ve interviewed for.  Or, pass along information of interest that you gathered in the process above.  Keep your job hunt/candidacy top of mind.  Caveat:  Interviewers and HR staff are deluged in applicants right now.  Patience is a virtue.

10% – Think Outside the Box
How can you make yourself a more attractive, more distinctive candidate?  Do freelance or volunteer work that complements your professional experience.  Become involved in a professional organization.  Or be like me and so many others: blog.  Identify some way to diversify your experience and bring you into contact with new people who can help with your job search, and make it happen.

5% – Reflect
It’s easy to get caught up in the momentum of a job search.  Be sure to set aside some time to refocus your energies and process what you learn as you go.  Advancing your career is a lifelong process.  If an interview goes well, make note of why.  If a contact does not go well, identify options for next time.  And every so often do a reality check: will your efforts today lead you to not only a new job, but the next successful, productive step in your ideal career?  If not, step back, retool your job search plan, start over.

The mix is sure to change based on the demands of the day, but a general strategy for how you spend your time in job search is a good way to keep focused and keep pursuing multiple avenues toward finding and landing the perfect job.

Update:  Seem overwhelming?  Read about an easy way to implement a job search plan with time blocking.

Related posts:

1. Time blocking for an effective job search plan
2. How to get the job: Incremental choice and job search
3. Job search tip: Finding the hiring manager, Part 4
4. Job search tip: Finding the hiring manager
5. Job search tip: Finding the hiring manager, Part 3

Tagged as: attention, job boards, job hunt, job search, networking, time management