How to Organize Your Job Search

Now that you find yourself in the unenviable position of looking for a new job, it’s time to get serious about the ‘how’ you are going to get through this temporary phase in your career history Diving into this project without a plan will only lead to an increase in stress levels and feelings of inadequacy.  Once these feelings grab hold of your psyche it is likely that you will become overwhelmed and the job of finding new and suitable employment will feel like a lost cause.  You can’t let that happen!  No good will come of that!

Here are five simple secrets to make getting organized easier.

1. Get Motivated: Attitude is everything.

“In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.”

~ Nikos Kazantzakis

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence”

~ Confucius

“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”

~ Ayn Rand

2. Set and Track Goals: Daily, weekly and monthly

“Either you run the day, or the day runs you”

~ Jim Rohn

“Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.”

~ Walter Elliot

3. Establish Deadlines:

“The natural urge when running a distance is to push harder and finish sooner – to race against time.  Every second behind a deadline is a little defeat,”

 ~ Joe Henderson

“A man on a mission is far different than a drone on a deadline.”

~ Anonymous

4. Designate Rewards: Mini goals = mini rewards; Major goals = major rewards
• Step away from your computer screen every 90 minutes and do something physical for at least 15 minutes – e.g. Go for a walk or start cleaning out a closet

5. Apply an Effective Organizational System:
• Set up a job search calendar of events that includes a follow-up schedule
• Set up a separate e-mail address account that is solely related to your job search   
• Install a timer and alarm on your computer and use it
• Only check e-mail at designated times during the day and RAFT its contents at first click [RAFT = Read, Action, File and Trash]

6. Surround yourself with support: Inspirational books/poems/notes and mentors

·         When written in Chinese, the word ‘Crisis’ is composed of two characters – one character represents danger and the other represents opportunity

“A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn”

~ Author unknown

“Obstacles are those frightful things that you see when you take your eyes off the goal.”

~ Henry Ford

“Life is full of obstacle illusions.”

~ Grant Frazier

“There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going.”

~ Beverly Sills

“Life’s problems wouldn’t be called ‘hurdles’ if there wasn’t a way around them.”

~ Author unknown

“The secret to getting ahead is to get started.”

~ Mark Twain

If you have any thoughts on the subject or motivational quotes to share, I would love to hear from you.

Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. All Rights Reserved. Permission to Reprint: This article may be reprinted, provided it appears in its entirety with the following attribution: Copyright © 2013, Career Matters. Reprinted by permission of the author, Mary Salvino. “Career Matters” is a blog authored by Mary Salvino, Senior Consultant for SMART Career Planning.com that is dedicated to those who are seeking advice on managing their career and future job opportunities. We welcome readers to share their experiences, post their comments or ask questions about career related matters. This blog is also dedicated to those who stand a little taller each time they picked themselves up after failing and those who gained the wisdom and humility from those experiences to help others do the same. For any questions or comments that are better addressed privately, please feel free to e-mail Mary directly at Mary.Salvino@shaw.ca