Overwhelmed by how much information is out there?
Does anyone feel like there are so many job-finding resources out there these days that you don’t know where to begin? Or feel like there is so much out there that you might be missing something – some kind of secret to finding a job? Or just have no idea how to spread your time between different job search activities?
From job search sites, to sites that list job search sites, to networking sites, to networking events, to career advice, to how to build a better resume, to job fairs, and on and on… There is an overwhelming amount of information and things to do out there!
This ends up being a good thing and a bad thing.
- Good that you can get so much valuable information – in many cases for free.
- Bad if you let it overwhelm you (which it can easily do).
Someone told me they spent so much of their time learning how to find a job that when the week was over they realized they never actually spent time looking for a job!
I understand completely. And this seems to be a fairly common sentiment amongst people who are out of work. I was talking to some people this weekend and went over the strategy I use.
For me it really comes down to one thing – time management.
When you are out of work, time management is suddenly all in your court (no boss telling you when do to this or that). That can be daunting if time management is not your specialty. For me, I look at each aspect I need to focus on to find a new job. For example, my list might look like this: making new connections on LinkedIn, searching the internet for jobs, going to networking events, using a site like JoblessJoe to find some support and keep up with the latest job-finding trends, visiting a local job club. Add in time for personal stuff and that’s already a pretty full schedule. Now turn it into a real schedule.
9AM-10AM – Networking on LinkedIn
10AM-Noon – Search for Jobs/Send out resumes
Noon-1PM – Lunch with Jane
1PM-3PM – Local job club
3PM-5PM – Follow up on the phone/in-person with target companies
No do this for each day of the week. There is no reason why you can’t keep just as structured a schedule when you are out of work that you did while working.
Finding a new job is not about ONE thing. It’s about a combination of tactics. With so much out there, if you don’t have a plan, you will feel lost which may lead to feeling discouraged. So from personal experience, I would suggest make a schedule and stick to it!
