Top 10 Job Search Checklist

If your job search is moving nowhere fast, perhaps it is time to take stock of some must-have elements that will make your job search more effective. Review the following checklist of key job search ingredients. How many of these can you wholeheartedly say “Yes!” I am doing this…and doing it well?

1. Attitude – Are you dealing with your desperation, anger, and grief? These negative emotions can do more to harm your job search than anything else. Even if you are using all the right methods and tools, a negative attitude decreases your chances of appealing to a prospective employer and getting an interview or an offer. Work through your negative emotions. Try meditation, yoga, exercise, talk with a calming friend, pastor/minister, therapist, attend a positive-minded (non-whiney) support group, or read more about the Happiness Project).

2. Focus – Have you determined your job target? What job function (for employer and recruiter purposes this is the job title) are you seeking? What industries do you prefer? Research to determine current viable jobs and industries, such as green jobs, healthcare, education, and accounting, as well as specific niches within industries that are still in good shape. You may want to start with two government websites: Careervoyages and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3. Value – Are you a credible candidate for your Focus? What skills, experience, knowledge, and talent do you have to offer that show direct evidence of your credibility? Why are these of value to the employer? How does your job impact the bottom-line? You cannot just claim to have value; you need proof, such as current training, certifications, accomplishments, and industry connections.

4. Personal Brand – Do you understand the importance of personal branding to your job search? Think about what makes you different from the thousands of other candidates vying for the same job as you, who have similar training and experience, and significant accomplishments. HOW do you get the results you get? What makes you unique? What are you known for – your signature reputation as the go-to guy? Your personal brand is held in the hearts and minds of others. You already have a personal brand whether you know it or not! Don’t you think you should find out what it is so you can leverage this asset in your job search?

5. Plan – Do you have a written job search plan? How many hours per day, days per week, and what activities are built into your plan? Be sure to include activities that coincide with your communication strengths, such as face-to-face meetings if you are an extrovert (extroverts get their energy from people). Also, build in “stretch” activities that encompass other mediums of communications, such as blogging and blog comments, volunteering at industry and trade shows, or answering questions on LinkedIn to connect with folks who communicate in other ways.

6. Goals – Have you set up SMART goals for your plan – specific, measurable, action-oriented, realistic, and trackable? How many networking meetings per week? How many information interviews or phone interviews? How many industries and companies to research in depth, and then contact? Monitor your plan and tweak it as needed, depending on the results you are getting, and the new information and advice you obtain.

7. Methods & Tools – Are you knowledgeable of the latest job search techniques? Get up-to-date with your job search tools and strategies, such as social networking, keyword resumes, plain-text resumes for online applications, behavioral interviewing, etc. Research these online and update your toolbox! If the learning curve for this seems overwhelming and you do not have time to spare to bring yourself up-to-date on your own, you can get additional assistance from a trained and certified professional resume writer or career coach. This could be one of the most sound investments you have ever made!

8. Training – Have you recently updated your skills and industry knowledge? The bottom-line is that employers do not hire dinosaurs! Get up-to-date training in your field by attending professional association workshops and conferences, online certification programs, and community college courses. Computer training can be obtained at community colleges or via online tutorials, such as at Microsoft. In addition, consider updating your communications skills (Toastmasters is a good place to start). Enhancing your speaking and listening abilities will improve your phone and face-to-face interview results.

9. Connect – Have you kicked your networking into high gear? Must do’s are keyword-rich Profiles on LinkedIn, Zoominfo, and Naymz where your Focus, Value, and Personal Brand are made clear to prospective employers and recruiters. Network with everyone you meet, to expand your current network, as well as with your targeted industries and companies. Obtain employee referrals into the companies you are most interested in joining, even if you cannot find a job posting for that company.

10. Do it! – Are you diligently and consistently working your job search plan? It takes personal courage to get up every day and face possible rejection. What will give you a positive boost to get you going? Set up the incentives you need to keep your job search on track. Reward yourself for the personal demons you have faced and the goals you have attained. Celebrate your wins!

11. BONUS: CAREER MANAGEMENT
Have you Googled yourself? What results do you get?
If there is nothing about you online, what might that imply? Would an employer or recruiter assume you are not comfortable with modern technology and tools? Or might they conclude that you have not made any impression in your field or industry? In either case, the conclusions drawn would not prove favorable for your job search. On the other hand, you may find “bad stuff” about someone else with the same name as you. Employers and recruiters will often not take the time to figure out that this is not you! To keep your career and job search robust and search-engine optimized, you need an online presence – LinkedIn, Naymz, and Zoominfo at the very least to get started.

Did you score 100% “Yes” answers to the checklist? If not, strengthen your job search results by improving on the weak elements.

Cross-posted at the Career Goddess Blog by Susan Guarneri

Comments

[Dan Erwin]

Susan: This is an absolutely masterful list. I don't think you've missed an issue. Congrats

www.danerwin.com

[RJ]

Excellent point made in this article on the importance of training and gaining business management knowledge. You definitely need to differentiate yourself even more these days from the increasingly large candidate pool.

With regard to training, about 25 Fortune 500 executives and many of the senior management have been impressed with this business strategy design and implementation methodology available at the following website:

www.strategistnetwork.com

It was written by a bunch of top tier global management consultants, is powerful stuff, and it can be completed in about a day. This was even used in a job interview and impressed the interviewers with "white board magic." It includes the frameworks to impress.

[Paul]

Great stuff Susan, especially number 7 as this seems to be an area where most job seekers fall way short. I would also add that sometimes it's important to pace yourself - ie don't try and have a "catch all job search day" where you burn yourself out. Take a little here, a little there - and expect disappointments and be ready to deal with them. Again, great article!

[Ernie Perez]

Very good and succinct article. I have seen lists of 20 and 25 Getting Started tasks, and the 10 presented here are complete and focused.

[Lindsay]

A clear and succinct list, many thanks.

Point 11 made me chuckle in particular, given that when Googled, I am apparently a Latin American superstar soap actress!

[Samuel Peterson]

This is a much bigger list, all the job search sites are really nice, I visit some of them. Thanks its really works.
Samuel Peterson from Job Listing

[Udi Drezner]

Great Post Susan!
When job searching, I believe you should think of yourself as a product you need to market, and as most of potential employers "google" candidates prior to meeting them, I think all job seekers should brand themselves professionally on search engines (including pipl) results pages.
In addition , I would also like to recommend LookupPage that aims at representing you professionally online and making sure you are found every time someone searches your name.
This free online service in not a social network like the Linked or Naymz, but designated for users which want to easily create a web page of their own, that will be visible in all search engines. Check it out if you like :-)

[Sean]

Hey Susan,
I noticed this post was written back in 2009, but as someone who is on the hunt for a job I wanted to let you know that it is still a VERY relevant list. I think #1 - Attitude is the key, especially in today's job market. You have to keep up a good attitude if you want to land a good job. Thanks for the helpful list!