WPMG Consulting

Solving Workforce problems since 1989

Organizing Your Job Search

Jan 28, 2013 | 0 comments

It’s a brand new year, and it’s time to clean up and organize your job search! That’s right — everything from brushing up your resume to getting all your information organized to do your resume. Need suggestions?

That’s what we live for! We have outlined some simple  “no frills” ways to  get your job search together so that you know exactly where you are to where you are headed on the hunt for that brand new shiny job!

  1. Organize; Don’t Procrastinate. Do not use your organizing time as a way to procrastinate. You can only push paper around so organize1much until you’re not leaving yourself any time to do any actual job searching. Get your stuff together, then do something with it! You can’t finish the race if you don’t start it!
  2. Create A Command Station. Make sure that you have an area where you can keep all of your file folders organize-file-foldersand job search items. If you don’t have a lot of space, get a large 3-ring binder and put everything inside! Get or make yourself some dividers and you have a mobile office that you can take with you 24/7. Maybe you’re a techy. You can put everything on your laptop in one folder on your desktop, and when you open that folder, you know you’ll have everything you need!
  3. Equipment Gathering. Your prospective new boss is trying to relay a number to you for you to contact his manager, so that you can interview for a position that is open with his company. You, penshowever, don’t have a pen or paper to jot down the number. No good! You need to get everything that you need at your work station and that includes pen, paper, and planners. Make sure that you have everything you need, and don’t remove it from that spot. Keep all your materials together and you will never have to worry about missing out on any important information!
  4. Develop A Tracking System. You just applied to Murray Corporation last Tuesday, then Henrietta Depot the Thursday before that — not to mention Davis Enterprise the Wednesday before that. Needless to say, you are going to need a way to track who and where you applied with so that you are not continuously re-tracing the tracks you have made! It can be something as easy as a paper filing system broken into parts such as:

• Date applied

• Follow-up date,

• Date interviewed

• Date application was dropped off, etc.

Or maybe you could have something as advanced as a database file that tracks and sorts the information for you by date. Or perhaps, it can just be a plain calendar that you color-code to track your preferred job application or interview. Whatever you use, make sure it’s something that you can keep up with!

  1. Take Time To Search. Searching for work is a job within itself. As such, you need to block out time to do just that. Your Search is calendaryour job, and you need to treat it like one. Make a schedule, get dressed as if you’re going to work, and start searching. Studies have shown that when you act like you’re on the clock, you get a lot more done. Putting yourself on a schedule gives you a sense of urgency that you would not normally have. Not only do you need to treat that time like your search is a job; those around you need to treat that time like it is as well. It is of benefit to everyone that you locate work, so taking it serious is something that you can all share.
  2. Research. You should make a list of companies where you feel you would like to work, based on your skills set. Then, you need to make another list of companies based on your peripheral skills set (jobs that you can do because you know how to do your first job). Then, do another list of jobs that you will take if push comes to shove. After you have compiled that list, then, you need to research each company. Maybe visit one or two to check out the environment. Find out who the hiring manager is, and maybe, make a friend. Get the address and phone number of the places you have on your list. Know where they are, and know how to get there.  By doing a little research, you not only know what to expect, youSkills know how to tailor your resume for each company!

Your job search is a serious subject, and we know the frustrations that you feel at times. Getting organized will cut through some of the frustration and keep you prepared to take the job of your dreams. Keep heading toward your dream job and you will get there! Δ

 

 

dream job