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Job Search Checklist

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This post focuses on repairs and maintenance required to keep your job search on the road. What exactly does this mean? Things change and you need to keep all of your stuff up to date. Some things may not work as well as they used to (or maybe they are not working at all). So while you may think that your job search is in good shape, it’s always a good idea to get an oil change every few thousand miles or so.

While you may think that your job search is in good shape, it's always a good idea to review your resume every month or so.

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Review Your Resume

When was the last time you reviewed your resume? If it was more than 3 months ago, you are way overdue for a resume review. There are always the big things (like, did you get promoted, did your boss get promoted, did you get more responsibilities) that you really should capture as they happen. It is usually the small things you forget like, major accomplishments in the last few months or a new project. You should review your resume once per month (but certainly no longer than every three months) and revise it as necessary. How Often Should You Update Your Resume?

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Review Your Job Search Plan

If there were no commercials for products, how would you know they existed? The same goes for your job search – if no one knows you are looking for a job, how will anyone know to ask you to interview? If you don’t already have a job search marketing plan, then now is the time to create one.



If you already have a plan but are not getting much traction, now is the time to review and revise it. So what, exactly, is a job search marketing plan? It should include all of the companies where you would like to work, a list of recruiting firms you would like to work with, and a list of all of your friends, family, and acquaintances that can help you find a job. ==>> Why You Need a Job Search Marketing Toolkit

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04/17/2024 04:26 pm GMT

Keep a List

Unless you are incredibly organized, I’m willing to bet that you don’t keep track of who you’ve contacted, where you’ve posted your resume, jobs you’ve applied for, etc. You need to keep an organized list of all of your activity otherwise you run the risk of applying twice or not updating key posted resumes. As with everything in life, there is a tool to help with this (it is called an organized list!). The list should include recruiters, anyone from your network that you’ve specifically contacted, and places where your resume is posted (job search sites, company career sites, etc.). Take a look at the following template ==>> Job Search Tracking Document

Change Your Resources

If you’ve not been getting much activity on your resume (more on this next), you need to think about using different resources. Start using different job search sites (but not more than 5), add additional companies to your list of targeted companies for job search and search out the “friend of friends” on LinkedIn. Also, review your plan of “attack”. How are you spending your time? Have you allocated time to each of your job search resources? Maybe it’s time to reevaluate and spend your time differently.

Cover Letter

You should have many versions of your cover letter. One for applying for specific jobs, one to introduce yourself to a Recruiter, one to introduce yourself to a company, and a generic cover letter for sites that require one. If you use one cover letter version for everything, start work on multiple versions. And, while I’m on the topic, each of your cover letters should be further “personalized” depending on what and where it is going. As an example, when applying for specific jobs, ensure you tailor the cover letter to the specific job and company. ==>>Tips to Improve your Cover Letters

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04/18/2024 03:55 pm GMT




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