Chapter 2

Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Job Search

In This Chapter

Creating goals you can actually achieve

Readying your job-search base camp

Practicing time management in the face of distractions

Keeping organized and motivated for the long haul

You ought to be the best at it — highly skilled. It’s about confidence, not arrogance. You have to know that you’re the best whether anybody else tells you that or not. And that you’ll be around, in one way or another, longer than anybody else. Somewhere inside of you , you have to believe that.

—Bob Dylan

Catching the attention of your dream employer is a task of self-promotion. You have to get the word out about your talents to convince an organization that what it really needs is you. Social media can help you, but the various social media tools out there aren’t magical — meaning they aren’t going to lead you to your dream job if you don’t put in a little bit of prep work.

First things first: You need to have goals that inspire you, not frighten you. And when it comes to goals that inspire you to conduct a successful job search, they should consist of smaller tasks so that you only have to think about one small piece of the puzzle at a time. I explain how to come up with such goals in this chapter. I also help you gather all the tools you need to run a modern job search and prepare a special space where you can focus solely on your job hunt.

If you’re at all familiar with social media, you’re probably well aware that you can easily lose track of time on sites like Facebook and Twitter. But that doesn’t have to be the case. If you have a plan for managing your time, like the strategies I provide in this chapter, you can easily rein in the hours you spend in front of your computer instead of dragging them out. You can also save yourself some time by using one of the job-search organization tools I recommend. Finally, I offer some advice for keeping your motivation strong on those days when job hunting is the last thing you want to do.

Developing Achievable Goals for Your Job Search

Achievable goals are concrete. In job-searching terms, having achievable goals mean aiming for positions that are equivalent to your work experience, not deciding you’ll be president of a foundation within two years of graduating from college or declaring yourself the company’s future CFO when your experience is all on the production side of the business.

Developing achievable goals helps give your job search momentum. More importantly, the small wins you make during your job search help turn feelings of helplessness into feelings of success. By contrast, aspiring after big goals can often lead to frustration, so keep your overall aspirations large and undefined and then be very concrete with the smaller, short-range goals.

The following sections help you figure out just how to set achievable goals for your job search.

Looking at your current reality

Before you can set achievable goals, you must know where you currently stand. The best way to assess your position is to step back and critically analyze what the situation is and what you bring to the table. I once had a business coach ask me to list all my current assets. No, he didn’t mean my stock market investments. He meant anything I have control over that can be leveraged to achieve an outcome. I included my skills, resources, experiences, web properties, articles I’d written, people I knew, and so forth. I didn’t know how much I had until I spent time assessing my current reality.

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Grab a sheet of paper and go through the following reality check before creating any goals related to your job search:

1. List all the skills you have and can bring to the table in a work situation.

These skills may be as basic as typing and as advanced as certain technology, project management, or financial-analysis skills. Don’t discount public speaking, persuasion, or sales skills either. For each skill, consider how many years of practice you have.

If you're having trouble figuring out what your skills are, head to www.onetonline.org/skills and check out the skills inventory.

Don’t stop listing skills until you have at least 20 written down. Yes, 20. Having to think of this many skills forces you to really take into account everything you can do well.

2. Write down your most noteworthy accomplishments as they relate to your professional career.

Were you ever in the newspaper? Did you ever win an award? These accomplishments are important to celebrate and inventory. Also take into account any personal accomplishments that you’re proud of.

3. Note your 20 most important professional relationships.

Here you may include former bosses that you still keep in touch with or someone influential you once met. Examine your network and list anyone you know who may have more influence than the ordinary contact.

4. List all your resources, whether they’re people, groups, or objects.

Think about what’s available to you that can provide you with support. These resources may be groups you’re affiliated with, coaches you use, colleagues, friends, family, or even software you own or subscribe to. This book is a resource. The local unemployment office may also be a resource.

5. Evaluate your financial situation.

If you’re unemployed, you want to understand how much time you have before you run out of money. Figure out how much you have in your savings and any secondary sources of income, and then subtract those amounts from your expenses.

Figuring out how long you can pay your current expenses with the money you have available is important. The last thing you need on your mind is the worry of how you’re going to pay your bills. Also think about what expenses you can reduce or eliminate to give yourself an extra month or so. The goal here is to get to a number, in months or years, of when you’re going to run out of money. Doing so helps you establish a time frame for your most important goal: finding a job.

A student or recent grad may not have such dire financial concerns and familial responsibilities as a mid-level professional, apart from perhaps paying off some student loans. Remember, loans can be deferred, and if you can give yourself more time for the job search by doing so, then it’s worth it. When you find the job you’re looking for, you can pick your loans right up where you left off. The freedom from bills can open up new options for you, such as interning or temping, which often lead to full-time employment after several months.

After you write down all these lists, I want you to notice two things. First, notice how much support you have behind you. Not only do you have some amazing skills and accomplishments, but you also have people who are willing to come to your aid. Second, you need to understand and know deep-down the kind of value you can bring to an organization. Confidence is important when you craft your personal brand (see Chapter 5). For now, use the information you wrote down as the foundation for your goal setting. And ask yourself whether you have enough connections, skills, or resources to get you where you need to go. If not, then your first goal is to get yourself what you need.

Setting smaller tasks designed to help you reach your big goal

When you’re conducting a job search, obviously your ultimate goal is to land a job. But the reality is that you aren’t going to achieve that ultimate goal without setting smaller, intermediate tasks to help get you there one at a time.

Just think about it for a moment. You can’t have “get a job” on your to-do list without feeling a certain amount of anxiety. But if you chunk that larger goal down into smaller and smaller steps until you can’t go any smaller, you’ll reduce your anxiety level and feel a sense of accomplishment as you complete each smaller item. Writing “Update LinkedIn picture” just doesn’t feel that hard. And it’s not!

How exactly do you break down the massive goal of getting a job into smaller tasks? Simply ask yourself, “What do I need to do that?” Ask yourself that same question each time you write down a new task. For example, you may come up with something like this:

Get a job. What do I need to do that? Write a good résumé. What do I need to do that? Buy a résumé writing book. . . .

Buying a résumé writing book is a lot less scary than writing an entire résumé from scratch, and focusing on the smaller tasks first helps keep you from getting overwhelmed with the big-picture goals.

The best way to track progress and get feedback about your goals is to use a scorecard. A scorecard is a spreadsheet that lists each step you take in order to achieve an outcome. As you can see from Table 2-1, a scorecard allows you to track your plan and record what actually happened.

Here’s how to build your very own scorecard to keep track of your job-searching progress:

1. Create a blank version of Table 2-1, using word-processing or spreadsheet software or even just a blank piece of paper.

2. Write out your desired outcome, the measurable definition, and its time frame in the top row of the table.

A good example of a desired outcome is “get a job in three months.” The measurable definition should explain what accomplishing this goal looks like in very tangible terms. For this example, that may be “receiving a written offer from a target company,” because a written offer is tangible.

3. On another piece of paper, write down everything you think you have to do in order to achieve that outcome.

Don’t check yourself at this point; just get your ideas out on paper. Keep asking yourself, “What do I need in order to do that?” as you go down the list.

4. Group related tasks and identify goals that require more than one task to accomplish.

Goals that require more than one task are called milestones and are put in the far-left column. Smaller tasks that can be finished without intermediary steps are put in the second-to-left column under Task.

5. Group individual tasks under their related milestones.

As an example, notice how in Table 2-1 the “Build a personal brand” milestone requires several intermediary steps. The smaller and more specific you can make the task for each milestone, the better.

6. Fill in the Actual column as you complete each step with how long it took you to complete.

By recording the actual time it took to complete a task, you’re doing more than just checking items off of your to-do list. You’re actually comparing the reality of a task with what you expected. From this comparison, you can gauge your level of commitment as well as the accuracy of your expectations.

Running a job search can be one of the most stressful things you ever do. So why not make it a habit to celebrate at least one accomplishment per week? When you pass a milestone, walk out from a good job interview, or finish a difficult task (like ranking in Google for your name), celebrate that success. These small celebrations can help you stay motivated for the duration of your search.

Setting Up a Home Office for Your New “Job”

Job searching is almost a full-time job. And if you were running a small business from your home or apartment, you’d need a home office. So why not set up a home office to run your job search? Doing so helps you stay focused during tasks and reminds your family or roommates that you’re not just playing around on the computer; you’re busy finding work and can’t be disturbed right now.

Following are some basic rules to consider as you set up and begin using your home office for your job search:

Work in a separate space from the rest of your house. If you don’t have a spare room, then put up a curtain or separators in a corner of a room that’s free from the usual hustle and bustle.

Establish boundaries with the people you live with. If you have a door to the room you’re working in, then when that door’s shut, it means that you’re not to be disturbed. If you don’t have a door, make a sign to show that you’re busy.

Get out of your pajamas and into your work clothes. It sounds silly, but many people who work from home swear they get more done by dressing the part. If you’re currently employed, this may mean that instead of changing into those comfy sweats right when you get home from the office, you opt for something that keeps you focused and in work mode.

Keep your work area well lit and clean. Dark and messy places put up a psychological barrier. When you think about getting to work on your job search, you want a positive, clear-thinking feeling to arise, not a dark, disorganized one.

Use folders to file paperwork at least once a week. Store these files below your desk or table. You want only things on your desk that you’re currently working on.

Schedule your work time as if it were a job. Tell yourself and your family supporters that during the same time every day, you’re working on your job search. Scheduling time every day, whether it be a couple of hours or a full day’s worth, ensures that you spend adequate time working on finding that dream job.

Avoid checking your e-mail first thing in the morning. E-mail overload is a huge problem, and e-mails typically sidetrack you from doing the task you’ve set out to do. Check e-mail at only two or three scheduled times during the day and don’t spend more than 25 minutes at a time reviewing your messages.

Of course, in addition to these ground rules, every home office requires some essential supplies. I describe what you need in the next sections.

Acquiring a working PC and Internet ­connection

If you buy only one item to help you with your job search, that item needs to be a computer or a tablet PC (a smaller, hand-held device with a touch screen). The good news is that every year, the cost of computers goes down. In fact, you can have anything from a desktop computer to a netbook (a small laptop intended primarily for Internet use) for less than $300.

If you’re willing to spend a little time on sites such as eBay and craigslist, you may be able to purchase a used computer for even less money than the cheaper new ones cost.

After you have your computer, you need to find yourself an Internet connection because the majority of communications you’ll engage in during the hiring process will be via e-mail and social networks, and you may even have to fill out online applications for certain positions. Many affordable Internet options exist, ranging from free to $30 per month. Yep, I said free.

Want to get (relatively) free Internet? Most coffee shops these days offer free wireless Internet access. For the cost of a cup of coffee or a snack, you’re welcome to sit in the shop for as long as you want.

Gathering the other essentials you need

After you have your computer and Internet situation figured out, you need to gather the other essential pieces of the job-searching-with-social-media puzzle:

A professional-sounding e-mail address: Your e-mail address is the key to the world of social media because you can’t sign up for sites such as LinkedIn or Facebook without one. And having an e-mail address with a professional ring to it tends to look better when filling out online applications. (If you don’t already have a professional-sounding e-mail address, turn to Chapter 5 for tips on creating one.)

Word-processing and spreadsheet software: Despite the emphasis on social networking sites in this book, you may, at some point, need to produce a résumé. For example, if you’re submitting an online application, you’ll be asked to attach a résumé, and you need a word-processing program to pull that résumé together. Spreadsheet software is good for budgeting, tracking milestones, and recording your target companies.

A phone number and answering machine: Don’t miss out on any opportunities by not having an answering service of some kind. You may not always be available to answer the phone. If you’re using your mobile phone, be sure that you have the answering service set up and you’re not using the default.

A planner or task organizer: Keep yourself organized and in control with some kind of web-based calendar and task management tool, which help guide your job-hunting sessions each day.

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Most job-search books say you need to buy MS Word, a paper planner, a phone, spreadsheet software, and an answering machine, but honestly, all you need is a free Google account. (And no, I don’t work for Google, nor am I affiliated with the company in any way.) By simply creating a Google e-mail (Gmail) account, you get the following free apps:

E-mail with Gmail, (which is the best user interface of any of them)

A word processor and spreadsheet software with Google Drive

A phone number and answering machine with Google Voice

A planner with Google Calendar

A task organizer with Google Tasks

A rolodex with Google Contacts

Photo editing software with Picnik

Translation software with Google Translate

A library of free books with Google Books

Managing Your Time in a Way That’s Right for You

You may have broken your goals down into the smallest chunks possible and gathered everything you may possibly need for your job search (as discussed earlier in this chapter), but if you don’t practice good time management, all those efforts may be for nothing. If you haven’t yet experienced how easy it is to while away the hours on a social media site, trust me, it can happen without you even realizing it — and that’s not a good thing when you’re trying to find a job.

Because you’ve elected to look for a job by using all the social media tools at your disposable, you need to arm yourself with some strategies for staying on track. The following sections are here to help you out.

The chunking technique

For many people, sitting down for an hour or two to work on a project seems daunting. Others have trouble concentrating for more than ten minutes. For many in the personal productivity world, the optimum time to concentrate and get work done is between 20 to 30 minutes. So chunking is an approach to time management that encourages you to work in 25-minute increments, taking short breaks after each productivity session. (I actually wrote this whole book in 25-minute chunks!) You really can get more done by breaking it down.

Here are the essential principles of the chunking technique:

You must work without distraction during a chunk (25 minutes of uninterrupted time).

A task that takes more than four chunks is too big. Break it down.

If a task takes less than one chunk, add it together with other tasks.

Use a timer that rings at the end to keep track of your chunks. You can buy software timers as well as kitchen timers that have been repurposed for this technique.

Don’t allow interruptions after you start the timer. If you do get interrupted, make a note of it.

When a chunk is finished, you must stand up and take a three- to five-minute break. This break is important.

The chunking technique shouldn’t be used in your free time — enjoy your free time!

Looking at a big list of to-do’s can be overwhelming. Because each chunk is for focusing your energy, writing a daily list of to-dos can help reduce anxiety.

You can apply the chunk technique to your job search by following these steps for each of your job-searching tasks:

1. Choose the topmost task from your daily task list to work on.

2. Set the timer to 25 minutes and begin working.

3. Work on that task until the timer rings.

4. If the task is finished, cross it off; if not, put an X next to it.

5. Take a break, stand up, walk around, or do something else for five minutes.

6. Return to the task if necessary or move on to the next item on your daily task list.

After four chunks, take a longer break (about 30 to 60 minutes).

A note about interruptions

Interruptions to your work can become a real problem. They essentially rob you of your concentration and ultimately make your tasks take longer than they should. Specifically, recovering from an interruption takes ten minutes. So in order to be truly productive, you need chunks of uninterrupted time.

Guard your work time selfishly and use some strategies for minimizing interruptions of either type.

Internal interruptions: These types of interruptions are probably the most common and occur when you interrupt yourself. Every time you second-guess your task list or priorities or start replanning your job search, you take yourself away from your task. So if you suddenly feel the need to make an urgent phone call, don’t. Unless it’s an emergency, you can just write it down on your task list to be done later.

External interruptions: True emergencies are rare, so if you get a phone call or e-mail, let it be. If someone comes into the room and wants to talk, kindly explain that you’re busy at the moment but will get back to him when your work is complete.

Taking Advantage of Some Tools to Organize Your Search

Because most job searches follow a set pattern — find the opportunity, send in your résumé or application, follow up with a contact, go to an interview — using software to track your contacts and your steps on that path makes a lot of sense. Enter job-search organization tools. Not only do these babies help you organize the many moving parts, contacts, and job applications that are part of the job search, but they also allow you to store your data after you get your job. Later, when you’re job searching once more, you can more easily pick up where you left off.

Not all of these solutions are free. However, when considering that investing in software may help you speed up your job search, remember that shaving a month off of the search could mean gaining a whole month of salary. So see it as an investment, not just an expense.

I profile a few different tools in the following sections. These tools have many similar features, so look at them all and then choose one to use as your primary job-search organization tool (doing so will make your life far less ­complicated).

To make the deciding process easier, base your choice on the types of features the job-search organization tool offers and how well you like the user interface.

CareerShift

If you recently graduated from college, you may recognize CareerShift (www.careershift.com) because it supports many colleges' career centers as well as individual accounts. One of CareerShift's most impressive features is its job-board aggregation service. You can search every major job board from right inside your account, and the database is frequently updated with the newest opportunities.

CareerShift offers a feature with stunning value: It actually tells you who you need to meet at each company, along with e-mail addresses and phone numbers for those people. This feature saves you hours of research identifying key hiring managers.

CareerShift also provides document management (so you can organize your résumés and cover letters) and campaign management (so you can keep track of which companies you’ve applied to). It also has a robust calendar feature that helps you track what you need to do each day of your job search.

JibberJobber

My friend and mentor Jason Alba started JibberJobber.com (www.jibberjobber.com) in 2006 and can claim development of the first online job-search platform. By far, JibberJobber offers job seekers the most comprehensive set of tools for managing relationships, job searches, and careers. Here are just some of its features:

Contact-management tools so you can import contacts, see where they are in a map, and even show interrelationships between contacts

A database feature for companies you want to research so you can quickly import target organizations or recruiters

Job-application management so you can track the progress you make for each job as well as RSS feeds of job boards so you can see new jobs coming in

Activity reports so you can take a summary view of your job-search efforts or report to an unemployment office

An interview-preparation database so you can record questions you may be asked and how you plan to respond

A library of articles and books from other members and career experts

CareerLeaf

CareerLeaf (http://careerleaf.com) gives job seekers an all-in-one job-search management platform complete with a profile, aggregation of job boards, and job-search-process organization. Its mobile optimized platform looks good when you're on the go. And by partnering with recruiters, you can even get invited to live interviews through this platform.

After you use your LinkedIn profile to instantly create a profile, you can use the Application Manager to track which jobs you’ve applied for and what their status is. To add new opportunities to your manager, use the built-in job board or the Tracklet, which lets you import a job from any outside website.

JobFully

If you're looking for a tool to help you manage more than just where you sent in your résumé, JobFully (http://jobfully.com) does a great job. It's like getting a full-service outplacement experience in a simple software solution. Whereas other job-search organization tools focus just on keeping track of what applications you've sent in on advertised jobs, JobFully actually starts you at the exploration process by having you go through a process of discovering your values and passions. Then the program helps you keep track of your networking efforts to grow warm job leads. In addition to offering organization tools, like to-dos and calendars, it has career-coaching videos you can watch to help you stay focused and on track.

StartWire

StartWire (www.startwire.com) helps you keep track of jobs you've applied for by using special software that actually knows when your status has changed. Because it has hooks into many applicant tracking systems (ATS), it can tell you if your status has changed from "waiting" to "reviewing," perhaps giving you hope for some jobs and helping you let go of others. The StartWire dashboard also offers social media tools so you can see who else in your network works at the companies where you've applied for jobs. You can also satisfy those annoying unemployment benefits requirements by simply printing off a Job Search History Report.

Huntsy

To use Huntsy (http://huntsy.com), you first have to add a job to track. Huntsy makes this easy with its bookmarklet, which is a button in your browser bookmarks that can scrape out a job listing from anywhere on the web and bring it back to your account. After the listing is imported, Huntsy notifies you if anyone in your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter network currently works there. The program then recommends some actions for you to take, like applying for the job, following up on the application, or scheduling an interview. This way, if you've applied to many jobs, you know where you stand with each of them.

Clever Careerist

Favored by career coaches because they can get a bird's-eye view of their client's activities, Clever Careerist (http://clevercareerist.com) offers a complete project-management platform for job seekers. You can keep track of all the people you've contacted and what you've said to them, and you also get the help of a résumé builder and tracker so you can see who you send an application to and schedule follow up tasks for yourself.

JobCannon

The JobCannon (http://jobcannon.com) approach is pretty simple. You use its search engine, which combines Indeed, SimplyHired, craigslist, and LinkedIn, to find and import jobs you like. Then you use its guided notes section to keep track of where you are in the process, what contacts you've made, and the results of your interviews. This platform is the simplest of all the options I describe.

Staying Motivated throughout Your Job Search

Motivation is the driving force that propels people toward a goal. And motivation during a job search, especially if you’re unemployed, can become a real challenge. Mounting bills, unanswered job applications, and other common job-search stresses make mincemeat out of motivation sometimes.

If you find yourself unmotivated, don’t feel discouraged or start thinking you’re lazy or lack ambition or will. All you have to do is find and understand the reason for your lack of motivation and then take steps to regain that motivation. Table 2-2 presents some possible reasons why you may lose motivation in your job search and what you can do to change it. Find yours and then apply the antidote.

Table 2-2 Combating Motivation Loss

Reason Your Motivation Has Disappeared	How to Get Your Motivation Back
Too much stress	Meditate. Studies show that just 20 minutes of daily meditation can significantly reduce cortisol levels in the body, which in turn reduces the feelings of stress. Exercise also reduces stress, so if you can’t meditate, get to the gym instead. And if you really want to feel calm and confident, do both.
Skills deficit	Find out what skill you’re missing and then take steps to acquire that skill, whether it be taking a class, attending a seminar, or brushing up on the latest trends in your industry.
Feeling overwhelmed	Break down the thing you’re feeling overwhelmed about into smaller and smaller chunks. Then do one small piece at a time. Don’t let feeling overwhelmed stop you from reaching your goals.
Feeling resentment	Take a step back and look at your situation dispassionately so you can solve the problem at hand. If you need to release some anger, go do that, but then come back to the table with a clear head. Also remember to not take things so personally. Keep focused on what you can control.
Procrastination cycle	Conquer procrastination by having clear next steps to a worthy goal. Record your progress and make sure your skills can meet the challenge. The real issue may actually be another item in this list. Find it and deal with it.
No clear next steps	Start with the outcome you want and then work your way backward by thinking of what it will take to make that happen. Break down each task into easily digestible chunks and take one step at a time.
No direct feedback from your actions	Use a scorecard to track your progress toward your larger goal. If you’re just ticking things off a task list, you’re not giving yourself enough feedback. Remember to celebrate each success, no matter how small.

Keeping a positive perspective during your job search is just one way to stay motivated. In the following sections, I help you find ways to clear your mind and not get overwhelmed by all the information being thrown at you or by what may seem like a long road to meeting your goal.

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Handling information overload

Give yourself a break! I mean an information break. Today, people are exposed to more information in a day than someone who lived 100 years ago saw in a year. The human brain wasn’t meant to take in so much, so fast, so constantly. Furthermore, most of the news you hear is negative and can wear you down.

Taking a day off from the phone and computer (and even the TV) is a great way to reduce your stress and recharge for more job searching later. Enjoy your free time without being tethered to a phone or computer or even thinking about your job search.

Looking at how far you’ve come

Looking at how much farther you have to go can easily overwhelm you. However, looking forward isn’t the whole truth. Consider how far you’ve come and all that you’ve gone through to get to where you are now.

One of the lessons I learned while playing drums semiprofessionally in college was to practice, not out of desperation to get as good as one of the legendary drummers, but to be as good as I could be with the skill and time I put into it. After months of practicing four to six hours a day, I was on the verge of burnout when a saxophone player took me aside and said, “Look how far you’ve come!” I suddenly realized how much better a drummer I was than just a few months ago. Instead of desperation to be great, I felt joyous at how much I’d accomplished. I still think back to that moment and am reminded to always balance aspiration with appreciation. So take a moment from striving for a job and look back to see and acknowledge your advancements.

Take time to celebrate your progress. Every Friday, look back at your week and ask yourself, “What have I accomplished this week?” Then reward yourself for it. Not only is this a great habit to get into, but it will also keep you going strong in your job search.

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