How to Survive a LONG Job Search

Let's face it, a job search can be a grueling experience, even under the best of circumstances. You've either left your previous position or you've decided it's time to leave, providing you lots of mixed emotions. Either way, a job search takes a long time and requires a lot of energy. Some experts suggest that it takes up to one month for every $10,000 in annual earnings. That means a six-figure job search could stretch to nearly a year! So, how do you maintain energy and momentum during that long stretch? Here are some tips:

• Never stop generating interest in you as a candidate. Read Maximum Success with LinkedIn by Dan Sherman. LinkedIn is your best 24 hour job search tool. Even basic updating of your profile will drive people to your profile. If built and maintained properly, it will sell your skills best because you've taken care to craft and review your credentials. Dan provides practical tips for improving your profile and increasing visibility to your page. If you're still employed, consider turning off notifications of changes to your profile in the settings of LinkedIn.
• Asses your network. You've met many people on your career and personal journey. If you've done right by them, they'll go out of their way to help you. Categorize them into:

A (people who would be in a position and willing to help me)

B (we have a good relationship and they may know of something)

C (I probably need to reconnect with these people)

• Leverage your network. Build a contact strategy for each of the categories of your network.

For the A Players, call them personally, ask them for ideas, ask them if they'd be willing to act as a reference or write a referral on LinkedIn. Contact them every two weeks to check in to see if anything's changed on their end and to let them know your progress. Job searching is about timing. Your A Players are busy and might not remember to let you know about a great lead if they haven't spoken to you in a month.

B Players are connected too, but they may not be as cooperative about helping you. Reconnect with them. Ask them how you can help them (do this with all contacts) and look for leads. Contact them once/month. You'll find that for every 10 contacts you make, you'll likely turn up one job lead.

For your C Players, if your job search isn't confidential, send them an email with a copy of your resume, explaining your situation. These will be your lowest percentage shots, but you'll still find potential in these connections.

• Wake up every morning with a purpose and action items. This is the hard part. I've spoken with people in my network who tell me they take days off or they knock off at 2pm every day to "clear their head". Maybe that works for some people, but getting a job is a full-time job. Wake up on time, exercise, eat right, make your to-do list and attack your "job".

Again, job-hunting is a grueling, demoralizing process, but we all go through it sooner or later. It's how you go about it and how you maintain your energy that will not only set you apart as a candidate, but also keep your sanity in the process.