The Job Search Roadmap

Back in the early 80’s fresh out of school and ready to conquer the world I timidly walked into the office of the plant supervisor at Mead Packaging, known back then as Packagemaster, and now MeadWestVaco. After a quick 15 minute chat I had my first full-time job….easy! My whole job search plan had consisted of a friend mentioning to me that he had just been hired at Packagemaster and that they needed people, so away I went.

Twenty years later, when it came time to move on, I quickly realized that times had changed. This was not the 80’s any longer and that the hiring process was now much more formal. The job search process was not going to be such a simple venture this time around.

Today, seeking a new opportunity is much more involved and if you really want to secure that ideal job then you must approach it with a clear thought out plan. The question now is “Where to begin?”

The following steps are critical:

Create A Vision! First off you need to understand what it is that you want to get out of a new job and what type of position will help you in fulfilling your long term goals. The process is a little intimidating so it is important that you do not become overwhelmed or your vision will become clouded. Take the time to sit down and think of what it is you want, then WRITE IT DOWN! Sorry for yelling but by setting your needs in ink it will help to keep you focused helping to reinforce your mission.

Plan your attack! Take time to list all relevant contacts that may be of assistance in obtaining your goal. This may include current or past co-workers, suppliers, clients or association members. Begin to rate these contacts in order of importance, with a simple measure of who can help and who may help. Do any of these contacts have direct lines to the hiring authority of their company?

Make Some Noise! Now is the time to start making contact. Let your list of contacts know that you are on the market. Explain to them what it is that you are looking for and what benefit you would bring to an organization. Do not become a burden but make sure that you follow up often.

Stay Organized! When you start making dozen of calls or sending volumes of email, it is very easy to lose track of who you have communicated with and what was said. This is where your organizational skills or lack thereof come into play. It is critical to maintain an accurate record of who you have contacted and what the result of the contact may have been.

Creating a game plan and tracking results is only a small part of the job search strategy. Today you have many tools available to you that will aid you in your search but to make the most of these tools you must have a clear vision and the ability to keep a record of what you have done. Knowing exactly what you want will help keep you focused which is a critical key in determining the success of your job search strategy.

This is only the first step towards laying out your road map to the ideal position. Over the next few weeks I will look at what tools are available and how to get those valued employers knocking on your door.