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Whoever said looking for work is a full-time job said a mouthful. One of the biggest mistakes Eric Murphy, senior recruiter at CEO Inc., sees is job-seekers who don't manage their time wisely. Below is some of his advice on how to use down time to get you back to work.
Schedule and block your time. Murphy advises using a calendar to plan your days just as you would at work. His example: “Block out time from 8 to 10 a.m. to make outbound calls to new contacts in your search.” Then at the end of the day, he advises taking a half hour to go back over who you talked to that day and set up your plan of attack for tomorrow.
Focus on high-energy tasks during high-energy times. If you're a morning person, get started in the morning. If you thrive in the afternoon, plan to do most of your job searching then. Use the times when your energy is highest for personal interaction like phone calls or face-to-face meetings. Take the other part of your day, Murphy says, to work on your resume or surf the Internet for new leads.
Limit your time on the Internet. Also known as a “resume black hole,” the Internet is helpful finding leads, not necessarily landing a job, Murphy says. He says approximately 5 percent of job seekers actually land a job through Internet postings. Murphy advices using the Internet only two to three hours a week. “While applying at a company online directly is a necessary part of the hiring process, it should not be used in lieu of a phone call or in-person connection.”
Work your network. Nobody is going to do this for you, Murphy warns. Tap old co-workers, friends and neighbors or begin building a new network. Join a few professional networks in your area. Why is this part of the search so important? “When it comes to your network, the truth is, about 75 percent of people find their next position through their network.”
Stay prepared – every day. When you're out of work, it's easy to stay in the house and maybe even stay in your pajamas. Murphy says to do the opposite. Get up, get a shower, get dressed and head out. Go to a coffee shop and work on your resume, for example. “This is an excellent way to treat your job search as a job and be prepared for whatever comes your way that day.”
Eric Murphy is senior recruiter at CEO Inc. For more of his advice on landing a job in this tough market, check out his company's Web site at www.ceohr.com.
