It’s important in life to plan. We plan vacations, weddings, other big life events, how to save money, but what is your plan to find a job? What have you learned that worked well and what completely failed in the past? Keep in mind failures can sometimes teach us the most! I am going to share my game plan from start to finish to find a job. Let’s all share ours and see if we can add to our plans and make them stronger! This is what has worked well for me in the past.

Step 1- Search for jobs that are relevant to my skill set and also companies I want to work for that will value me. If a job will pay the bills, but has a terrible culture you will probably find yourself on the job hunt again very soon.The same goes for filtered results that are delivered to me, I will tailor them to meet my specific needs.

Step 2- Check my emails at least 5-8 times a day and see which jobs are being sent over and apply to them. I always made sure to include a copy of my resume saved as a PDF as well as a cover letter tailored to THAT company (avoid the generic letter which will say to the company that you don’t care about what they do).

Step 3- Follow up with the jobs via email if I have not heard back in a few weeks (if you have an interview followup THAT week). Sometimes you just need to be patient as companies can get very busy. It never hurts to say “I just wanted to reach back out and reintroduce myself...” This email is to remind them “Hey I am here!!!” and also reinforce why you would be a fantastic fit for the job. Make sure to attach your resume again JUST in case they missed it the first time. If you applied online you may need to do a little searching on the company website, LinkedIn, etc. to find an email or contact person to send this information to. The extra work is worth it!!

Step 4- Attend networking events and job fairs. Even if they cost a little bit of money, if they have some great jobs or connections definitely go (it will be incredibly valuable) and don’t forget to pack your business cards!!

Lastly ask yourself these ?’s as you search: -What type of jobs are important to you?

-What type of work energizes/excites you?

-Is my resume updated with keywords and all my recent work?

-Did my cover letter best describe who I am and why I would like to work for that company?

-Will this job help further my career path in a positive or negative way?

So, what is YOUR game plan?