Eight Steps to Successful Job Search Project Management

Project You: Eight Steps to Successful Job Search

Finding a job is very similar to managing a work project. After you get over the shock of unemployment and the fear of financial and career disaster, put the project management skills you brag about in your resume to work to find a new job. Even if you never managed a project at work, you can use these eight steps to help organize your job search and keep you on track.


1. Determine your desired outcome. Stephen Covey, in his book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People,” suggested you “begin with the end in mind.” If you don’t have a clear picture of the type of job, location, salary range, work environment and other critical job satisfaction factors, you can waste a lot of time and energy. You may end up with a great job offer for a job you don’t want. Write down specific goals and focus your efforts on finding the job that’s right for you.


2.  List tasks involved. You’ll need an updated resume and cover letters. What online jobsites are best to find a job? Jobsites like http://www.phillyjobs.com/ focus on the best jobs in the Philadelphia area. One of the larger sites may have a lot of jobs, but may not meet your criteria for location, travel time, or industry type. You’ll need to search out networking opportunities. Join LinkedIn and set up a great profile page. You get the picture.


3.  Assign a time factor for the completion of each task. “Someday” your prince may come, but in the meantime, you need a schedule to get things going. Setting goals and a timeline will get you moving toward your goal.


4.  Set a deadline. Take a realistic look at your finances. How long can you hold out before you need to start working again? Don’t accept what the media says about how long it takes to find a job in this economy. Setting a deadline is motivating.


5.  Are tasks sequential or concurrent? Can you start networking before your resume is perfect? Should you take a volunteer position immediately or wait for awhile? Employers seem to agree they would rather hire someone who has a job than someone who’s unemployed. Even though you aren’t paid, you still show initiative and a worker mentality that wants to be contributing and productive.


6.  Lay out a timeline. Set incremental milestones such as the number of resumes you will send each week or networking events you’ll attend. Just like losing weight, it’s slow and steady. Consistent efforts over time will eventually get results.


7.  Delegate tasks, downsize, and eliminate tasks. Hire a consultant to update your resume, get
some advice on organizing your job search and set up a tracking system. Eliminate job search methods and networking events that aren’t effective. Put your efforts into those activities that promise a better return.


8.  Negotiate deadlines and resources. Be flexible. After a period of time, you may need to take a hard look to see why you’re not getting results. Do a mock interview with a friend and videotape the session. How do you come across to a potential employer? You may need to adjust your timeline to include some coaching and training to polish your interview style or beef up your resume.


What other steps have you found to be effective in organizing your job search? Share your
tips with other readers in the Comments section below.


Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for phillyjobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and helping clients reinvent their careers for today’s job market. You can read more of her blogs at phillyjobs.com and view additional job postings on Beyond.com.

20 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me When I Was 18 - Part One

The school year is coming to an end, and for many high school seniors it's a time to think about the future. Here are 20 things I wish someone had told me when I was 18.

The end of the school year is in sight, and high school seniors are starting to think about their futures. Is college in the cards? Trade school? Finding a job? It can be confusing to know what the right choices are.

For me, my daughter will be turning 18 in a few months, and I have found myself thinking more and more about what advice I would want to give to her, or to any soon-to-be adult about planning for their future.

So, here are 20 things I wish someone had told me when I was 18.

1. 
   
   Chase your dreams while you are able – Life is tricky, and if you aren't careful, you can find yourself with a family and a mortgage before you know it. Take some time now to think about what you are passionate about. Find out what your dream is and chase it while you are young and still have the time, enthusiasm and energy to do it.
   
   


2. 
   
   You will regret the opportunities you didn't take much more than the ones that didn't pan out – Of all the things I regret in my life, most of them are things I didn't do rather than mistakes I made. Many times in my early adulthood, I would find out about an opportunity and then talk myself out of going for it. The self doubt and worrying about all of the what-ifs can be crippling.
   
   


3. 
   
   Be prepared to make lots and lots of mistakes – When you make mistakes, you know that you are growing. And, as long as you are growing, you know that you are alive. If you never made a mistake, you wouldn't be challenged. What fun is that?
   
   


4. 
   
   Try on new ideas – When you hear of an idea or opportunity that sounds interesting, try it out. Don't let the fear of looking silly or being embarrassed prevent you from exploring new things. No one is really watching you as hard as you think, and there is no shame in being brave.
   
   


5. 
   
   Always be honest, with yourself and with others – Lying is just a waste of time. Be honest in your relationship, but most of all, be honest with yourself. Don't let other people tell you how you should feel or who you should be, and don't try to be the person you think you should be or beat yourself up for not feeling the way you think you should. If you make honesty a priority, you can just be the person you are.
   
   


6. 
   
   You don't have to go to college right away – If you don't know what your passion is, how on earth can you chase it? There is this assumption that after high school, you have to go to college. If you don't feel like you are ready to succeed in that environment, take a year off and figure out what it is that you love. There is absolutely nothing wrong with starting college a year late or even going to a trade school rather than opting to pursue a degree.
   
   


7. 
   
   Trust your instincts – In almost any situation, trust your gut. When you tune in to your intuition and your instincts, you are almost always right. If you feel like something is really important to do, do it. Don't try to second guess yourself over and over and don't do things that you feel aren't right just because you want to be “nice”.
   
   


8. 
   
   If you are stuck worrying about something so much that you can't sleep, get up and write it out – When you are in a vicious cycle of doubt and worry, the best way to get it off your chest is to write it down. Once you have it out on paper, it doesn't have to be stuck in your head keeping you from getting a good night's sleep.
   
   


9. 
   
   It's more important to know where to find the answer – If you know how to research and find out the answer, then you don't need to try to remember every single fact. It is impossible to know everything, instead, just learn how to research.
   
   


10. 
    
    Live within your means – You don't have to have a lot of money to do the things you want and to have a great time. You can never win the game of who has the best, most expensive stuff. So, don't even bother. Lunch in the park can be just as much fun as a day at the mall, it just depends on your outlook.
    
    
    
    
    Stay tuned for Part Two in this series for numbers 11-20
    
    
    
    
    
    
    If you are looking for a job in the Philadelphia area, visit PhillyJobs for the best Philadelphia are job listings.
    
    
    
    
    By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.