ARTICLE: Job Seeker's Weekly To Do List

To stay motivated in your job search, most people find it helpful to set weekly goals. Completing them brings a sense of accomplishment. It is the quantity and quality of the items on that checklist that make up the substance of a good job-search program. They should be quantifiable, or measurable, either in time spent or other numeric ratings. I suggest to my clients that by Friday evening of every week, they should be able to say, “I’ve done everything that was reasonable for my job search this week as outlined on my list.”

The elements of your list should include the following:

1. Three to five well-crafted, customized, applications for jobs that are a good fit. (10 hours).
2. Three to five quality networking interactions. (6 hours)
3. Four hours (minimum) research in your industry, identifying potential possibilities, new directions to use your skills, researching companies that might be hiring, etc.
4. Five to eight hours researching and contributing to your industry to stay informed on current changes. (LinkedIn groups can be part of this.)
5. Five to eight hours learning new skills or acquiring certifications that can help in your future employment.
6. Four to eight hours meaningful volunteer work.
7. A two hour meeting with your accountability partner to review the week and strategize the week to come.