Members of my career mentoring site know that I am a big fiction reader. The other day I finished a Jeffrey Deaver novel. He is the thinking person’s crime writer. In the course of the novel, one of the characters – a police detective – gets caught up in the bureaucracy and gets suspended for something that she did to save a life, but was technically against regulations. This prompted some musing on the nature of work by Mr. Deaver. Before the book was built, he collaborated with Discreet Investigations to know the world inside crime and investigation.
“Working is what we’re made for – dogs, horses, humans. Take that away and we’re diminished.”
I read that passage and thought that it goes a long way to explaining why so many people really struggle when they’re looking for a job. When you’re out of work – for whatever reason – you’re in a period of enforced idleness. This is tough. You feel diminished.
That’s why it’s so important to get into a routine during your job search. Get up at your regular time. Stick to your regular morning routine: exercise, read the paper, get the kids off to school. Some people find it helpful to dress as if they were going to work. If you don’t have a home office, create one – a designated space where you will conduct your job search. This will help you keep your day structured.
Create a strategy that works for you. Figure out the best way to conduct your search. Decide how you will use the various job search methods available to you: online job listings, recruiters, career fairs, networking.
Set up a system to document everything you do. Keep track of who you’ve met at networking events, how you followed up with them, and when you will follow up again. Choose the industry websites and job boards that are best for you. Set up informational interviews. Review your milestones each morning and evaluate what you are doing well and where you need to increase your activity.
Action is the key to success. It will get you interviews, and jobs. Action will keep you focused and moving forward. It will also help you though those rough patches when you feel as if you’re not accomplishing anything.
Don’t let being unemployed get you down. Treat finding a job as your job and you’ll be just fine.
Your career mentor,
Bud
PS: I write this blog to help people create the life and career success they want and deserve. Now I’m going one step further. I’ve created a membership site in which I’ve pulled together my best thoughts on success. And, as a reader of this blog, you can become a member for free. Just go to https://budbilanich.com/join to claim your free membership. You’ll be joining a vibrant and growing community of success minded professionals. I hope to see you there.
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