Elements of a Full-Scale Search

I've acknowledged in previous posts that I am out there networking.  And, I am.  Colleagues, friends and family compliment me on the hard work I'm putting into my search.  And, I am.  And, I am keenly aware of what I'm not doing.  I am not truly engaged in a full-scale search.

What does it mean to be involved in a full-scale job search?  It means you are working on your search everyday.  Perhaps not all day, and you can take a day off, but when people say that looking for a job takes as much time and is often harder than being in a job, they mean it!

There is always something to be done to forward your search.  Every network connection I make requires work - either outreach if I'm looking for a connection at a certain school or company, or follow-up and scheduling if I've got the contact connection in hand.  Your target company websites should be checked daily as new openings are posted all the time.  Websites like indeed, dice, monster, and careerbuilder get new listings each day.  In this day of electronic applications, finding the perfect job a week after it's posted is probably a week too late.  There is tons of research to do when you're engaged in a full-scale job search.  You have to prepare before going into a network meeting and that means gathering information about the industry, the company and even the person you'll be meeting with.  It goes without saying that you must be well prepared for an actual job interview which requires much the same research as for a network meeting plus you have to take the time to plan out answers to typical interview questions.   You have to study the job description and identify which accomplishment stories you want to talk about to prove that you have the experience to do the job.

And on, and on and on. 

So my commitment to my search and to myself is to back up all this networking with more research, more consistency in checking websites and job postings, and more active time on LinkedIn.  I am also going to get out there in the public and join a few groups.  I am an active participant in several LinkedIn groups so I've got the electronic networking somewhat covered, but there is nothing like meeting people in person to make connections and uncover that hidden job market.