With too much unstructured time, I tend to drift from one unproductive activity to the next, so I am starting to create some goals and schedule time each day to work on my job search.According to the outplacement gurus, typical job seekers spend about 25 hours per week looking for work, and this is OK. They don't suggest you spend lots more than that, so it's not quite a full-time job. Still, 25 hours is enough activity that you're not going to get there by checking Facebook or watching TV and then spending an hour on LinkedIn. For me anyway, I'll need to have a schedule and a list of things to do.
First, there are a couple of things I will probably NOT do:
- I will not sit down for coffee a couple of times a week with hiring managers I do not know who have been introduced to me through my professional network. Lovely idea, probably quite effective, but sorry, it's just not me. You might as well ask me to fly.
- I'm not going to spend much time crawling through company websites looking for postings unless I get desperate, because it seems too time-consuming.
- I prefer not to take much time looking at positions that don't show a salary range. The chances are just too high that I'm wasting my time.
- Keep in touch with recruiters. I called one yesterday, and she hasn't called back, which bothers me.
- Stay in touch with the people I do know.
- Find opportunities to mingle with people, like Washington State CPA meetings, or just social groups.
- Keep tabs on job listings sites, like Craiglist or recruiter sites or the Washington State CPA job listings.
- Prepare for an interview. There are lists of behavior-based questions out there, and it can't hurt to keep practising matching up my accomplishments with potential questions.
- Use my outplacement website for more ideas.
- Catch up on my CPA requirements.
- Keep writing my blog. It's probably counterproductive, but I like it.
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