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Have a job search goal.

Your goal could be as simple as "bring in a paycheck" or as specific as "become manager of a local branch of a $500m + multi-state bank." Believe it or not, the simpler goal may be the toughest to achieve just because your options for action are endless. Your resume will be unfocused, too, and few recruiters have the luxury of the time (or the intuition) to figure out what you could be doing for their company. A more specific goal, if it is realistic for you, brings focus and should result in a more effective resume and a smarter job search.
Develop your job search plan.

A goal is usually achieved by taking several steps - accomplishing several things. You can't get a new job without taking some action. First, you must figure out what you want to do, then pull together and polish a resume, then develop a list of potential employers, etc. Sit down and list those major accomplishments, in rough chronological order of their need to be accomplished. For example, you can't (usually) apply for a job without a resume, so developing your resume is an important part of your plan.
Make a to-do list.

Break your plan down into the tasks or action items you need to accomplish to reach your goal. And, many tasks contain sub-tasks For example, to write your resume, you may want to buy or borrow a good book on writing resumes, dig out your old resume (if you have one), add your latest job to your resume, list the accomplishments associated with that job, line up people to act as references, etc.). Your list won't be perfect - new tasks will be needed, and other tasks will prove unnecessary. Don't worry about perfection in this part of your job search.
Organize your to-do list.

Obviously, you must accomplish some things before others, and you can often be working on several tasks simultaneously. Shuffle around the items on your to-do list until they are in the order in which they must be accomplished.
Give yourself deadlines.

Assign deadlines to chunks of tasks (do the first draft of your resume by this Friday; get feedback from someone who knows how to create an effective resume by next Wednesday; finalize it by next Friday). Be as realistic as you can. Weekly deadlines work best for me, but you may want daily deadlines or monthly ones - whatever works for you. Make a deliberate and unbreakable promise to yourself that you will meet each deadline you set.
Each day, pick one job search "alpha task."

Before you begin your day's work, look at your to-do list and decide which task is THE ONE TASK which MUST be accomplished that day to keep your job search moving forward, even if nothing else gets done. That task is your "alpha task."

Do your day's alpha task as early in the day as possible. Then, do the next most important, etc. If you're like me, you'll discover the sense of accomplishment from getting the alpha task done carries over into a more productive day. And even if you don't get any other tasks accomplished that day, you will have completed the most critical one, and move your job search forward.
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Toggit Career Building Resources. FREE - from the experts!
Your Career	Job Searching	Your Resume	The Interview	Other Advice	Essential Tools

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