Create a Job Search Timeline

The following My Yahoo! Daily Tip is being posted in its entirety for lack of a permanent link to the material. -DAJ

New Year's Resolutions for Your Job Search: I Will Create a Job Search Timeline
by Caroline Levchuck

You wake up in the morning, watch some TV, write a few emails, watch more TV ... suddenly it's 3:00 p.m. and you haven't even begun working on your resume! Where'd the time go?

Your first New Year's resolution should be to create and stick to a job search timeline, a schedule that can help you get more done in less time.

Here are two ideas for creating a timeline:

1. Focus on the short term: For example, lay out your goals for the day. It might look like this:

   8:30 a.m. -- Write thank-you notes
   9:00 a.m. -- Search Yahoo! HotJobs for jobs
   10:00 a.m. -- Write cover letters

   Having a daily regimen will help you stay on top of the latest job postings and keep you from slipping into job-search laziness.
   
   
2. Focus on the long term: A long-term schedule helps you see the big picture. For example:

   Goals for January 2-8:
   Send resumes answering specific job postings.
   Contact five friends asking for job leads.
   
   Goals for January 9-15:
   Follow up on last week's resumes by emailing recruiters.
   Schedule two informational interviews.

You can use either timeline or, better yet, use both. The important thing is to set concrete goals, to provide dates and to meet those goals.