How to Manage a Successful Job Search

How to Manage a Successful Job SearchHow to Manage a Successful Job Search1Job seekers often complain about a lack of good opportunities or how long it takes employers to respond. But not every successful job searchinvolves hefty doses of patience or silence. Whether through timing, smart moves (thank you, networking), luck, the right combo of skills and experiences, or some combination thereof, candidates can find themselves in the fortuitous stelle of having too many possibilities.While abundance is a preferable problem, managing it can be a bit tricky.Use these strategies to get a handle on things and manage a successful job searchPrioritizeApplicants frequently cast a large net when looking for a job. Some view coverage as a way of guaranteeing something. Others havent figured out what they really want from a job, so everything sounds like an option.The biggest risk in applying for too many jobs is that you tend to include jobs that are below your target position or dead-end posi tions with no chance of career advancement. The risk? You might actually get the job, says Duncan Mathison, co-author ofUnlock the Hidden Job Market 6 Steps to a SuccessfulJob Search When Times Are Tough.Get clear about matters, such as tasks you like to do, workplace culture, schedule, and flexibility. Such knowledge will help you zone in on positions with the greatest likelihood of satisfaction and keep you from wasting time and effort. A bustling search may make you feel productive and desirable in the short-term, but it does little good without leading to offers from the employers for whom you really wish to work.OrganizeLife can feel chaotic when postings, leads, emails, names, and numbers seem to be coming in from every direction. Regain sanity by developing systematic ways to store all this information rather than relying on post-its or memoryKeep track of every application and every contact, Mathison says. You will need to be able to reference them quickly when you are calle d for an interview.In addition to a central place to maintain records, an up-to-date calendar that merges professional and personal obligations is a must. The last thing you want to do is schedule two events at the same time or forget your daughters dance recital amid a stream of interviews.EnergizeFinally, resist the temptation to take it easy. Todays fruitful yield may not last long. Your industry or geographical sphre may be experiencing a temporary hiring surge, or perhaps youre benefiting from a smaller applicant pool due to vacations or holidays.Whatever the reason, the time to strike is now You may have to give up a little more of your weekend to customize cover letters for all the promising job ads youve found or rearrange your schedule a bit to fit in additional interviews. But realize these efforts are temporary, especially if they result in ending a job search sooner than anticipated because you landed a perfect new position.Start Your Job Search