If you are looking for a job now, according to current statistics, you will be looking for a job again within the next five years. There are good jobs out there, but the reality in today's world is that it requires hard work and ingenuity to get them.

It is helpful to look at the job search process as a unique opportunity to learn the techniques that will help you gain control over your career and continue to manage it well. These include:

Identifying your skills and defining a career objective.
Writing a resume that will survive a 30-second scan.
Researching the market and developing a search strategy.
Networking and utilizing contacts productively.
Mastering interviewing techniques.
Above all, preparation, practice and a positive mental outlook are the keys to a successful job search. Rarely do individuals go through a major career change alone. Almost all of us need a "partner" or "partners" with whom to share our thoughts, explore alternatives, and seek advice. There are three key resources to your support system.

Trusted Friends or Relatives.
Seek out the help of one or two of your most trusted friends. These are individuals who will support you through thick and thin. They totally believe in you and care about you. They will give you honest feedback, but in a supportive way.
Other Job Seekers.
You may want to get in touch with someone you know who is going through the search process. It can be helpful to share experiences and accomplishments; but more importantly, you can encourage one another, discuss strategies and exchange networking techniques.
Yourself.
You must be your best supporter. Believing in yourself begins with an understanding of your own strengths, abilities and interests.

TO BEGIN YOUR SEARCH

List your contacts. These should include:
- Friends and family members
- Current and prior business associates and acquaintances
- Doctors, lawyers, accountants, and religious leaders
- Acquaintances from sports, volunteer activities and professional associations (Refer to Chapter IV, page 52 for further information about networking.)

List three to five business references that prospective employers may call. Be sure to contact these people and ask if they would be willing to allow you to use them as references. (Later on be sure to notify them if you know that a particular person or company will be calling.)

Begin the daily discipline of reading newspapers, trade and business publications. Job leads can take many forms: advertisements, management promotions, company stories - opportunities take digging and study, not scanning.

Familiarize yourself with your local library. Determine where you can find directories of companies and their executives. Research companies and careers. You will find extensive information on library computers.

Search the Internet. There are numerous web sites dedicated to career opportunities and most established search firms, as well as large companies, have recruiting sections on their sites. See the list of web sites on page 60.

Start recording expenses incurred. They may be tax deductible. Keep receipts where available. Check with your tax accountant or the IRS for advice.

Get into the daily habit of recording and planning actions you will take. These include meetings, contacts, references, telephone calls, letters, etc.
Your job search is hard work. It requires your maximum commitment,consistently and continuously. As in business, there are good days and bad days, high spots and low spots. It is important not to dwell on the low spots. Develop a mindset to take positive action when this occurs - make telephone calls, write letters, go to the library, review newspapers and make some cold calls. Action will help shift gears toward the positive.

Here are some common traps to avoid:

Do not stew over the factors that have caused you to leave your last job. Leave any negativity behind you. It can only hinder your performance in getting a job. Begin looking to the future now. A positive outlook is key.

Do not immediately contact your personal and business associates about a job. You will certainly want to use these contacts, but not before you are emotionally ready and intellectually prepared to make the best use of them. (Again, we will discuss productive networking in Chapter IV, page 53.)

Do not rush to contact executive recruiters. Again, there is a time for this and a particular way to initiate these contacts. There is also a section on working with executive recruiters in Chapter IV, page 50.

Do not make your search effort a part-time affair. Finding a job is a full-time job and hard work! There is a direct correlation between effort expended and level of success.

MANAGING YOUR JOB SEARCH

The management and organizational skills that you have developed during your career can be put to good use during your job search. Expanding your contacts, scheduling appointments, following up with letters, researching companies and preparing for interviews requires an organized, systematic approach.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind as you organize your job search.

Use a portable day planner to record appointments.
Carry copies of your resume, envelopes, stamps and pens with you so that you are always prepared to respond quickly.
Purchase an answering machine or retain the services of an answering service to make sure that you don't miss any calls. You must be accessible to everyone. It is very frustrating to a recipient of your resume to telephone you and get no answer. Be sure your message is a brief, professional one.
Establish a weekly planning guide to outline what is to be accomplished daily.
Spend business hours on the contact process.
Use off hours for research and record keeping.
The final three pages of this section contain sample forms that you may find helpful in managing your job search:

A weekly activity plan
An interview and networking log
A job search expense sheet

ACTIVITY PLAN

Week of_________________

Done	Day of Week	Contact	Meetings	Phone Calls	Ads Sent	Recruiter Sent	Targets Sent	Job Interviews
	Monday
	Tuesday
	Wednesday
	Thursday
	Friday
	Week-end
	Next Week

Fill in the columns as you complete an activity and place a check mark in the DONE column.

EXPENSE SHEET

Date	Purpose	Trains/ Cabs	Rental Cars	Auto Mileage	Parking Tolls	Hotel	Food	Other

Draw a chart with the columns headings above and as many rows as will fit on one page.

CONTACTS LOG

Name/Title	Address/Tel	Date of Contact	Results	Referrals	Follow Up	Thank You Letters

Again, using the above column headings, draw as many rows as will fit on one page.

* * * End of Chapter 1 * * *

See the Table of Contents for a quick reference of the type of information you will find in the rest of the chapters.