10 tactics to use as you job search

July 10, 2:05 PMChicago Job Search ExaminerDoug Hoenig

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EmploymentDigest.net is a great resource on tips, tricks and advice to keep your job search in full force. It's easy to get frustrated, distracted, confused, and off-course. Employment Digest has a blog post titled "The Job Search Plan – The Most Important Tool Ever in Your Arsenal," which lists 10, what I call tactics, to utilize in your job search plan. They are useful for anyone looking for a job.

1. Appoint a Job Search ‘Buddy’ - This person should be someone like a mentor, fellow industry friend, or someone that you look up to in your industry. You will report to this person on your progress each week. Probably shouldn't be your best friend, roommate or family member. You want someone that will hold you accountable to your weekly job search chores.
2. Number of Articles to Be Read Weekly - It's easy to fall adrift from your industry and current events. It's vital to stay on on top of what's going on so if/when you are in an interview, you sound knowledgable. Find the industry trade magazines, websites, blogs and ready them regularly.
3. Number of Networking Events to Be Attended Weekly - There are networking events on a weekly basis. While some may not be fitting for you and your industry, you still must actively check to see what's coming up each week and  what is relevant to you. If nothing is that week, why not create your own neworking events, by having lunch or coffee with industry friends and contacts. Eech week I publish a post on the weeks' upcoming networking events. Make sure to check it out. Also check out NetworkingMonkey.com, which is a searge engine for networking events in the Chicago area.
4. Number of Educational Events to Go to Monthly - Depending on what industry you are in, there are always industry trade association seminars, conferences, webinars and educational events. If your'e in Marketing, one might be the Chicago AMA (American Marketing Association). If you're in social media, check out the Chicago Social Media Club. I'm in the online/interactive marketing industry so I regularly attend eduational events and speaker events of CIMA (Chicago Interactive Marketing Association).
5. Number of Volunteer Hours Per Month - Volunteering can be a great way to get out of the house and do something to feel good about yourself. Do you love pets? Volunteer at your local rescue agency or dog pound. I volunteer at PAWS Chicago, which is a Chicago no-kill adoption agency. I can't tell you how good you feel after spending a few hours a week with the dogs/cats.
6. Number of Member Organizations To Belong To - This kind of relates back to #3 and #4. Whatever industry you are in, there are corresponding trade organizations. Hopefull you were already involved with them or at least aware of them before being unemployed. But these are great for networking and staying on top of news and trends in your industry. Most of them typically have job boards on their websites too. A simple google will usually find organizations in your industry.
7. Number of Informational Interviews Per Week - Informational interviews are probably one of the most under-utilized resources in a job search. But I can't stress how important they are. The people you meet with, typically hiring managers or more senior level, are usually connected with similar companies and organizations within their industry and sometimes have connections you can leverage. Again, these help you in that "getting out of the house" aspect also.
8. Number of Friends To Talk To Per Week - You might take this for granted, but you must spread the word to your entire  network. Who care is they specifically aren't in your industry, they may know someone who is or who can help you. It's all about connections and who people know right.
9. Follow Up On Sent Applications - It's very easy to get in a groove and just apply for job after job. After a while you start forgetting what all you applied for. The last thing you want to happen is have someone call you and mentiond you applied and you totally forgot. You need to build a filing system or spreadsheet to track all your applications and when you applied. I published a previous blog post titled "How to organize your job search,"  which includes a link to a job search template to help organize all the jobs you applied for. Very helpful. From there, follow up on sent applications. In today's age, the most aggressive people are the ones who stand out.
10. Focus Your Resume on Key Themes - Do you have several general areas/industries you are interested in working? It's a good idea to develop several different versions/themes of your resume. Also, if you go to a networking event or job fair, one resume may not fit well with a specific recruiter or company versus the other. Sometimes it's also good to carry a generic version of your resume. Why would a recruiter for Tech/IT sales want a resume that's geared towards advertising sales?

Moral of this story, take steps to stay organized and give yourself a sense of purpose!