As I have said many times, a job search is a marathon, not a sprint. So what are the five things you need to remember to keep doing, day after day, week after week, month after month?
1) Be Persistent - Follow up on every lead, every new person you meet, after every meeting and after every interview.
2) Keep expanding your network - You can always meet new people through volunteering, serving on a committee of your professional association, or your alumni chapter, or through a current contact. Deepen the relationship by meeting them for a coffee/tea and keep in touch once a month.
3) Check in once a week with a friend, colleague or coach to stay on track. What did you do last week to move your job search forward? What are your plans for the coming week? Any emails? calls? interviews? networking meetings?
4) Don't wait for hiring managers or interviewers to get back to you. Get back to them with additional information, accomplishments, ideas to help solve their problems or actual written proposals.
5) Take care of yourself - Get enough sleep, some exercise, eat right, and have some fun! Make time for yourself each week - whether that is getting a massage, eating your favorite dessert, going to the movies or a museum, meeting a friend for lunch, hiking, biking, gardening or painting.
Remember that a job search is a full-time job for those of you not working and a part-time job for those of you working.
(c) 2018 Amy Geffen. All rights reserved.
[This article originally appeared on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5-tips-your-job-search-amy-geffen/]
Amy Geffen, PhD is a certfied GetFive career coach with over 30 years of experience in management, finance, engineering, academic administration, and education. She has helped recent college graduates, moms returning to the workforce, baby boomers and those in transition. She has a Bachelor's degree from Brooklyn College, Master's degree from Harvard University and a PhD from New York University.