| Many people, under financial or other pressures to | | | | versions of your resume and cover letter, job |
| find work quickly, feel they can't afford to take the | | | | postings, company profiles, advertisements, and |
| time to get organized. On the other hand, conducting | | | | business cards, but they will be of no value to you if |
| your job search in an organized manner will reduce | | | | you can't find what you need. A binder or filing |
| the amount of time you spend looking for | | | | system, sorting the information into topics, will allow |
| information, following inappropriate leads, or waiting | | | | you to refer quickly to both the job posting and that |
| for your dream job to fall into your lap. It generally | | | | specific application when you receive a telephone call |
| takes at least a month to find an entry-level job, and | | | | from a prospective employer. It will also allow you to |
| as much as nine months for one requiring a high level | | | | find easily any other information you may have |
| of skill and experience. Getting organized before you | | | | gathered about the organization before your |
| begin your job search can ultimately save you a lot | | | | interview. |
| of time and frustration. | | | | You may find it beneficial to have an alternate job |
| You should take several preliminary steps before you | | | | search office such as your local library or |
| even begin your active job search. You should start | | | | employment centre, where you can research, read, |
| by identifying your skills, interests, target market, and | | | | and write without the distractions you may |
| any child care, transportation, or other issues that | | | | encounter at home. Many are equipped with |
| you will need to keep in mind. A career or | | | | computers that you can use for Internet job search |
| employment counsellor can be very helpful in this | | | | as well as resume and cover letter preparation, which |
| area, as well as with the preparation of your resume, | | | | can be a great benefit if you don't have a home |
| cover letters, and any other job search materials | | | | computer or must share it with other family |
| you'll need. | | | | members. If you plan to use this type of service on |
| Once you're ready to face the job market, there are | | | | a regular basis, you'll need some type of portfolio or |
| three areas where you'll find it beneficial to be well | | | | briefcase to hold your job search material, including |
| organized: your schedule, your workspace, and your | | | | your resume in printed form and on a USB flash |
| contacts. | | | | drive, your calendar, and a notebook for jotting |
| Your Schedule | | | | down leads and ideas. Most facilities do not allow you |
| First, you must decide how much time you can | | | | to receive telephone calls, so be sure that potential |
| realistically commit to your job search on a weekly | | | | employers can reach you by voice mail, pager or cell |
| basis, and then create a weekly schedule of activities. | | | | phone. |
| Keep in mind that looking for a full-time job is in itself | | | | Of course, you'll need a calendar for marking down |
| a full-time job! Some of your time will be devoted to | | | | job interviews and other important meetings. You'll |
| reading and applying for advertised positions, but be | | | | also need a system for keeping track of your job |
| sure to allow plenty of time for other job search | | | | applications. This information may be needed to |
| activities such as making telephone calls, generating | | | | confirm your eligibility for unemployment insurance or |
| and researching new leads, reviewing old leads for | | | | social assistance, and will help you to follow up on |
| follow up, writing thank you notes or other | | | | your applications. |
| correspondence, and visiting placement offices, | | | | Your Contacts |
| employment agencies, or other service providers. | | | | During your job search, you will probably |
| The percentage of time you dedicate to each | | | | communicate with hundreds, if not thousands, of |
| activity depends on what is most effective for your | | | | people, but in order to make effective use of the |
| field of work or geographical area, so it may be | | | | network you develop, you'll need a way to keep |
| worthwhile for you to ask others what has worked | | | | track of all your contacts. |
| for them. | | | | The simplest method is a card file system, with a |
| Most people perform different activities more | | | | card for each contact. Each card should include the |
| effectively at different times of day. Take your | | | | contact's name, title, organization, address, telephone |
| natural energy flow, as well as the availability of quiet | | | | number, fax, and email address, the source of the |
| time for conducting research and telephone calls, into | | | | lead, and dates and details of any conversations, |
| consideration when planning your schedule. If quiet | | | | correspondence, or interviews. You may find it helpful |
| time is not available at home during the daytime or | | | | to set up a recipe box with a set of dividers labelled |
| evening, an employment resource center can be an | | | | with the days of the week and a set numbered 1-31 |
| invaluable resource. | | | | for the days of the month. You can file each card |
| Keep your personal preferences in mind when | | | | under the date you wish to contact that person. For |
| planning your activities. For example, if you dislike | | | | example, you may speak with someone on the 10th |
| talking on the telephone, it may be less stressful for | | | | who suggests that you call him or her in two weeks. |
| you to get your calls out of the way before | | | | After noting the information on the index card, file it |
| beginning your other activities, or to intersperse your | | | | in the section for the 25th where it will serve as a |
| phone calls between other activities so you don't | | | | reminder for you to follow up. |
| become overwhelmed. | | | | There are wonderful software programs available |
| If you're planning to drop off unsolicited resumes, | | | | that can help you with organizing your job search |
| map out a route of targeted businesses that are in a | | | | contacts. Winway Resume, for example, has a |
| particular area, and plan to cover the entire area in | | | | section for storing contact information that you can |
| one day. This will cut down on your travel time and | | | | merge with your cover letter. ACT! allows you to |
| expenses as well as the number of times you need | | | | schedule tasks and reminders as well as perform mail |
| to dress up. | | | | merges. If you don't wish to buy or learn a new |
| Keeping a log of the actual time you spend on each | | | | software package, email address books in Outlook, |
| activity will allow you to see whether you are on | | | | Windows Mail or free Web-based email packages are |
| track and to identify any problem areas. It's not | | | | also an excellent way to keep track of your |
| uncommon to become frustrated and depressed | | | | contacts. However, unless you have unrestricted |
| when you're out of work, so be sure to schedule | | | | access to a computer, or a portable system such as |
| regular time for self-care and other personal activities | | | | a BlackBerry, you won't be always able to access the |
| like going to the gym or the hairstylist. | | | | information. The key features of any organizational |
| Your Workspace | | | | system are ease of recording and ease of retrieval. |
| At a minimum, you need a chair and a desk or table | | | | If using an electronic system will make your job |
| with plenty of space for you to work with your | | | | search more complicated and time-consuming, don't |
| information, make and receive telephone calls, and | | | | use it. |
| plan your job search. All necessary supplies should be | | | | Job searching can be overwhelming, but when you |
| stored close by, including paper, pens, index cards, | | | | organize your schedule, workspace, and contacts |
| paperclips, staples, and your telephone directory. | | | | effectively, you'll be able to stay on track and find |
| During your job search, you'll likely accumulate various | | | | your new job more quickly. |