Doing vs. Really Doing

Doing vs. Really Doing Nothing is harder or more exasperating than looking for a job. If you are like many job seekers, youve been attending workshops and reading about job search. Youve tweaked your resume more than once (OK, maybe youve tweaked it 50 times). Youve attended all the networking groups. Youve arranged informational meetings and still, no job offer. So what isnt working? The answer isnt that simple. It takes an audit. Audits arent fun. They sort of force you to see the reality. Sometimes, the answer is, there isnt anything wrong, this just takes time. If you are ready to conduct an audit of your job search, have someone you trust ask you these questions. You may be thinking, Ill just ask myself these questions, but dont do it. Get an outsider to do it. How many hours did you spend in job search related activities last month? How many interviews did you have last month (over the phone and in person)? What is the status of those interviews? How many target companies have you identified? How many target companies do you have inside contacts in? How many industry contacts (people who are within your industry) did you contact with last month? How many recruiters did you initiate contact with last month? How many jobs did you submit your resume to? What is the geographic range of your job search? Can or when will this be expanded? How much money have you spent on coffee? (Just kidding!) Encourage the person asking you these questions to be tough. Tell them you really want them to dig deep so that you can identify some things you might be able to do differently. One last thought: The tendency we all have is to get defensive or make excuses. No emotions please. Just the facts! This is a creative problem solving exercise.