7 days on the job market, and my kids have been asking this question for 5 days already!
How long should it take to line up the next gig, permanent job or even limited engagement client? I find that at times I am on overdrive with desire to know what I’ll do next. At at other moments, I find I don’t want to rush this. I don’t want to make a move that isn’t right for me. I’m caught in a vortex of thrilling excitement to know what is behind door #3 and a deliberate pleasure that comes from creating my own path, and crafting an opportunity that is just right!
Job searching is both a social and introspective endeavor. The social part is great — I’ll have 3 coffee/lunch meetings this week alone! But the times at home, setting it up, figuring it out, requires a type of soul-searching that I have thus far found thrilling. How often in life do we really allow ourselves to spend hours focusing on what we like to do, how we see ourselves doing it, and then having the opportunity to work towards making it a reality? I realize that not everybody gets this kind of time to ponder income earning opportunities, and I know that I am fortunate to have at least a short while to get my ducks in a row financially. Not that 7 days is very long, but it has been a gift.
So what can someone get done in 7 days on the job market? So far I have:
- Gone nuts connecting with people on LinkedIn.
- Updated LinkedIn profile at least 10x.
- Told everyone I meet that I am looking for work.
- Re-wrote resume.
- Written personal emails to a dozen contacts. Created a list of another 25 to reach out to.
- Scheduled 3 in-person meetings with contacts to network.
- Updated blog to include professional capabilities.
- Created a business card (and put a QR code on it that links back to my LinkedIn profile).
- Applied to one amazing job opening that feels like a long shot but would be perfect for me.
- Had 1 interview with a placement firm.
- Spent some time staring at my wardrobe wondering what people wear to live interviews!
Next up is registering for some in-person networking events, getting a website more flushed out, and hitting “go” on an aggressive outreach campaign to potential clients and employers. I also need to figure out that clothing situation.
If you need help with marketing, I’d love to talk with you about how I can help you meet your business goals! Check out my marketing page and let me know if you want to talk.
And if you have ideas to share on job hunting, please comment on this post!
Snowflakes In January 