The process of finding a new job, from filtering through job board listings, to polishing up your CV, to keeping track of applications, can seem overwhelming at times. There\u2019s so much to remember, organise, and action that you may begin to feel like you\u2019ve lost control. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to keep your job search at heel.<\/p>\n
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Whether this is your first job, you\u2019re returning to work, or you want to change jobs, your search can\u2019t start until you decide what you want. Beyond the job title you\u2019re interested in, you should also be clear about:<\/p>\n
Which of the above are absolute musts that can\u2019t be avoided, and which are preferred options that would make your life easier? What can and can\u2019t be negotiated?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Setting out on a relentless job search is fine at the start, but it can often lead to a loss of motivation and increasing levels of stress. Combat this by setting SMART job search goals from the beginning.
\nSMART stands for:<\/p>\n
S<\/strong> = specific Make it clear what you are striving for (S). Make it easy to measure your success (M). Create goals that are realistic (A). Make sure the goal will help you land the job you\u2019re interested in and progress you along your career path (R). Set a deadline to achieve each goal (T).<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next step is to prepare your CV. Check that it\u2019s up to date, including your personal details, personal statement, skills section, qualifications, and your work experience.<\/p>\n With each job application, it\u2019s a great idea to tailor your CV to fit<\/a>. However, to do this effectively you need a basic CV that lists everything. Prepare that now and use it as the starting point for each new application.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You could rely on your memory to keep track of your job applications, but the best way to remove any chance of overwhelm is to keep a job search record. Create a spreadsheet or a Word document, keep a record in Google Drive, write it down in a notepad, or use a project management tool like Asana or Trello.<\/p>\n What should you record?<\/p>\n Don\u2019t forget to use the calendar on your phone to record important dates such as interviews and alerts for when to chase up an application.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may also accumulate emails that you\u2019ve received in response to job applications, printed off letters and forms, and scanned images of completed paper application forms. Make it easy to put your hand on whatever piece of information you need by not only creating a job search record but also organising:<\/p>\n File each item away \u2013 online, in your email inbox, or physically \u2013 as soon it\u2019s dealt with. <\/p>\n <\/p>\n You may land a new job almost immediately but if your job search takes longer, it\u2019s well worth re-assessing your progress every three months. Here\u2019s the kind of questions you could ask:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There\u2019s a lot to organise when you\u2019re searching for a job but if you follow these six steps:<\/p>\n then you\u2019ll save time, reduce stress, and stay motivated.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The process of finding a new job, from filtering through job board listings, to polishing up your CV, to keeping track of applications, can seem …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2780,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2779","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-jobsearch","category-jobseekers"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2779","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2779"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2779\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2781,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2779\/revisions\/2781"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2779"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2779"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/joblookup.com\/explore\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2779"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nM<\/strong> = measurable
\nA<\/strong> = attainable
\nR<\/strong> = relevant
\nT<\/strong> = time-bound<\/p>\nPrepare your CV<\/h2>\n
\nKeep a job search record<\/h2>\n
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File it all away<\/h2>\n
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Re-assess your job search<\/h2>\n
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Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n
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