Create a 30, 60, or 90-day plan for your job search.

Create a 30, 60, or 90-day plan for your job search.The average job search can take anywhere from six weeks to six months, depending on factors like your industry, your experience, and the economy. Thats a lot of ambiguityand if youre feeling a time crunch, its leid a very helpful statistic. If youre seeking to put the job hunt timeline on your own terms, there are things you can do to maximize the time you do have. Lets look at three different job search plans to make the most of your valuable time. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) The 90-Day PlanLets say youve given yourself three months to find a new job. It can a pretty spacious timeline, allowing you to take your time on all of the necessary elements. You can use some of that time at the departure to figure out what you want to do.Ask yourselfAre you looking for the same kind of job you had/have now?Are you thinking about a career change?What would you like to do next?A less urgent t imeline helps here, and gives you the opportunity to really consider what your next steps are.Your SearchWith 90 days, you have the time to do a deeper dive. Translation youre not just blitzing every related job opening you can find with your resume. You have time to research potential target companies and adapt your application materials (resume, cover letter) accordingly. Now is also the time to start really looking at your network to see if there are the kinds of targeted job opportunities you can pursue over the next 90 days.Your SkillsWith 90 days, you dont have all the time in the world to learn how to do something from scratch, but you do have time to boost skills, or take a refresher. The average ansprechbar course is eight to nine weeks, so this gives you time to work on some next-level skillsespecially if the class is self-paced.Your ResumeTake the time to overhaul your resume. Seriously, do it. Youve got a few months in your plan, and if you really want to get the most ou t of it (and maximize your interview-stage potential), your resume has to be spot-on. Start from scratchno shortcutsYour NetworkIts about quality, not quantity. If you havent already, start reaching out to targeted people who may be just outside of your network, friends of friends, or someone you met once and added to LinkedIn, but who now just happens to work at the company where you want an in. Because so much hiring is done based on who you know and not always what you apply for, as much time as possible in your 90-day plan should be devoted to bolstering your network. Hiring expert Lou Adler recommends spending 60% of your time networking if you want to score a new job within 90 days.Your Interview PrepBuild in a little interview preparation every day. This could just be five minutes as youre getting ready in the morning, or a few quiet moments before you hit your pillow at night. Things to work on in the meantime, so that they come naturally when the time comesYour handshake. G rip is key here (think confident, but not obere extremitt wrestler), so it can take practice to get the right combination of strength and moderation.Your body language. Things like eye contact and posture can be your best assets in making a good initial interview impression.Your outfit. You have time to think about what your go-to interview outfit(s) will be, and then make sure theyre cleaned, pressed, and ready to go as soon as you get that hey, come meet us and talk about the job emaille.Your talking points. Take your resume and come up with real-life examples for each bullet point. Practice talking about them, ideally with a trusted friend or family member, so that you get comfortable talking about yourself and your achievements.By putting extra effort into the pre-work and crafting a strong base for your job hunt (serious consideration of job openings and companies, a rebuilt resume, time spent building skills and personal habits that will benefit you in the future), youre makin g the most of those 90 days.The 60-Day PlanIf you have about two months before youd like to see yourself settled in a new gig, youve still got buffer time to do some quality building when it comes to your application package.Your SearchLike with the 90-day plan, you have time to focus on particular areas or companies and do your research. But because 60 days will pass quickly, its time to increase the intensity. Your job search should be highly focused, with you looking for the best-fitting opportunities that align with your goals. If youre unsure about what you want to do next or what job openings you want to go for, take the time to reflect on your goals for this job search (beyond get a job) and your immediate professional goals. It takes some time up front, but will save you time later on in the 60 days.Your SkillsSixty days can be enough time to brush up on skills on your resume that could be stronger, or to revisit old skills that you want to feature for a particular job. Self -paced zugreifbar courses can help you get the crash course you need, or even just a self-study program where youre intensively researching things online, reading up on new trends, etc. And lets face ittheres a YouTube video for everything these days, so theres no shame in using those for your skill-building The most important thing here is, again, focus. Its not really enough time to say, hmm, maybe I really should start to learn HTML. Its more like, Okay, I have these basic HTML skills. What do I need to bump them up on my resume?Your ResumeWith 60 days on the table, its still worth it to rebuild your resume from the ground upit doesnt have to be a long undertaking, just a focused one. Youll also want to take the time to take another editing pass and optimize your resume, which can help you get more out of applications.Your NetworkCultivating people in your network by having email conversations or even having a coffee IRL is great, but theres no replacement for human contact. Howe ver, with 60 days to meet your goal of getting a new job, there might not be that luxury. Thats why networking tools become so handy in this two-month window. LinkedIn is a good starting point to start focusing your networking efforts. Are there people who work at your target companies? An old friend who you know happens to be married to someone in your field who might be hiring? Its time to harness the power of what youve already got.Thats not to say you should neglect starting new relationships, but on your more aggressive timeline its most important to maximize what you have.Your Interview PrepLike the 90-Day plan, you have some time to prep. Practice your body language skills especially, and rehearse your talking points. And the earlier in the two-month window you have that interview suit dry cleaned and ready to rock, the better.The 30-Day PlanIf your plan is a 30-day one for whatever reason (like economic urgency, or you need out now of a terrible gig), then thats a daunting g oal, but a do-able one. There just isnt much wiggle room or time for blowing things off. If youre serious about getting a new job in a month, then that means your focus has to be on the job hunt.Your SearchIts time to come up with a hardcore job hunt time budget. With such an aggressively short window of time, you really dont have the luxury of saying, Oh, maybe Ill do that this week. Instead, write down your list of job search goals for the week and attach specific days/times to them. For exampleMonday Check saved job searches, research job openings at ABC Company.Tuesday Call Karen about potential referral for ABC Company.Wednesday Follow up with HR at XYZ Company about application.Whatever time you have available, figure out how you can set a time budget and stick to it. The closer you stick to that plan, the less likely youll be to fall off schedule, and discover that 20 days have gone by before you hit your early checklist goals. Figure out where you can devote chunks of time ( ideally each day) to check things off on your list.Your SkillsAt this point, you need to go with the skills you have, or ones that you can learn very quickly by researching online or playing with programs (like finally learning how to do a vlookup, or revisiting how to use Adobe Photoshop). Focus on the core skills you want to feature most prominently on your resume and in interviews.Your ResumeIts definitely crunch time, which means you dont really have a week to write, edit, and seek feedback on your resume. So lets truncate that a bit. Start with some of the great tools that are already available, like resume templates you can use as a starting point.Butand I cant emphasize this enoughnever skip the proofreading step. If you have zero time, give it the most thorough check you can. And if its at all possible, have someone else read it. They may notice mistakes that passed right under your hurrying eyes. Simple mistakes can put your resume in the no thanks pile quickly, so even wit h a short schedule, you need to take the time for those extra steps.Your NetworkWhoever you have on your side now, thats the squad youre taking into battle. Focus on the people you already know who can help you with your job search. Use LinkedIn, Facebook, or any professional contacts you have, and dont be shy about letting people that youre on the lookout for a new job. Though that comes with a caveat if your search is on the DL because you dont want your current anfhrer to find out, youll still want to be a little discreet. No blaring Facebook posts saying, Im looking for a jobYour Interview PrepAs with other aspects of your job search, your interview prep should be laser-focused on the resources you have. Identify your most interview-ready outfit, and get it ready to go dry clean, fix any messy bits (like loose threads or saggy hems), and dust off your lucky interview shoes. Your schedule is so aggressive that you need to be ready to go almost immediately for interviewsif you get an interview tomorrow, you may not have time to rush around getting ready.Its also important to know your resume points backwards and forwards, so you can speak to any aspect of it on short notice.However much time youve assigned to your job search plan, the most important thing is to maximize whatever time you do have. Coming up with a goal-oriented plan is a great start, and will help you make the most of the coming weeks. Good luck

My No. 1 Leadership Hack Leaning Into Taking Risks Heres Why

My No. 1 Leadership Hack Leaning Into Taking Risks Heres Why A common complaint heard in the workforce today comes from people who feel stuck in their careers. For Maria, a Senior Manager at Capital One, the opposite is true and its a mindset she encourages others to adopt.The most memorable piece of career advice Ive been given was not to be afraid to try something new, because you can always change your mind, Maria, who once moved overseas to pursue a completely new career, said. The skills and knowledge I acquired as a result of that move allowed me to find my subsequent career path and led me to where I am today.Recently, Maria shared the ins and outs of what working at a supportive employer like Capital One looks like, and how one boss inspired her approach to management today.--WhoMariaWhatSenior Manager of Product Management, Capital One--How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously?I have been in my current role for 1.5 years, helping take our products from an idea all the way through to being in market. in my previous role, I coached product development teams in applying Design Thinking to their work and built a train-the-trainer program to scale these practices across the company.Whats the first (and/or last) thing you do at work every day?I check my calendar and walk around the office to see who I can catch at their desk. If I can, I have a quick conversation to reduce the number of meetings I need to schedule. I do this at the beginning and the end of the day, and save a bunch of time spent in meetings that way.Whats the most unique or interesting aspect of your job or company?The most interesting aspect of my role is working directly with people from different roles and functions across the company who are all focused on improving the lives of consumers with our products and experiences.Whats something with your work youre especially good at?Because I work with people from different roles and functions all acros s the company, I have to be able to go from a high-level strategic discussion, to diving into the weeds of a particular product or design problem, to having a discussion about how to streamline a processall within the same day. Ive had to get good at context switching.What are you trying to improve?Carving out more time to focus and think deeply about something and then reflect on it. Whats the one career move youve made that youre most proud of?I took a risk and moved overseas to pursue a career that was very different from what I had been doing previously. The skills and knowledge I acquired as a result of that move allowed me to find my subsequent career path and led me to where I am today.What do you love most about your job or your company?Working with really talented people from different functions and roles who are all focused on creating the best products and experiences for our customers.What are you currently reading/watching/listening to?Jobs to be Done Theory to Practice by Tony UlwickWhats the most memorable piece of career advice youve received?The most memorable piece of career advice Ive been given was not to be afraid to try something new, because you can always change your mind.What was the best quality of the best boss youve ever had?The best boss I ever had knew when to provide guidance and when to let me figure things out for myself, and always had my back.--Fairygodboss is proud to mann an ihrer seite with Capital One. Find a job there today

3 Things Every College Grad Should Keep In Mind as They Look for a Career

3 Things Every College Grad Should Keep In Mind as They Look for a Career Im going to go ahead and guess that youre reading this because you dont have a job. You might even be reading this at two in the morning because you dont have to wake up early for work. But I know that many recent graduates are trying hard to get a job and arent as lazy as older generations perceive us to be. Therefore, here are a couple of suggestions to keep you focused and away from sitting around in the sun all day without a career. Besides, I doubt youre wearing sunscreen and at least having an indoor job will save you from looking like a lobster. Theres also a very good chance that there will be air conditioning at your inside job. Dont feel limited by your major.Your major does bedrngnis define your career choice. Always spin it to your benefit. Inform employers about the skills you learned through your major, not the major itself. I tell people all the time that being an American history major requires me to do a lot of research and writing, and employers completely agree. If your senior thesis or other classes youve taken relate to your career, dont be afraid to mention them. You can even put them on your resume under the Education section.Dont be afraid to reach out to people that can help you.There are many campus resources and alumni networks that recent grads and students dont take enough advantage of. If youre still in school, start as early as possible. My college advisor once told me that the seniors at my school tend to not think seriously about jobs until their last semester, leading them to freak out during their last months in college. While there will always be lackadaisical students roaming around, some do take a ton of time searching for a job but end up with little to nothing. Therefore, make sure you learn how to effectively ask for help, reach out, and network. Many career cen ters still offer their assistance to graduates and can help you locate other alumni in your field that you can contact.If you choose to speak to an alumni, realize that they probably wont give you a job. Still, these alumni are great sources of information on careers youre interested in, so use them to figure out what youre really getting into. Some might even tischset up an interview for you or pass your resume along to someone who has a job opening. Make sure to send a thank you card afterward. Theyll be more willing to contact you if they have something suitable for you in the future and will be motivated to help another struggling student or graduate later on.Dont pass up opportunities (but dont settle for what will make you miserable).There are so many wonderful opportunities that people pass up because they think they wont get anything out of them. But theres a reason why so many people say that you should take advantage of every opportunity you get. While Im not saying you sh ould take all of them (you dont want to hate your job and end up jeopardizing your performance and well-being), at least consider all of them. People that seem lucky are really just those that take advantage of whats distributions-mixd in front of them, and find a way to make it work for them in the long run. So you might have to start at a company or position that you think wont help you get your dream job. But trust me it can if you market it the right way. You can always spin things that you did during one job to make them seem applicable to another one, just like you can with your major.Realize that veering away your major, talking to people who cant outrightly give you a job, or taking a position at a place that isnt where you dreamed youd be arent bad things. In fact, they may benefit you much more in the long run, because youll have learned how to maximize what you learned in college for the real world, practiced successful networking and perhaps discovered something that you thought wouldnt make you happy, but you may eventually come to adore. Heck, I hated American history before I had to take it to fulfill a college requirement.