The Ultimate Job Search Plan Guide: Tips and Strategy

Table of contents:

There are so many steps to a job search and so many things that you can go wrong. If you’re looking for a new job and want to avoid making mistakes, we highly recommend that you create a job search plan.

A well-planned approach will help you stay organized, focus on the right opportunities, and increase your chances of success in your search. Ensure you are fully prepared before submitting your resignation letter.

In this post, we’ll explain everything from why creating a job hunting plan is important all the way down to how to plan a job search for yourself step by step. As creating an effective resume is a key step in this plan, we recommend using our free AI resume builder to make the process easier.

What Is a Job Hunting Plan?

A job-hunting plan is a detailed strategy for finding a job and building your career. It includes everything from the types of jobs you’ll apply for to what you should send in an application to land an interview.  You can create a flow diagram, a list, a calendar, or any other format that works for you.

A good job hunting strategy helps you avoid making mistakes or missing things that could cost you the chance at landing a dream position. And if the perfect job does come along and all goes according to plan? Well then, all the work was worth it!

Why Create a Job Search Action Plan?

Creating a job search action plan will help you stay focused and on track. It will give you a clear list of things to do that will hopefully get your foot in the door at your dream job.

A successful job search action plan keeps you from wasting time on unnecessary actions, like sending out hundreds or even thousands of resumes with no results.

If you’re having trouble finding a job, want to get a new position fast, and make sure it’s the right one for you, then making a plan is key. If you need to know what does an effective job search plan include, follow the next steps.

How to Create a Job Search Plan Step by Step

There are a few steps to follow when creating your job search strategy:

• Make a list or spider diagram of career goals, and determine the skills you need to get them
• Create a schedule that works for you, including how long you’ll spend on each task
• Review your strengths and skills
• Research those companies or positions that interest you most
• Block out time for networking
• Send out applications and resumes tailored to each position that interests you

Now, let’s take a closer look at each of these steps.

Step 1: Determine your career goals

The first step to creating a job search strategy is to determine your career goals. Write down the following:

• What do you want from your career?
• Why have you chosen this specific goal?
• How will achieving this goal make your life better? Will your work be better? Can it make your community/world better?

Your answers to these questions are the foundation for making smart choices about where and what kind of job you look for. You want to make sure your goals are clear, measurable, and achievable.

Step 2: Define your strengths and skills

Now that you’ve got a good idea of what jobs are available, it’s time to figure out what skills and strengths you can bring to the table. It’s important to take your past employment and skills gained to date into account.

Most employers will want to see that you have certain skills and abilities before they will consider hiring you. So, how do they know if your skills are relevant?

Well, they check your resume!

And what do they look for? Well…you guessed it: Your experience! They want to see that you have a history of success in similar situations. Recruitment professionals recommend resources like O*NET online to research specific types of work and the skills/abilities associated with them. So now is a great time to think about all those experiences where you demonstrated these.

Employers may be able to determine right away whether someone has what it takes based on their past work history alone. That’s why it’s so important to make sure your resume is up to date at the start of the search, although you should also tweak and tailor it to each position you apply to later on. 

Step 3: Set a schedule

It’s no secret that time management is a skill coveted by most employers, and it’s also an essential ability if you want to be successful in your job search.

It’s crucial that you set aside time each week to work the steps of your plan and stay on track with your goals. It’s estimated that you should try to spend at least 15 hours a week on the activities that make up your job search in order to ensure success. 

However, this may not always be doable, so just spend as much time as possible each week, and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t always meet your goals!

You’ll also want to set some goals or milestones so that your job search strategy doesn’t drag on indefinitely. You may want to set a goal of securing employment within 90 days. You can then set benchmarks for achievements you want to reach before this time.

Step 4: Identify employers and the position you’d like to work in

Now you know what industries you want to work in, so it’s time to identify employers that interest you. You may have a particular company in mind, or there may be several companies that are looking for people with your skills and experience.

If there’s a specific job title that interests you, then use sites like LinkedIn or Glassdoor to research the role. You should also research the company and its corporate culture.

Look at the job description, pay rate and expectations of the position as well as how many people apply for each role. If there is no formal job description available then ask yourself questions such as: 

• What does this company do? 
• Who are their clients? 
• What values do they promote? 
• Why would I want to work here? 
• What type of person do they hire (e.g., personality type)?

You can also go straight to the source and read reviews from employees who have worked there. If there’s someone who works at one of those companies whose profile really stands out then reach out directly via email or LinkedIn. 

Step 5: Reach out and network

If you don’t feel comfortable reaching out to someone out of the blue to enquire about work, try to build your network up first. You could do this by making new contacts on sites like LinkedIn, or attending career fairs in person. 

If you’ve done your research and you’re applying for a job in your industry, it’s likely that you know who can help give you advice. This can be helpful as well as encouraging.

If this is not an option at this point in time, it might still be worth reaching out to other current employees anyway – just don’t ask them “for a job.” Instead ask them what they think the best way would be for you to get into the field/business. You could also ask them how long their own career path took them and what mistakes they made along the way. Or about some of their favorite aspects about working where they do now vs. other jobs they held previously.

Step 6: Tailor your resume to each application

Aside from the standard requirements of a resume, you should be sure to tailor your resume to each application. Make sure it is clear and concise, using keywords that are relevant to the job in question. 

Keep it consistent—think about what information you want potential employers to know about you, and then organize it in a way that makes sense for each position.

Step 7: Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

You’re not the only one going through a job search. There are lots of people who can help you and your future employers understand what you bring to the table. 

You might be surprised to learn that many people have been in your shoes before, even if it may be hard to imagine!

If you’re stuck on perfecting your resume or cover letter, Resume Giants can help too! You can take a look at our wide library of resume examples and make use of our resume builder to get you started!

Best Practices when Creating a Job Search Plan

In conclusion, when it comes to job searching, having a plan is crucial. Without one, you’re likely to waste time and energy on fruitless activities. 

Having said that, you should also be flexible enough to adjust your strategy according to what works best for you.

A couple of key rules of thumb to keep in mind:

• Make sure your plan is realistic and achievable—but still ambitious.
• Set milestones along the way so that when you reach them you know whether or not it’s time for another round of networking or research into new companies / positions / industries before moving on again.
• Don’t forget to reward yourself for your hard work – even if you don’t land your dream job straight away, every new contact or reply from a recruiter is a win!

We hope this guide has been useful to you. Remember, a job search plan doesn’t need to be set in stone from the start.  You should always be looking for ways to improve your plan. 

This may mean learning how to write a resume effectively or getting feedback on your resume from friends and family members! Creating a plan is just the first step of what will hopefully be many successes in your career journey.

Related Posts