Think of your job search as a journey, one of the most important you’ll ever make, along the lines of a thrilling ocean voyage.

Have you ever heard of a ship’s captain who didn’t consult his maps before and during his journey? Of course not. Captains like that don’t last long -- it’s too easy to get off course just a little bit each day, until the ship is hopelessly lost at sea.

So don’t expect a successful outcome to your job search if you don’t consult your “map” at least once a week, and make course corrections.

To do this and stay on course, you should hold a 30-minute meeting with yourself weekly. Do the following:

• Repeat out loud and reaffirm your Job Search Objective: What’s the exact title of the job you seek? The salary? What 3 skills do you want to use? What’s your target company or working environment? Regular repetition will burn your goal into your brain.
• What’s working? Do more!
• What’s not working? Make change or drop it.

I’m reminded of a picture I saw, of a forlorn and pathetic-looking man on the front page of The Wall Street Journal. He had had been standing on a street corner for nearly three months holding a sign that said: "I NEED A JOB ... 36 YRS EXPER; INSUR/MNGMNT.”

Apparently, this man had never thought long and hard enough about his job search to STOP doing something that clearly was NOT working. He remained out in the wind and weather begging for work, hoping something would fall into his lap. For all I know, he’s still there ….

Don’t do that.

Action Step: Have a 30-minute meeting with yourself every week and analyze your job search activities. What’s working? Do more of that. What’s not working? Change your approach, or drop it altogether. Then plan your efforts for the next 7, 30, 60 and 90 days.

Compliments of David Perry and Kevin Donlin

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