The odds are pretty high that you will have to go on a job hunt at least once in your life, but some people seem to be on job hunts every six months. Even people who were secure in their jobs before are feeling the chill of our frosty economy and hoping that they aren’t one of the unlucky few who will be laid off or even lose their jobs altogether. You may notice that some people who are on the hunt for a new job seem to find one within a week or two, and others may go months before finding a new job, if they find one at all.

You should know that it isn’t all luck and what’s on your resume. There are a few more things that go into a successful job hunt, and you need to know all you can before you even begin.

Your job hunt plan

To build a good job hunt action plan, you must have a strategy because that’s really what it’s all about. You can’t just go at it willy nilly and start throwing your resume around. Well, you could, but the odds are that you wouldn’t have a lot of success from doing it that way.

Here are the things you need to do:

  • The first thing to do is start working on the perfect resume. It’s ok to spend a few hours, even a few days checking and rechecking everything that’s on your resume, and making it as gleaming as possible. After all, it is a representation of you and everything that you have done.
  • Next up, you might want to narrow down your career choices. You may even want to gear your resume specifically for the kind of career you want, by highlighting the skills you possess that are perfect for that specific career. Now you need to begin scouring your local area and online for jobs to apply for. These days, it is very easy to go online and register with job posting boards, and many of them will even post your resume for all employers to see. When they see your resume, they will automatically contact you if they think you are a fit for their company.
  • Next, you need to devote a portion of your time for callbacks and interviews. It wouldn’t look very good on you if you have to keep rescheduling an interview like you don’t even really want one.

The bottom line is that you should never begin looking for a job without first making your job hunt action plans. They provide you with the perfect foundation and the perfect strategy to make sure that you find a great job that will fit you perfectly all while spending the least amount of time. Face it; when you need a job, you probably REALLY need a job, and the fastest that you can find a good one, all the better for you and your family. So, get started on your job hunt action plan today. Even if you aren’t currently looking for a job, it never hurts to be prepared!

Author's Bio: 

David Couper is a career coach and writer who for the last twenty years has worked in Europe, Asia, and in the USA with major organizations including the BBC, Fuji Television, Mattel, Sony, and Warner Bros.

He has successfully coached individuals at all levels including CEOs of major companies wanting a new challenge, frustrated souls wanting to make their dream come true, and front-line employees laid off and desperate to get a job.

David has published seven books. His works on interpersonal skills, counseling in the workplace, and management issues (published by Connaught, Gower, HRD Press, Longman, Macmillan/Pearson Publishing, Oxford University Press) have been translated into Swedish, Polish, and Danish, and published in the UK and the USA.

David has a degree in Communication, a postgraduate qualification in education, is certified in a number of training technologies, and has a Masters in Psychology. He is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, Society of Human Resources Professional, Writers Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television.

He has dual US/UK citizenship and speaks French and Japanese.

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