A job search can be overwhelming. Between resumes and cover letters to write, social channels and networking opportunities to manage, interviews to schedule and prep for—the whole endeavor can seem so time consuming, you’d be forgiven if you put it all off and stayed at your current, less-than-ideal gig longer than you should.
That’s why we’re kicking off The Weekend Job Search, our brand new series that breaks the whole process into simple steps. With our 13 totally doable to-do items, you’ll fast-track your job search and transform yourself into an in-demand candidate, all during your Saturday-and-Sunday downtime.
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Why the weekend? With no distractions from the work week (or week of job-searching), you’re free to invest in yourself and your career. So over the next couple of days, grab a cup of coffee—or whatever it is you drink on weekend mornings—and let’s get started.
The #WeekendJobSearch Assignment #1
Spring Clean Your Documents
That’s right, it’s time for an out with the old, in with the new.
It’s probably safe to assume your computer desktop is a mosaic of cover letters, resumes and work samples. Or maybe your desktop is clean but you’ve got unorganized job-search materials in your hard-drive or Google Drive.
Whatever the case, now’s the time to purge so you can have a fresh start (and so you don’t accidentally send the wrong cover letter or resume!). Let’s get started:
1. Trash Those Old Resumes and Cover Letters. Take some time to carefully go through all those resumes and cover letters from previous job applications, deleting the ones you know you just don’t need anymore.
2. File Away Your Successes. If you have a cover letter that you believe helped to land you an interview, put that one aside in a folder named “Winning Covers.” Do the same with resumes if you want.
The idea here is simple: Take a look at what was successful in the past to hone in on what will help you move forward.
3. Clear the Rest of the Digital Clutter. Maybe you’re a notorious bookmarker and save a bunch of jobs you’ve been meaning to apply to. Go through those right now: If you already applied or realized it’s not the job for you, remove the bookmark.
Repeat this process for any other area where you’re holding onto job hunting-related items you don’t really need. Set yourself up for a fresh start, with no clutter to overwhelm the job search.
4. Trash Real-Life Clutter, Too. Maybe you’ve got that pile of resumes you took to your last job interview taking up space on your desk. These won’t be the same resume you take to your next interview (since you want to tailor your resume to the prospective job), so get rid of these.
And that’s week 1!
Simple, right? Now you can get back to your Saturday or Sunday knowing you actually did something productive towards your job search. And who knows? Maybe this clean slate will motivate you to put in a couple applications today.
This week was all about starting easy, clearing away the clutter and setting a foundation for success. Next week, we’ll be talking about developing a job-search plan to keep your search targeted and tracked.
See you then, enjoy the weekend and keep an eye out for next week’s The Weekend Job Search!
