You might choke if you bite off more than you can chew
➔ You may heard this advice about tackling an overwhelming project: Break it down into small activities and focus on one at a time. Not a bad mantra when approaching your job search.
Many so-called experts boast of being able to contact 100 potential employers a week, every week. Let’s be kind and just say, “That’s a lot.”
Every little bit
But if you wanted to contact, say, 200 companies over a two-month stretch, you can make it manageable and more attainable. If you contacted just five potential employers per day – not a lot – that works out to 25 per week and after two months (eight weeks), you’ve got your 200 companies.
If you need to research these companies (and you should), set a goal of 10 hours per week – which is only two hours per day. Much more manageable.
Also, it might not be a bad idea to schedule some of that research time at your local library. Libraries may have access to more databases on site than you can access at home. Plus, going to the library gets you out of the house and mixing with people which will greatly benefit your mental health.
When doing your research at home, you might also want to consider doing your company background research during “off” hours – such as before 9:00 a.m. or after 5:00 p.m. Obviously, your personal situation will dictate whether or not this is workable.
Last, if you want to target meeting a certain number of new people a week through networking, target a set number of networking events per week. If you attend two such events per week – i.e. dedicated networking events, luncheons, seminars, et.al. – you’ll find your contact list expanding rapidly.