1. Submit at least one resume and cover letter each day
This might seem obvious. You need to apply for a job to get a job. Too often job seekers are tempted to sit around and wait for that one company to call back. Here's a tip: sitting around and waiting is a terrible habit. Write one customized cover letter every day, and it will be meaningful. In addition, it will provide an opportunity for at least one follow-up per day. Keep note of where you've applied and when, and get in the routine of reminding everyone why you're the ideal job applicant.
2. Add connections to your social network profile
LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, whatever—wherever you have a profile and a network of connections, you have an opportunity to branch out into unexplored territory. You have a good chance of finding a lead with the people in your network. However, you have an even better shot in their networks. You don't need to befriend the whole world in a day, but keep that network growing and watch your prospects grow right along with it (read How To Use Facebook as a Job Search Tool).
3. Make online or email contact with 25 people in your network
As much as your friends, family and colleagues care about you, you'd be (unpleasantly) surprised how few of them know or remember you're looking for a job. Don't tell them your life story, just write a brief email (or 25 brief emails) explaining your desire to find a new position and in which field(s) you are looking. This is one of the best ways to learn about openings you'd never find in an online listing or want ad.
4. Make at least one personal connection
With all those contacts and notes you're making daily, some of those will result in leads, further questions, or referrals to new contacts. At that point, it's vital to take the conversation beyond the electronic realm. Make a phone call or arrange a face-to-face meeting to make sure you have the other person's attention. In addition, being on your own in the job search can put you in hermit mode. Stay in contact with real people every day. It will help keep you sharp and social.
5. Get out of the house
One of the few benefits of being unemployed is the ability to conduct most of your business in your pyjamas. Don't take advantage of that on a regular basis. Get dressed. Take a shower. Keep yourself presentable . . . and then present yourself! Don't stay holed up in your own private cocoon. It's depressing and can lead to less than stellar social habits. You're looking for work—you aren't going to find it in your PJs.
6. Learn something
The old cliché says you learn something new every day. However, if you don't intentionally improve your skills, the only things you'll learn will come from Oprah. Stay on the forefront of what's going on in your field. Cruise the trade magazines, white papers and sites, look for free or affordable webinars and subscribe to helpful e-newsletters and blogs that keep your skills finely tuned. If you stay dedicated to learning, you'll be even more qualified now than when you left your last job—an excellent quality to take into your next job interview.
7. Get inspired
Looking for work can get you down. Applying for lots of jobs usually means getting turned down or ignored by lots of people. So make sure you spend some time every day reading inspiring quotes and talking to people who build your confidence. If you're not one of those people for whom positivity comes naturally, you'll have to work at finding the bright side. Don't force it. Look to friends and influential figures you genuinely respect and look up to, not just the trite motivational posters you made fun of when you had a real job.
These seven habits will keep you moving upward and onward in the job search in 2010, more at www.biospace.com.
