Job Search 2014

So I am in the market.  This is about as public a declaration I make about such things.

The fact that I state this is not really the point however.  The point - really more of a tip - is how I am going about it.

The idea actually originated in a discussion with Bogha Frois as we were talking about different ways to job search and how it never really felt like one was making any progress.  We always found ourselves nagged by a sense of guilt that somehow we were not "doing enough", even if we could not find anything at all when we looked.

"Why do we not schedule it?"  I suggested.

The core of my idea is this:  there are only a finite number of jobs in any one industry and those are only ever listed in certain amounts - for example, in my industry most jobs tend to get published on Sundays (probably true for a lot of jobs).  There is not really any point in looking every day for the one or two that will get published in that time; instead, better to conserve one's efforts.

But the world is changing as well.  Depending on the state of the industry (and mine is a little shaky, to be honest), one should be expanding into other areas as well.  And what about those independent areas, those part time interests or hobbies that we would like to see pay for themselves rather than cost us money?  Where do those fit in?

And so I came up with the idea of the schedule, a fixed time where I would look or support different areas.  Mine currently looks something like this:

Sunday:  Current Industry
Monday:  Other Industries
Tuesday:  Hobbies/Self Developed Business
Wednesday:  Other Industries
Thursday:  Current Industry
Friday:   Hobbies/Self Developed Business
Saturday:  Hobbies/Self Developed Business

I have left my hobbies/self developed business to coincide with both my Iaijutsu on Tuesday nights (learning to someday possibly, maybe teach), Fridays (when my energy tends to be lowest and thus doing something interesting to me is helpful) and Saturdays (when I can carve out several hours of free time).

What will I do?  For my current industry it is pretty easy:  search the appropriate sites.  This will perhaps take an hour on Sunday, much less on Thursday.  Other industries are more difficult initially as I have to put together a revised resume and start seeing what is out there.  Hobbies/Self Developed Business is the true undiscovered country at this point - when I understand it, I will let you know.

The thing I like about this is that it is a schedule.  Every day I am taking action.  I can now never allow myself to point at myself and say "I did not do a job search today.  I did not not do enough."  Did I do what I was supposed to do that day?  If so, I can happily tell myself to shut up.  I am making progress.

I cannot rely on simple events or the help of those above or around me to make my current situation better - as I have to remind myself almost daily, No One Is Coming.  If there is to be change in my life, I will have to go to it - and go after it with regular, practiced action.  It will not come to me.