A successful job search begins before you ever start looking for work. Time is a precious commodity during career transition, but you can’t afford not to dedicate at least one day to get your head, heart, and health in a
good place.

Going through a job change can trigger all kinds of difficult emotions. Anxiety, fear, shame, anger, frustration, confusion. Add shock to the mix, if the situation involves a layoff notice, termination, or company office closure.

The first step in the job search process is to clear your head and get recharged. Unfortunately, this critical step is often neglected in our “always on” world. Since it can be hard to rest, ironically we need to work to rest.

Don’t worry. Taking 24 hours will not cause you to miss any job opportunities. More likely, it will help you shorten your job search process by equipping you with a recharged mind.

Here are 24 ways to get recharged in 24 hours. Pick and choose from this list of practical ideas based on whatever gives you rest, energy, or inspiration:

1. Create an ideal daily routine

For mental health, if we sleep in and don’t have a schedule we can drift into reading the news or other distractions. It’s important to balance healthy routines such as reading, working out, “office hours” at your computer and social breaks. Creating an ideal routine keeps you moving forward in a healthy cadence as we seek structure and “normal flow”. Creating a balanced calendar of work and rest is a healthy foundation for your job search.

2. Drink eight glasses of water

Most of us don’t drink enough water. Water helps flush out toxins and is critical for health. For a healthy job search, add daily habits that involve putting good things in—and flushing out the bad.

3. Read and pray/meditate

Read an inspirational book. Focus on important truths in life and fill your mind with positive inputs to offset. Whether you pray or meditate – look for a foundation for hope and joy. Slow down, close your eyes, focus on truth, release worries you can’t control, and be more present in the moment. A job search can be hard for many of us because we derive too much value, meaning and worth from a job.  When our work is in jeopardy, our identity is compromised. I encourage you to not define yourself, your purpose, and your life in terms of just your job.

4. Go for a run (or long walk)

When stressed out, it is a great time to go for a long walk or run. Getting outside in fresh air, getting the blood moving and reducing stress is good for the body and soul. It also helps create mental clarity and focus. A job search is a marathon, not a sprint. Prepare an endurance mindset and enjoy what you might see and learn on the journey.

5. Turn off your phone and computer

Technology is great for keeping us connected, but makes it difficult to unwind. I find myself getting stressed out if I don’t have my smart phone with me for even just a few hours. Take a “fast” from technology for a day. You won’t miss anything important, and it will help you reset your mind and avoid irrelevant distractions. As helpful as it can be, technology can also distract you during a job search. Set aside blocks of time when you are not checking your phone or email (or Facebook/Instragram/News) so you can get things done and focus on what is actually important.

6. Eat healthy food and snacks

Plan out healthy food and snacks for the day. Our bodies are highly complex and integrated machines. Good fuel for your body and mind will keep you alert, more emotionally stable, and less likely to crash from lack of energy. Ironically, comfort food will only make you uncomfortable later. A job search likely means you’ll be working from home when you are not used to it. You will be tempted to snack more than normal. Think ahead. Keep healthy snacks and food at hand to help keep you at top performance.

7. Eat one awesome dessert treat at dinner

I believe it’s good to eat healthy 90 percent of the time, but it’s also fun to celebrate with great desserts. When treats are occasional and rare, you will appreciate them more. On a job search, it’s OK to set rewards for yourself and celebrate wins along the way.

8. Reconnect with a good friend

Sometimes we get busy at work and with life and forget to connect with certain friends. Think of a close friend you haven’t seen for a while, and meet up for coffee, lunch or video chat. Friends can often make a connection or introduction to someone you wouldn’t know otherwise, which is obviously helpful during a job search.

9. Write down 20 things you are grateful for

Get a pen and paper (since you are fasting from technology). Write down 20 things you are grateful for. Don’t overthink this or worry about prioritizing the list, just write things down as they come to you. Include the simple stuff and the profound.  A heart of gratitude and thankfulness is good for a job search, as it’s easy to fixate on things that are not right rather than appreciating the many blessing you already have in your life. Practicing this mindset will also help this attitude come across in the way that you talk about past jobs and employers.

10. Honestly reflect on three things you could have done better in your last job

Any job is like a relationship. When it ends, no one is ever 100 percent to blame. Take responsibility and assess a few key things you could have done better. What can you learn from that experience, and how can you do things differently in the future? Part of a successful job search is the ability to look back, learn from the past, and make a game plan going forward. Honest self-awareness and a desire to improve will come across as authentic and attractive in interviews as well.

11. Say “I’m sorry” to someone you need to

Think of just one person you need to apologize to. Maybe it’s your spouse, your kid, a parent, a co-worker, or a friend. Simply share a heartfelt “I’m sorry.” It will be good for both of you. When we don’t apologize for stuff we should, it’s like carrying a bag of boulders. When we apologize, we can shed the burden and drop that extra weight. The weight of unresolved conflict will burden your job search. Strained relationships cause us to look back and not forward.

12. Clean your desk

Take 30 minutes and clean off your desk area. Shelve your books. File your bills. Put things in drawers that are piling up. Get folders and get organized. It’s a small win, but it will feel good. A cluttered workspace will increase distractions on a job search.

13. Watch a funny and/or motivational movie

What movie really makes you laugh or feel inspired? Make plans to watch it tonight.  Just like healthy food aid your body, a regular flow of positive mental inputs is good for your soul on the job search.

14. Do a fun new activity

Try something new you’ve been wanting to do. It doesn’t need to be expensive, just new and different. A job search will be full of new people, companies, and experiences. You’ll be stretched outside your comfort zone. Learn to see these activities as fun new adventures and opportunities to learn.

15. Stretch

Take 15 minutes to stretch, or a little longer for a yoga class. Many of us sit at a desk all day and our bodies are wound up too tight. We all know stretching is a good idea, but we often don’t do it until something hurts and we are forced to. You want to be loose and not uptight for the job search.

16. Buy a new shirt

A little “shopping therapy” never hurts. Wearing a new shirt makes you feel good, boosts confidence, and represents a small investment in yourself. First impressions matter in interviews, so consider investing in some new clothes before you set out on the job search.

17. Wash or clean out the car

Taking care of your car is a practical way to demonstrate gratitude for the vehicle you have, and to make the most of it. We may not have the perfect career background or impressive accessories, but you can polish what you got to make a positive impression during your job search.

18. Throw something away

Look through your garage/shed/closet, find something that is taking up unnecessary space in your life, and get rid of it. Tossing excess is a small but important gesture. We sometimes carry baggage from past jobs and co-workers. Throw it away and move on.

19. Do a random act of generosity

Buy coffee or groceries for someone behind you in line. It will be a blessing to both of you. Generosity demonstrates a heart of caring for people and a desire to give back to the community. It’s a practical way to demonstrate that it’s not all about you. A successful job search might depend on the timely generosity of a few people, so model this yourself now.

20. Write down 10 new “firsts” you’d like to accomplish in the next year

We settle into routines in life. What are a few new things you could do this year that would be fun? Ideas might include travel or visiting a new place in your neighborhood. Developing a longer-term view and a vision for the future aligns well with your job search season because it compels you to think about where you want to go next and what inspires you.

21. Pick up trash and pull some weeds

Walk around a neighborhood or local park and make a difference. Trash and weeds won’t clean up themselves, and you can make a small impact in 15 minutes. Though it’s easy to ignore and step over trash and weeds, getting rid of small negative things and habits can build positive momentum in life and your job search.

22. Listen to your favorite song and sing out loud

Music you love gets your body moving, and singing makes you feel silly and alive at the same time. Listen to your favorite song on the way to an interview. If you feel silly at times during interview questions and situations, just roll with it and have fun.

23. Visit a new store or restaurant

Go to that place you’ve been meaning to check out in your neighborhood. Or try a random new spot. You will learn something new about your neighborhood (good or bad) that you didn’t know when you woke up. On the job search, you’ll be checking out all kinds of companies in your city that you didn’t know about before. You will be more educated and interesting after this process.

24. Date night “in”

Make dinner (or order takeout), light a candle, get a rose, turn on some music, and have a fun dinner in with your significant other. Say thank you and show appreciation for what they mean to you. Share specific examples of things that were special in recent months. Remember the people who are important in your life. Think about how your next job can honor them and make them an even greater priority.

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For more helpful job search tips: Ultimate Job Search Guide: Recruiter Insider Tips

Is anything holding you back before you begin your job search? The time will come for networking, sending in applications, and scheduling interviews. But first, take time to evaluate these seven critical personal dashboard indicators.

Last year, we hit the road to visit family in Oregon. At one point along the way, I started the car and saw that mysterious “check engine” red light turn on. Not good. The timing wasn’t great, but I knew it made sense to put our driving plans on hold for the day and call the local mechanic.

Red lights on your car dashboard warn of serious trouble. Likewise, life comes with its own indicators that signal whether we’re OK to proceed, or if we need to stop for some maintenance. Ignore the flashing red lights in your life, and you won’t get very far or arrive at your ideal job destination.

A job transition can force us to stop and think about life. Absent the full calendar and mental clutter that accompany steady work, we are forced to slow down. It is a great time to stop and ask, “What should I be learning right now?” If you just rush to update your resume, you may miss a bigger opportunity for new growth and insight that could positively impact your life.

Is your dashboard green, yellow, or red?

As you read through the following seven job search dashboard indicators, conduct a quick self-analysis. Consider the question at the end of each section and assign yourself a status: red, yellow, or green:

• Green: This area is fine and healthy
• Yellow: This issue could use some work, but it’s not critical
• Red: This reveals something unhealthy that is really impacting you.

After you complete the exercise, I would encourage you to focus your energies on addressing the red indicators, since these tenuous areas could negatively impact your job search and your life.

In working through this material with hundreds of people, I’ve found that most people have at least one red indicator holding them back on the job search. If you encounter hard truth, I encourage you to lean in, be honest with yourself, and use this quick personal assessment as a chance to get healthy and correct your course.

1. IDENTITY: A sense of personal meaning, value, and worth

When someone asks, “What do you do?,” how do you answer? When you talk about your job, do you feel overly proud or especially bummed out? Do you worry about what others think of you based on your job?

We spend so much time at work, it’s no wonder that our job tends to define us as a person. Paying the bills, commuting, getting ready for the day, and being at the office—all of these contribute to the feeling that our jobs rule our lives. But if we let work rule over us in this way, like some kind of god, we become miserable, depressed, exhausted, lonely, and stressed.

A job is a really good thing, but it’s not the ultimate thing. I encourage you to find a sense of identity and meaning in something bigger and more important than work, something that gives you strength and peace of mind with or without a job.

Check your dashboard: Do you find identity, meaning, and worth outside of your job?

2. TRUST: A source of hope and assurance

When life is running fine, it’s easy to believe we can handle pretty much anything on our own. We like to be self-sufficient and in control. We don’t think we need anyone else in our life, as if independence were a sign of strength.

A job search can shake us up by challenging our source of strength, wisdom, purpose, and answers. We need more help than we realized before. During seasons of change and uncertainty, it’s helpful to focus on what you know to be true and trustworthy. Who or what can you count on? Your family? Your friends? Your faith? Other blessings in your life? Such reminders can reset your resolve and provide a solid foundation for the stormy job search ahead on what is most important.

Check your dashboard: Are you leaning on the foundational truths in your life for strength and encouragement?

3. PEACE: A feeling of calm over anxiety

A job change impacts every aspect of life, especially if you have a family who depends on you. Do you feel worried and anxious about the job search? If so, you are not alone. Many people feel unsettled during career transition.

Worry and anxiety, however, can destroy your job search by provoking short-term, reactionary thinking. Interviewers can sense when someone is anxious and not at peace, which can come across as desperate and insecure.

When you feel fear and anxiety cropping up, I encourage you to:

• Remember that FEAR stands for a Frantic Effort to Avoid Responsibility. Is there something you should take responsibility for and do right now?

 

• Recall the things you trust in, and feel gratitude for the things going well in your life.

 

• Realize that you cannot control everything in the world and in your life, but some things you do have the power to control. Small wins in these areas can quickly build momentum.

 

• Revisit things that have given you peace of mind, joy, and rest in the past, and do what you know works.

A season between jobs can actually be a great time to look back and make a plan for a better life. Many people have told me they were grateful for a change because it freed them up for something better. Try to look at this time as a gift, and a “personal retreat” to invest in yourself and your future.

Check your dashboard: Do you feel a sense of peace in the journey ahead?

4. MONEY: A necessary and often stressful part of life

Money is the primary reason most of us go to work. Even if you love your job, you’d probably stop showing up as much if you didn’t get paid.

Money is a great tool, too, to get things we need and want. But when we place too much emphasis on money, it can lead to painful problems for us and those we care about. Obsessing over money clouds our ability to think clearly, which can lead to reactionary career decisions, such as taking the first job that comes up. Living month-to-month with no savings and high debt can cause this sort of job search panic.

Our spending habits and perspective on money reveal a lot about what we value and care about most. Almost half of all Americans can’t afford to miss a paycheck, and consumer debt seems to hit an all-time high each year. Struggling with personal finance is a national pastime. As difficult as it is to cultivate a healthy perspective on money, this essential discipline will alleviate much stress.

A job search reveals our financial health and views of money. Obviously it will help financially once you land the next job, but this could reveal the need for added discipline in spending, budgeting, and maintaining a healthier view of money. With financial discipline, you can also bless people around you with generosity. Money can rent happiness, but it can’t buy true joy in our lives.

Check your dashboard: Do you have a budget and spend less than you make? Do you view money in a healthy way?

5. COMMUNITY: People you can go to for help, encouragement, discussion, and friendship

During a job search, people tend to retreat from friends and others who care about them most. There are a few internal lies and negative self-talk that can happen when it comes to having other people help you during this time. Any of these statements sound familiar?

• “I need to be self-sufficient. I don’t want to be (or feel like) a burden on others.”
• “People will judge me or think less of me because I don’t have a job.”
• “My friends are busy. They probably don’t have time to help me right now, and I don’t want to bug them”

True friends and family love you and care for you because of who you are, not because of the job you have. They care about you and would love to help out, but you may need to tell them how.  

A job search is a great time to ask for help, seek encouragement, and reconnect with people you have not seen for awhile. It’s a good search strategy to engage a broader network of people, but it’s also good for the soul.

Check your dashboard: Have you reconnected with friends to ask for their help and encouragement?

6. HEALTH: Energy level and physical fitness habits

A successful job search is a marathon that requires your full health and energy. Are you taking care of your health? You know the drill: Eat healthy food, move more, get more sleep, drink more water, and take your daily vitamins.

You wouldn’t pour sand into your car gas tank, right? Our bodies are finely tuned machines that respond positively or negatively to how we treat them. A job search is a great opportunity to hit “reset” and get back to healthy habits that you can hopefully continue after landing the new job.

Likewise, focus on energy management, which is a balance of physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Some things drain you and some things fill you back up. You need enough positive inputs to balance things out.

When you are healthy, you’ll feel better. This vitality will be evident in the interview. You’ll make a better first impression, and you’ll be mentally sharper, which can make a big difference for a competitive role.

Check your dashboard: Do your current health habits and energy management strategy support your job search?

7. ORGANIZATION: Order in chaos

Some people have the natural gift of organization. For the rest of us, getting organized is more of a challenge that we need to work at.

Take responsibility, plan ahead, prepare to track your job search, and you’ll experience less stress and better results. Things can get busy and confusing quickly if you don’t have a system and if your desk and computer are cluttered.

Being disorganized can hurt. You don’t gain a competitive advantage when you forget appointments, neglect to next steps, fail to follow-up on referrals from friends, or arrive late to your interview without your prep notes. Healthy organizational habits will make your job search ordered and manageable.

Check your dashboard: When you look at your desk, computer, and job search tools, is it organized like you want?

Congrats, your diagnostic is complete! Some sections will be easy and some may challenge you. Hopefully, this quick self-assessment gets you to stop and think about a few important matters, and triggers some ideas of things to work on. As yourself, “What should I be learning through this experience?”

 

For more helpful job search tips: Ultimate Job Search Guide: Recruiter Insider Tips

For some of us, getting organized is one of life’s never-ending, soul-sucking tasks. Like pulling weeds or doing taxes. So let me make this as simple as possible by boiling it down to four key organization areas.

If you’re embarking on a career transition, getting organized in these four areas will set you up for success. Of course, there’s always more to be done. The difference is you can go a day without organizing your shed, but forget a job interview, and that opportunity is gone.

Don’t get overwhelmed with everything that could be done. Don’t waste time shuffling paper or cleaning your desk—again. Only do what is necessary. Focus on the following areas first and get four quick wins that will set you up well for the job search journey ahead.

1. Organize your workspace (AKA “Command Center”)

You need to have a desk or designated workspace at home that you can use as your job search Command Center. This is the place where you “go to work” and are most productive with minimal distractions.

When your things are scattered you feel scattered. You’ll also be lured to distraction by piles of papers and junk. A clean desk can give you an extra boost of energy and confidence that helps you maintain momentum during a job search.  

Clean off everything from the desk except your computer, your checklist, and anything you are working on today. Buy some manila folders so you can label stuff and file it away in a drawer. Make it a goal to clean your workspace at the end of each day so that tomorrow you can begin with a fresh start.

If your workspace is at home where roommates or family members orbit nearby, wear headphones and listen to background music. It’s helpful to have an audio cue which kicks you into work mode.

2. Organize your computer

Do you know where to find things on your computer? If not, here’s a quick tip: Right click, “New Folder.” Do a quick cleanup on your computer desktop, just like you did for your physical desktop to minimize distractions.

Also, create a dedicated folder called Job Search. This could be on your computer, Google Drive, Dropbox, or whatever is most accessible for you. Add a few subfolders so that you know where to save things and where to find them later. I recommend:

• Resume. Here’s where you keep your master resume and any specific versions. This folder may also include documents you might send along with your resume, such as portfolio materials or company-specific applications.

 

• Introduction template. Once you create your ideal email and LinkedIn pitch, keep it as a file that you can copy and paste to save time. Like your resume, you may have a master letter with revised versions tailored for specific companies or job opportunities.

 

• Target companies. Put everything related to target company research in this folder. Your research may be all in one document, or a file for each company. I recommend creating a Target Company document in Excel or Google Sheets. It has three tabs to categorize companies you may want to work for: the top Dozen List, the Big List, and the Backburner. As companies move up and down your list of potentials, simply cut and paste the related information from tab to tab as you about your job search.

 

• Weekly Success Tracker. This folder will contain the file you use to track your weekly job search progress. This file is like your personal coach, keeping you accountable to the task at hand, and I recommend updating it at the end of each day.

 

• Interview prep. Include a folder where you save written answers to common interview questions (especially the top two questions you will always get asked), your case studies, and other interview ideas. You might even create a short-form summary document with notes that you can print out and use for in-person interviews.

 

• Resources. During your job search, you will discover insights about yourself, interesting articles, and other resources. For example, this is a good place to save your free DISC Personal Profile results, your Job Search Checklist, and the Unpack Your Career Worksheet. In other words, it’s a good catchall folder for miscellaneous items related to your job search.

 

3. Organize your time

There is much to write about time management. In fact, during the time it takes to read this sentence, 73 new books on the subject were published. The one I recommend is David Allen’s Getting Things Done. I’m also a fan of Dave Crenshaw and The Myth of Multi-tasking.

My best advice? Don’t overcomplicate it.

Your job search should be a 40-hour a week activity. Put in the hours and make them count like you are going to the office. Open up a calendar, and block out chunks of time each day for the things you need to accomplish related to work, family, sleep, recreation, etc.

Remember to account for activities that take place in the margins—getting from one place to another, prep time, snooze buttons. These little transitions and disruptions we take for granted can quickly chip away your main blocks.

4. Organize your contacts

During a job search, you’ll collect names, numbers, addresses, and business cards at a rapid clip. Think ahead and have a plan for how you will capture what is important, so that you don’t get stuck with piles of emails or cards.  

I don’t think it matters if you use Outlook, Excel, Google Drive, SalesForce, LinkedIn, or a piece of paper. Just pick a system so you have a place to put things and know where to find them.

Ideally, your contacts will be accessible from your smart phone, since you may need to find a number or email while out and about. This is also a good opportunity to review your existing contacts to recall friends who can help you.

Organize your workspace, your computer, your time, and your contacts. Keep it simple, and do only what’s necessary so you can quickly get on with the real task at hand.

 

For more helpful job search tips: Ultimate Job Search Guide: Recruiter Insider Tips

The Dozen List is a key part of your job search. After you expand your perspective to identify as many prospects as possible, now its time to narrow your focus.

So, “Where do you want to work?”

That’s the second-most important question on a job search—right behind, “What do you want to do?” It’s important to decide where you want to work.

It takes two full days to research and identify a handful of places where you’d consider spending the majority of your waking hours. Day one is to expand your perspective. Day two is to narrow your focus.

DAY TWO: Narrow your focus

Yesterday, you identified a Big List of maybe 50–100 prospective companies. Now it’s time to whittle those options down to the Dozen List. Like a game of corporate Survivor where you’re choosing the contestants, here’s how to pair down the competition and find your winners:

1. Build your criteria

Create a list of required and preferred attributes you’re looking for in a company. Your unpacking list will be a helpful source of ideas. If you’re honest, your list of preferences should be longer than your list of requirements—three key areas at most.

2. Screen for requirements

Scan through your big list and look for any companies that obviously don’t meet your three requirements. Move them down a tier. Hopefully, this will take care of about half your list, leaving more time for evaluating the higher potential targets.

3. Screen for preferences

Of the remaining companies, which ones match with the most items on your list of preferred criteria? Move these companies up a tier for further evaluation.

4. Read up online

Visit each company’s website. Review their products and services. How do they make money? What is their competitive advantage? Look for core values, a careers page, and any other culture indicators. Read any leadership bios, press releases, and other documentation.

Look up each company on Glassdoor.com. Glassdoor provides honest and authentic feedback about companies, written by current and past employees, like TripAdvisor for travel or Yelp for restaurants. This site is controversial because of the potential for negative bias. Happy employees may not take the time to post on Glassdoor, whereas people who were fired or didn’t fit the culture may have an ax to grind.

Search each company on Google. What do the first few pages of articles talk about? Hoovers.com is another good source of information on larger companies.

The second-most important question of any job search: Where do you want to work?

A few common mistakes

You might find that brainstorming and creating a large list was easier than narrowing it down to twelve. Beware of these common mistakes that could derail your effort.

1. Don’t rush to judgment

If you’re a quick decision-maker, emotions about each company might come quickly. Trust your gut instincts, as they are typically right, but take a little extra time to verify with some facts.

Your initial excitement about a company might change after due diligence reveals information that causes you to pause. On the other hand, you might feel a neutral or negative first impression, based on a company’s reputation or a product or service, but some quick research could reveal more to the story and suggest that the company is worth consideration after all. Keep an open mind.

2. Don’t overthink it.

If you’re a slow, methodical decision maker, you might overthink the list-making process. Deep analysis is good and better than less, but don’t overcomplicate your research by adding ten criteria and a complicated ranking system. If you arrive at the end of day two without any clear winners, go back and adjust the numbers to get the results you want. Funny how that works, huh?

3. Don’t forget the B-list

Once you’ve established the Dozen List, don’t toss your Big List. Companies will move up and down your list, and in and out of your top twelve, as you apply for jobs, interview, meet people and learn what’s out there. That’s why it’s important to keep all of your company research and notes in a single place in your Target Company Tracker (PDF / Excel / Google Sheet).

Your Dozen List is not written in stone, but it will help you focus your job search and achieve faster results.

 

For more helpful job search tips: Ultimate Job Search Guide: Recruiter Insider Tips