Job Searching Checklist / Career Roadmap & Checklist / Job-Seeking Strategy

Determine your must-haves.

Set goals for yourself

Goals can help you make more informed decisions and increase your motivation. Follow these steps to set the appropriate goals for you:

1. Set SMART job search goals. SMART goals—goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound—offer specific steps to help you successfully find a job. Include deadlines and amounts so you can measure your success; it should be challenging but realistic to help keep your confidence high during your job search.

Example: “I will apply to two new job openings every week” or “I will make a connection with one new person in my industry this week.”

2. Write down your goals. Physically putting your SMART goals in writing makes them tangible and real. Using language like “I will” instead of “I would like to” is also a small but powerful way to give you the necessary confidence that you can achieve your goal.

3. Create an action plan. Write down specific steps for how you plan to achieve your goal of finding a new job. The process of crossing off each step as you accomplish it can be personally satisfying and keep you motivated, as it serves as a literal reminder that you're getting closer to achieving your goal.

Example: “Redesign resume” / “Update professional online profiles” / “Ask a colleague to proofread cover letter” / “Submit application” / “Follow up with hiring manager.”

4. Track your progress. Evaluating your progress can help you stay motivated throughout your job search. If you realize you're not on track with where you think you should be, you can re-evaluate and make changes to your action plan.

Consider creating a spreadsheet to track your job application progress: link to the job description, note the date you applied, when you followed up, whether or not you interviewed, when you send a thank you note, and other details related to each job you apply for.

Example

Two Years:

• Personal

  • Eating three consistent meals a day
  • Living by myself
  • Reading every week
  • Doing yoga and pilates two times a week

• Career

  • Have one source of income outside my regular job that gives me an extra $500 a month
  • Learn more marketing skills: growth hacking, social media, and content writing
  • Get an entry-level digital marketing job at a start-up

• Financial

  • Earn $80,000 per year
  • Pay off $5,000 of my student debt
  • Save $8,000 in an emergency fund
  • Invest $2,000 into the stock market

  Career Based

  • 1(+) source of passive income
  • Have a running side-hustle
  • Growth in my main career/working on my hard skills
    • Completion of basic certificates in the job career of choice

  Financial

  • Under 30% of all credit usage
  • Executing a short-term & long-term investment plan
    • 3+ short-term stocks actively investing
    • 1+ long-term stock investment
    • 1 Mutual fund (long-term) in Roth IRA
  • $5,000(min) savings
  • Credit consistent under 25% usage monthly
  • Credit score 730+