7 years ago, I created my resume. It was complete and compelling with all my skills and projects listed to a T. I checked it for typos and errors and submitted the heck out of it. But… four months later, I was still searching. In my desperation, I accepted a job with a hardware company. Despite the pay cut, I was so happy to have a job that I just dove right in.

Let me tell you about this company.

The people were nice and respectful. Very hardworking. I loved their technology. It was definitely cool and interesting.

However, when the bubble burst in 2008, the business downsized. We went from two office floors to one; two floors of employees and inventory now had to fit in half the space. What was once an airy workspace was now a room with wall to wall racks of hardware and there were ten displaced guys in business suits now working around a dining table with their laptops. If I wasn’t sitting in the middle of it all, the scene might have been amusing to me.

Oh, and there was only 1 toilet. Being the only girl in that company, I had to share that toilet with everybody else. AND here’s the FUN part…no cleaning crew!

Not… ideal. I eventually found a clean toilet at a building next door.

I lasted 6 months. The toilet never got cleaned.

The moral of the story? Check the toilet when you’re going for an interview.

Disclaimer: That business is world-renowned and doing great. Do not judge a business by its toilet. In some parts of the world, the freshest or youngest employee does the menial jobs which often includes both answering phones and cleaning. In this case, maybe everyone thought I was meant to clean it but I’m assuming not since no one mentioned it in six months. Who knows? With all honesty, I don’t really know who was suppose to clean that damn toilet!

Looking back, I could have avoided that whole fiasco if I had planned and optimized my job hunt from the very beginning.

We’ve been taught to pick up the newspaper and circle job openings in the classified ads. In the internet age, we’re still doing the same thing with online job boards. This has been our automatic first plan of action as soon as we start looking for work.

But…the hiring process has now evolved so circling ads and mailing out resumes is no longer the most efficient way to stand out and get hired.

While planning might take more work in the beginning, planning gives you the double whammy of executing a more efficient job search *and* getting yourself hired faster while keeping yourself sane. After all, who wants to be overworked and unemployed?

Your job search plan must include:
• having a goal; being clear and precise about the the type of work you’re looking for
• reviewing your current skills and work experience
• deciding on solid avenues to find job leads
• practicing and honeing in on job searching skills such as interviewing and negotiating
• creating a weekly schedule of job search activities
• tracking your progress

In short, plan for a job you want and plan to be very compelling when you find that job.

I did not do that. I was sloppy and messy. My result was literally a mess.

I strongly believe planning is the key to a strong foundation for your job search. That’s why I created a challenge to help you create that foundation so that you can get more meaningful leads. It’s very close to being done – I’ll keep you posted!

Do you have a similar story to share? What could you avoid by doing your job search right? Write it in the comments below!

Let's get you hired,