1.      Have a job search plan (typically done in a spreadsheet for tracking purposes)

a.       What companies you want to work at

b.      Who you know at any of these companies

c.       What are the positions that you would consider for employment

d.      What are the networking activities scheduled that you can attend.

e.       Track all the activity to ensure proper follow-up

2.      Set Goals/Targets (make sure they are realistic)

3.      Experience tells me that if you want to get 2 job offers after 2 months, then you need to achieve 8 – 10- 12 interviews/week, which means speaking to at least 4 people every day.

a.       Target 20 companies at a time (This is manageable.)

4.      What are you ideal companies to work for

5.      Get creative in your approach to meet people.

6.      Don’t be one of the thousands of resumes the hiring manager gets/day. Send you message with a coffee mug, on a coconut,…get creative

a.       You are almost guaranteed a call back from this person.

7.      When targeting a particular company, determine who is the best person to contact at the company. (Remember, each company will be different.)

8.      What is your differentiator & be able to articulate how your uniqueness can help the targeted company. (This answer needs to be crisp. It is the perfect answer to the standard interview question: “Why do you want to work at ABC Company?”)

9.      Ask penetrating questions and not superficial ones. It shows genuine interest.

10.  Close!!! At the end of the interview, restate your interest in working at the company, why you want to work there and what are the next steps!

Remember, attitude is everything. Show a happy face. Even though these are extremely stressful times, nobody wants to hire a frowning face.