It’s easy to say you should make a full-time job out of looking for a job. But full-time job seekers often feel like calling in sick. To be successful in your job search for the best position available, you need to make progress every day. Having a set routine to carry out your job search effectively is a must.

Here are seven steps to add to your daily routine to help make sure your days as a full-time job hunter are numbered.

Submit at least one resume and cover letter each day

This might seem obvious. You need to apply for a job to get a job. But too often job seekers are tempted to sit around and wait for that one company to call back. Here’s a tip: sitting around and waiting is a terrible habit. Write one customized cover letter every day, and it will be meaningful. And it will also provide an opportunity for at least one follow-up per day. Keep note of where you’ve applied and when, and get in the routine of reminding everyone why you’re the ideal job applicant.

Add connections to your social network profile

LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, whatever—wherever you have a profile and a network of connections, you have an opportunity to branch out into unexplored territory. You have a good chance of finding a lead with the people in your network. But you have an even better shot in their networks. You don’t need to befriend the whole world in a day, but keep that network growing and watch your prospects grow right along with it (read How To Use Facebook as a Job Search Tool).

Make online or email contact with 25 people in your network

As much as your friends, family, and colleagues care about you, you’d be (unpleasantly) surprised how few of them know or remember you’re looking for a job. Don’t tell them your life story, just write a brief email (or 25 brief emails) explaining your desire to find a new position and in which field(s) you are looking. This is one of the best ways to learn about openings you’d never find in an online listing or want-ad.

Make at least one personal connection

With all those contacts and notes you’re making daily, some of those will result in leads, further questions, or referrals to new contacts. At that point, it’s vital to take the conversation beyond the electronic realm. Make a phone call or arrange a face-to-face meeting to make sure you have the other person’s attention. Also, being on your own in the job search can put you in hermit mode. Stay in contact with real people every day. It will help keep you sharp and social.

Get out of the house

One of the few benefits of being unemployed is the ability to conduct most of your business in your pajamas. Don’t take advantage of that on a regular basis. Get dressed. Take a shower. Keep yourself presentable . . . and then present yourself! Don’t stay holed up in your own private cocoon. It’s depressing and can lead to less than stellar social habits. You’re looking for work—you aren’t going to find it in your PJs.

Learn something

The old cliché says you learn something new every day. But if you don’t intentionally improve your skills, the only things you’ll learn will come from Oprah. Stay on the forefront of what’s going on in your field. Cruise the trade magazines and white papers and sites, look for free or affordable webinars, and subscribe to helpful e-newsletters and blogs that keep your skills finely tuned. If you stay dedicated to learning, you’ll be even more qualified now than when you left your last job—an excellent quality to take into your next job interview.

Get inspired

It has come up already in this column—looking for work can get you down. Applying for lots of jobs usually means getting turned down or ignored by lots of people. So make sure you spend some time every day reading inspiring quotes and talking to people who build your confidence. If you’re not one of those people for whom positivity comes naturally, you’ll have to work at finding the bright side. Don’t force it. Look to friends and influential figures you genuinely respect and look up to, not just the trite motivational posters you made fun of when you had a real job.

These seven habits will keep you moving upward and onward in the job search. Do you have any other parts of your routine that help keep you successful? Let us know your thoughts as well.

For more on career tips, check out these posts:

Social Media and Employment	How to Find Your Next Job Using Social Media	Stop Auditioning for Jobs!	Simple Steps to Easy Referrals

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 at 9:22 pm and is filed under Job Search. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.