Make the most of your job search - Sterling Career Concepts

Make the most of your job search Make the most of your job search Scheduling yourtimewhile unemployed isnt as easy as you might first think. Youll quickly burn out if you attempt to make the nuts and bolts of yourjob search a full-time obsession. Penelope Trunk wrote an excellent postyesterday about expanding how you should lookat your search.As an avidreader ofPenelopesBrazen Careerist blog,this may well be one of my favorite posts. (Heres another good one.) Take advantage of the timeto learn andgrow, she says. Her advice hits the nail on the head for unemployed (and evenunderemployed) professionals. The only things I mightadd to her list to volunteer or consider accepting atemporary assignment werementioned in other readers comments. As a former recruiter, I know fromspeaking toa multitudeof candidates how important it is to maintain a positive outlook while job hunting, especially as the weeks turn into months, but this is naturally very difficult to do if you spend entiredayspouring over the help wanted section, sending out resumes, and surfing job boards and social networking sites. Take the time to strategically invest in your personal and professional development. How yourepassingthe time during an extended job search is just as telling to a hiring manager as what you achieved in your last position.