5.05.2009

Don't Take That Vacation!

In 2005 when ComputerRecruiter was laid off, I decided I would take a couple of weeks off before starting the job search. I wanted to sta-cation, do some home improvements and spring cleaning, work on my tan and my mani-pedi.

I’ll start looking in a month, I thought. How long could it take for someone with my stellar skills to land a fabulous new assignment? You don’t even want to know the answer to that question!

Let me just state a fact – it is worse today than in 2005. And my advice to you – don’t take that sta-cation. Take time to grieve over the weekend, and begin your 40-hour-per-week job search at 8 am Monday morning.

Search the job boards, network on LinkedIn and Facebook, search the Careers page at local corporations, check your local/regional Business Journal for business information, find and attend local networking groups, check out telecommuting opportunities (such as http://www.flexjobs.com/), seek out expert resume advice (do not limit IT resumes to two pages!!!), and make phone calls. Every day.

You can paint your bathrooms and power wash your exterior siding on the weekends. You can sleep when you’re dead.

Especially now, when it feels like we’ve hit rock bottom and are trying to pick up the steam to begin a slow ascent back to solvency – I think I can, I think I can – it’s important that you not be lulled into a delusional complacency about finding your next assignment.

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