When it comes to starting a job search, remember, some people are planning a big change.

Some have very little time and give themselves a long runway. Some are more focused in a hurry.

Actually getting started is hands down the hardest part of the process.

But your approach doesn’t need to look like everyone else’s.

One of our strategies is to help clients begin in a way that feels natural and relatively easy. We’ll take all the natural momentum and enthusiasm we can get!

Here are five ways you can start your job search:

Learn to improve your resume iteratively 

If you are someone comfortable diving into applying for jobs, we don’t want to slow you down. Interestingly enough, getting clients to apply is actually one of the hardest parts of my job!

When clients come to us having already applied for some roles, we begin our work by helping them elevate their resume, to ensure that it’s aligned as possible with the roles they are targeting, and making sure that their resume is an asset that works for them.

Learning how to customize your resume effectively AND efficiently takes time (we have some ideas for you here and here) – but you can continue to submit applications as you improve your skill over time. 

Clients have absolutely landed interviews from resumes they’ve created while LEARNING these strategies. Incremental improvements go a long way here!

Start small

If you are feeling too busy to get started, consider setting a timer for 20 minutes and focus on one task⁠, like making sure your resume is up to date or sending a couple of emails to former colleagues, or responding to some journal prompts.

Starting small can feel like a bit of a failure to our high achieving clients BUT it typically generates more output than they are used to.

That, coupled with a bit of consistency, like three 20 minute sessions a week, means you can really chip away at your to-do list in the course of a month!

Break big things down into manageable tasks

Pretty much everyone who comes to us thinks that their resume is terrible.

In reality, most people’s resumes are fine, to begin with. Truly.

Now, I don’t want my client’s endpoint to be “fine,” of course. 

By the time we’re done revising and modifying resumes, they’re way closer to “fantastic,” if I do say so myself.

And as someone who writes resumes for a living, I can tell you that “fixing” a resume doesn’t typically happen in a few minutes.

If you’re trying to get started in your search, but you’re feeling overwhelmed by your resume and LinkedIn profile – start by making sure things are up to date.

Give yourself permission to break things down into small steps, instead of expecting yourself to be able to address everything all at once.

We use a Milestone Guide with our clients to help them break each step down. If you’re DIY-ing your job search check out our Uncomplicate Your Job Search Webinar or Toolkit to help you put a plan together.

Begin by connecting

Some people don’t love starting with their resume – and if you don’t have a good idea of what your target is exactly, a little research can be extremely helpful in ensuring you have the information you need to create a compelling resume down the line.

That’s why I’m a HUGE fan of encouraging my clients to connect, chat, and learn from other people, especially if they are considering a significant change.

Not only does this help you nurture and build essential relationships, but it can offer critical context that can help you better position yourself down the line.

Pay particular attention to what feels exciting or attractive and explore if that aligns with a specific function, company, or industry.

⁠Set up search filters

Honestly, this is a great step for people who are at the beginning of their journey because you can pursue what’s available and begin to notice patterns in your interest.

Pay attention to what feels most exciting – and to what feels like potential red flags. 

These will be different for everyone, of course, but these sorts of observations can help you get super clear on opportunities that are worth pursuing (and just as importantly, opportunities that DON’T feel worth pursuing!).

These tips are action-oriented – but if you create space for it – they also can facilitate reflection, which is absolutely key to landing a job that’s a good fit!

If you want to do more than begin your job search, try pairing some of these strategies together. You can create a six-week plan out of these steps and make some incredible progress