9 Resources to Help Your Find a New Job - CareerAlley

9 Resources to Help Your Find a New Job - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. Fortune favors the prepared mind. Louis Pasteur Sometimes, against all odds and due to no fault of your own, you find yourself either out of work or about to be out of work. Maybe your company has gone out of business or is taken over by another company. Sometimes a product line is eliminated or some other catastrophe has occurred. Whatever the reason you are (or will be) out of work is really not important. What is important is that this unfortunate turn of events took you by surprise. You dont have a Plan B. You are not ready to look for a job because you had no plans to make a career move. Your whole world has been turned upside down, now what? If you are really lucky, the scenario described above wont (and hasnt) happen to you. But what if it does. Do you have an emergency exit plan? If not, you should (everyone should). Everyone should have an exit plan (in the event of an emergency). An emergency plan is not something you want to deploy, but you will sleep a lot easier if you have one (much like any emergency evacuation plan). Managing Your Time Believe it or not (and I know from personal experience), one of the most difficult things to manage when you are out of work is your time. You have lots of time when you are out of work and gives you a false sense of theres lots of time to look for a job later. Not true. When you are out of work your job is to look for a job and you need to manage your time effectively (see Job Search Marketing Toolkit). One of my favorite time management books is Getting Things Done by David Allen and is worth a read (or two) to help you manage your time during (and after) your time search (you can find it here [easyazon_link asin=0142000280 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=no]Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity[/easyazon_link]). Resumes You should always have a current version of your resume, whether or not you are looking for a job. For one, it helps ensure that you have an accurate record of your achievements and, as indicated above, you will be prepared in the event of an unplanned disaster. More than any other aspect of your job search, your resume is both the most important tool as well as the most time consuming document you will need to prepare. Having an up to date resume is 50% of the job search battle. Keeping Your Resume Up to Date: Keeping your resume up to date is not all that difficult. You have a baseline to start with and now just need to add any new roles or achievements. Even if you dont need (or want) to look for a job outside of your current company, an updated resume can help you get promotions or new opportunities at you current employer. 5 Major Differences Between Winning and Losing Resumes 3 Reasons for Keeping Your Resume Up-to-Date What, You Dont Have a Resume?: Maybe you dont have a resume (sounds strange, but this is not all that unusual). Well time to get that fixed. Resume writing can be a very painful process, however, once it is completed you will feel really good about your achievements. As the saying goes, the best place to start is at the beginning. 5 Steps to a Great Resume (on the CareerAlley Lessons page) Take a look at [easyazon_link asin=0814417620 locale=US new_window=default nofollow=default tag=caree07-20 add_to_cart=default cloaking=default localization=default popups=no]Unbeatable Resumes: Americas Top Recruiter Reveals What REALLY Gets You Hired[/easyazon_link] one of the top selling resume books. Caught by Surprise Okay, you should have had an emergency job search plan but you dont. Dont panic. It is never too late to start your plan. So what do you need to do first if youve lost your job? 15 Things to do if you Lose Your Job This article provides 15 basic steps in getting yourself on track for finding a new job. The first tip is the most important (Dont Panic). The other tips are also worth a read. Once youve gone over these basic steps, you need to really get down to work (no pun intended), and that work is to look for a new job (which is your new job until you find a paying job). Create a job search plan This article, from Careerinfonet.com, will help you plan your search. From career goals to an occupation profile, there is lots of great advice and links to resources to get you started. Why You Need a Job Search Marketing Toolkit This is one of my prior posts, but it is a great place to start if you are first planning your job hunt. Where to find Help Job hunting can be an overwhelming task, especially if youve lost your job and dont yet have the resources you will need to get you started. Every piece of the puzzle you put in place will get you one step further in finding a job. 5 Tips to Help Maximize Your Job Search I lost my job, now what? We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Job Search job title, keywords, company, location jobs by