Here is how a good week in search should look like:

If you are unemployed:

• 25 to 35 hours
• 15 to 30 total contacts
• 1 or 2 new decision makers
• Follow-up contact with decision makers
• 5 to 50 letters, notes and emails

If you are employed:

Employed people are doing well if their numbers are 25 to 35% of those shown above.

Every week you should do the following:

1. Search for advertised positions on Indeed, LinkedIn, JobUp, etc

2. Contact a recruitment agency

3. Contact either a decision maker/ peer/ miscellaneous contact in  one or two target companies you identified on the multinational and International organisations listings

4. Network both on the phone and in person

5. Follow up with agencies/ advertised positions/ decision makers

Here are a few other tips to help you organize your job search effectively.

Develop a system to organize your job search

You’ll need a way to keep track of which companies and positions you’ve applied to and the status of each application. Tracking is especially important when it comes to follow-up. If you’ve applied or interviewed with an employer and heard nothing back, you’ll need to track that information so you can make a follow-up phone call or send an email.

You might consider creating a detailed spreadsheet that tracks all the relevant details of your job search, such as the company, job title, contact details, date you’ve applied, details of any scheduled interviews date, whether or not you’ve followed up, and status of your application (specifically, whether you’re still waiting to hear back or have been rejected). However, if you’re someone who forgets to update the spreadsheet, consider free online project management tools like Trello.

Tools such as Trello allow you to automate your job search process. For example, you can get a reminder of when to send a follow-up note to the hiring manager or the recruiter. You can also use free tools like Microsoft OneNote or Evernote to keep track of the meetings you have. Or, if you’re a visual person, a simple sticky note might be the answer!

Make a schedule

Commit to a block of time every day to work on your job search. The amount of time you allot depends on whether you are currently employed, as well as other demands on your time. If you’re currently working, it might be just two or three hours a week. Whether it’s two hours every Saturday, or three hours each weekday, regardless of how much time you have to commit to your job search, pledge to stick to a plan.

 Create a list of target companies

Where do you want to work? Start with a list of 20-25 organizations that you consider ideal to work for by researching their reputation and culture. Of course, don’t stop networking, responding to Internet job postings or working with recruiters, but it’s good to have a list of specific organizations to target.

Once you’ve created your list, research each organization and consider conducting informational interviews Use the information you gather to tailor your resume, cover letters, and interview responses to each targeted organization.

Start or build your network

Commit to getting out there and meeting people. Request advice, ask who else you should be talking to. Who in your target organizations could you network with? Or do you know anyone who can introduce you?

Use LinkedIn to organize your job search

• When you search for jobs on LinkedIn you have the ability to save jobs you are interested. This way, if you don’t have time to apply right away, you’ll have a running list of interesting opportunities available when it’s time to work on the job search.
• You can use LinkedIn Groups to contact someone working for one of your target companies if you don’t have their email address. If you’re in the same group on LinkedIn, you can send them a free message through the platform.
• Update your LinkedIn status a few times a week so that people remember you when a suitable opportunity becomes available. Ways to do that include sharing an article, details of the project you’re working on, industry event you went to etc.
• Search your connections’ contacts by using the « View Their Connections » button in the person’s search result to view, search and save your searches of their connections. This is a great way to see who your key connections can connect you with that is within your key targets.
• Join related groups to expand your reach, such as: Targeted Industries (Real Estate, Mortgage, Banking, Insurance), Discipline-based (Sales, Business Development, Teaching, Training), and Jobseeker / Job lead focused groups.

Apply for the right roles

A lot of jobseekers believe that the more jobs they apply for, the higher their chances of getting an interview. As a result, they aimlessly apply for any open position you find. However, applying for jobs you’re not qualified for is a waste of your time, not to mention an easy way to become disorganized.

It’s always best to send out fewer resumes that are carefully tailored to specific roles.

Track job search activities weekly

It’s easy to get overwhelmed when you need to find a new job, so you need a plan to execute certain tasks and organize your job search week-by-week. Here are some examples of what you can track each week to build momentum.

• How many new networking contacts per week will you find and attend?
• How many people from your existing contact list will you contact, either by phone or by email?
• How many new jobs will you apply to each week minimum?
• How many new companies will you find to target each week?
• How many new leads from these companies do you want to find each week?
• How many informational interviews would you like to plan?
• How many exploratory coffee appointments or calls will you aim to set up each month?

Block out no more than one or two hours per week to look at job boards—most job boards should be sent to you as alerts via email. There are a ton of things to keep track of when job searching, but by using these simple tips, you’ll organize your job search in an efficient and effective manner.