What does your production look like this week?  What have you accomplished?

“What do you mean Chris?  I’m unemployed and don’t have any objectives to hit.”  Oh, yes you do.  They may not be company driven but you definitely have to have goals while searching for a new position.

If you’re not accustomed to setting goals, now is the perfect time to hone that skill.  And the thing is, the faster you get good at setting goals, the faster something will come your way.

Things to consider:

• What time are you going to get out of bed?  Set your alarm for 30 minutes earlier than anyone else in the house gets up.  It may sound silly but what time you start the day has a huge impact on the rest of your day.  The earlier you get up, the more productive it makes you feel.
• How much research are you going to conduct today? Do you know what your target companies are?  How much do you know about the way they operate?  How many people do you know inside that company?  How many people do you know that know people inside that company?  Get to work and find out.
• How many calls are you going to make today?  Tell your story to as many people as possible.  The more you share your situation with friends, neighbors and past associates the more people you will have working on your behalf.
• How many new people are you going to talk to today?  When you talk to people, get referrals from them.  Ask them for names of their friends and associates you could reach out to.  Be professional.  Be sure to let them know you will not bug the referral or even ask them for a job.  Your only objective is to network and share your story.  Then, get referrals from your referrals.
•  How many new people are you going to meet today?  Are you a member of any networking or community groups?  Groups through your church?  Get up, go outside and meet people.  It’s the best way to break out of the bubble.  Once you’re outside interacting with others you will no longer feel the world closing in on you.
•  How many people are you going to serve today?  Last week I wrote about a fantastic networking group The Southlake Focus Group.  You can read it here:  http://wp.me/p3nLpj-f1  One system they espouse is the H.O.P.E. method.  I am 100% on board with it.  It stands for Help One Person Everyday.  While you’re unemployed is a great time to serve people.  It’s a great time to volunteer.  You’ll discover that if you open up your heart and give of your time, you will receive so much more in return.
• How many new opportunities are you going to learn about today?  Depending on your numbers from the previous questions, the answer to this one gets a bit easier.  The more people you talk to and share with the more you will learn about new opportunities.
•  How much time are you going to spend on-line searching job postings today?  If you’re newly unemployed, you’ll probably need to spend a bit more time initially on-line looking at job opportunities.  But after about the first week, spend no more than an hour a day scouring the web for jobs.  Set up job-search agents that send you daily digests of new positions that meet the criteria you set.
• How many interviews are you going to schedule today?  If you’re talking to dozens of new people a week it’s realistic to have an interview or two a week (depending on your specific career track).  Phone screens count too!!!!
• How many interviews are you going to go on today?  The next step from the phone interview is the in-person interview  At the very least, another phone interview with another member of the hiring team.
•  How many thank you notes are you going to write today?  This is a good barometer of how many people you’re talking to.  Be grateful for all the help you’re receiving and show it by putting a note in the mail.
• How much time are you going to spend with God today?  If I may be so bold, I would recommend at least 30 minutes.  And wouldn’t you know? Since you’re now waking up 30 minutes earlier, you can use that time.  But if you can fit more in your day, do it.

Did you notice almost every category had the word ‘today’ tacked on to the end?  There’s a reason for that. Goals need to be action-oriented and time based.  Yes, you need long-term goals as well but having daily accountability will help you attain your long-term goals as well.

Here’s something else to consider.  When you’re talking to new people don’t be too narrow in focus.  Open up to the possibilities.  If you’re led to someone in another city or state, talk to them.  Yes, I know, you don’t want to relocate.  So what?  Get a new perspective.  Meet new people with new ideas.  You might just learn something valuable.  You also just might make a powerful connection that can help you in surprising and unexpected ways.

Let me know how I can help and Happy hunting!e