The Morning Blend: 2012 Checklist

Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, got what you wanted from Santa or not, there’s still one more list you need to take care of before the New Year rolls around. This time though, I’ll give you the items – all you need to do is execute them ASAP to set up 2012 for your employment success!

Here’s your 2012 Checklist - it doesn’t matter what order you do these things, just do them all before normal business life resumes on January 2nd and those pending hiring decisions are made!

1- Touch base again with any pending job offers! If you have one or more jobs that are in various stages of the decision cycle, make sure that you take a few minutes to follow up with each of them before the end of the year. If you have only a few, I suggest a phone call to each hiring manager or recruiter. If you have several, then I suggest calling the top 2 or 3 on your list and emailing the others. DO NOT use a cookie-cutter mentality when reaching out to these folks, though! Find something memorable and positive about a previous discussion you have had and remind them about it. If you have talked to them recently, then go find an article about the company or something interesting about the industry and email it to them. You just want a professional touch point here – remember, follow up, don’t haunt!

2- Find new targets! There are always new job targets if you spend enough time looking, asking questions, and networking! If you have some that didn’t rank high on your list earlier in the year but seem appealing now, begin to hone in on them during this “slow week”.  Do your meticulous research and try to find 10 or so that interest you. DO NOT waste your time by taking stabs in the dark at positions you are not truly qualified for – time is money! However, DO take stock of your transferable skills and abilities and look for positions that fit that criteria in companies where you want to work.

3- Use LinkedIn to reach out recruiters and HR staffers! Once you’ve identified the companies and positions you want to add to your job search array, spend time on LinkedIn looking for connections to further your cause. My friend Carlos Gil does a fantastic  2 hour seminar on this process, so I’m not going to try and do it justice here. However, one word of advice with LinkedIn – give folks 72 hours to respond to your requests to connect or to “pick their brain” about the company. If they don’t respond, try to find someone who can help open the door for you or another way to contact the person you’re after. Not everyone is on LinkedIn every single day and even the most connected of us on it still have a backlog of responses to get out – especially after a holiday season like this one! Patience with persistence is the key!

4- Tweak your resume or cover letters! If you have new job targets in your sights, then you’ll need revised resumes and cover letters at the ready to send out. Take time this week to tweak your arsenal and get them ready for the follow up frenzy after January hits!

5- Take stock in where you are – it’s no accident! If you have heard me live, then this will be redundant for you (sorry!) but for the rest of you, listen closely. Take time each day to reflect on the year you have had – find the good things that have happened in the past 12 months, and focus on those. Don’t dismiss the bad ones though – they help you learn, hone your skills, and get stronger. Tough days teach you – if you let them! You are not in the situation you are in by accident – you are exactly where you are supposed to be right now! Either God is readying your next great opportunity for you or He is readying you to be able to handle your new responsibilities. Stay focused, stay calm, stay in the game and understand that He is in control and He will never let you down!

I promise you that if you do all 5 of these steps before January 2nd, you will be light years ahead of your job search competition in 2012! If I can be of help to you on your journey, don’t hesitate to ask – it’s why I’m here!

Sincerely,

Brad Raney

brad@improveyourvowels.com

Brad Raney is a motivational speaker, life coach, author and sales trainer. He has over 25 years of experience in sales and sales management within the broadcast industry. Brad developed the VOWELS program in 2009 and the success it brought his sales team has spurred keynote speeches, workshops, seminars, a website, and his first book “Improve Your VOWELS, Improve Your Career!”which was released in July 2010. Click here to order “Improve Your Vowels, Improve Your Career! The A, E, I, O, U’s of Finding Your Perfect Job!” — Available Now!

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