Welcome to Career Essentials, where I share actionable insights and curated articles that will help accelerate your career and supercharge your job search.
SMART Goals: The Missing System Behind Successful Job Searches
"Apply to more jobs" is not a strategy. It is the job search version of saying "I should probably exercise more."
Good intention. No execution plan.
Successful job searches are not built on volume alone. They are built on clear, intentional actions done consistently. The difference between staying stuck and gaining momentum often comes down to how specific your goals are.
The honest truth: landing the right job isn't a single mission, it's a culmination of small, specific, and measurable steps.
If you're not seeing results, it's because your actions lack definition. It's time to shift from spraying and praying to strategic execution.
This is where the proven SMART Goals framework saves your job search:
Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Relevant
Time-Sensitive
📝 The only template you need:
"By [Time], I will [Specific Action/Achievement]."
Example of Execution:
By Friday of next week, I will email 5 former co-workers I haven't talked to in 6+ months to tell them exactly what kind of job I'm after. (Clear, trackable, and purposeful.)
🚫 Vague goals like these are wasting your time: "I'll network more," "I'll be more active on LinkedIn," "I'll update my resume."
Borrow some (or all of these) SMART goals for your job search!
Networking outreach
By Friday at 4 pm this week, I will send personalized LinkedIn messages to 5 former colleagues asking for a 15-minute catch-up and sharing an update on my target roles.
By the end of this week, I will request 3 informational conversations with professionals working in my top two target roles.
Each weekday this week, I will identify and connect with 3 new professionals in my field and include a brief note referencing a shared interest, group, or company.
Identifying people inside target companies
By Thursday this week, I will select one target company and identify 6 employees in relevant functions, documenting their role, location, and connection path.
By Sunday evening, I will build a contact list of 15 insiders across my top 3 target employers, including LinkedIn profile links and conversation starters.
By the end of this week, I will join and engage in 2 LinkedIn groups where employees from my target companies are active.
Following up after a networking conversation
Within 24 hours of every networking call I have this week, I will send a thank-you message that references one insight from the conversation and one next step.
By Sunday, I will reconnect with 2 people I spoke with previously by sharing a relevant article, update, or introduction.
By the end of this week, I will log notes, action items, and at least one future follow-up date for each conversation in my tracking system.
Following up after an interview
Within 12 hours of every interview I have this week, I will send a tailored thank-you email to each interviewer referencing a topic discussed and how I’d contribute.
By Friday, I will send a concise follow-up to the recruiter or hiring manager for any interviews already completed, asking about timeline and reiterating my interest.
Within 48 hours of any interview this week, I will connect with each interviewer on LinkedIn and include a brief appreciation message.
Following up after submitting an application
Within 3 business days this week of applying to any priority role, I will identify the hiring manager or team lead and send a short introduction expressing my interest and alignment.
By Friday afternoon, I will follow up on 5 previously submitted applications with a polite status check or value-add message.
Within one week of each application submitted this week, I will engage with at least one post from the company or team on LinkedIn.
Reaching out to my network to find insiders
By Wednesday, I will message 10 contacts asking if they know anyone working at my top 3 target companies and request warm introductions.
By Friday, I will send 4 “insider search” messages to second-degree connections at target employers.
By Sunday evening, I will ask for warm introductions to employees at target companies through 10 alumni, former coworkers, or professional groups.
Identifying job boards
By Tuesday at 3 pm, I will identify and bookmark 5 niche job boards relevant to my target role or industry and save at least 3 relevant postings from each.
By Thursday, I will set up job alerts on 4 job boards using my target job titles, locations, and keywords.
By Sunday evening, I will track which job boards produced the most relevant roles and note where I should focus next week.
Monitoring company career pages
By Wednesday, I will use my list of 50 target companies and bookmark their careers pages.
By Friday morning, I will review each company careers page and identify at least 2 roles that align with my background or interests.
By Sunday, I will document application deadlines, role themes, and required skills I see repeated across these companies.
Identifying and engaging recruiters
By Tuesday, I will identify 8 recruiters who hire for the specific roles I’m targeting and confirm the types of positions they typically fill by reviewing their posts, company page, or job listings.
By Wednesday, I will match at least 5 open roles I’m genuinely interested in with the recruiter or recruiting team responsible for hiring them.
By Thursday, I will send tailored messages to 5 recruiters referencing a specific open role (or type of role), why my background aligns, and asking about the best way to be considered.
Within 24 hours of applying to any role this week, I will message the recruiter connected to that job to express interest, highlight 1–2 relevant qualifications, and confirm my application was submitted.
By Friday, I will follow 5 recruiters who consistently post roles aligned with my goals and engage thoughtfully with at least one of their posts to stay visible
🔎 JOB SEARCH
How To Keep Going When The Going Seems Tougher Than Ever - Alison Doyle
Thank you always to Alison for providing free resources for job seekers. If you feel discouraged check out this post with job search strategies to try, new job boards, and more!
Opentowork Is Piloting A New Option - Kevin D. Turner
As with all new LinkedIn features, you may not have this yet… but be on the lookout so you can better customize your search for jobs on LinkedIn. Also, if you haven’t checked out the new “Track my goals”, you may find this interesting. (Teal has a really great free tracker)
🔮 WORKFORCE
Jobless Claims Fall as Reemployment Slows and Hiring Demand Softens - Thomas J Thompson
This is an analysis based on information from The Challenger Report which looks at layoff announcements BEFORE they happen. A key point made was: “the labor market is not breaking. It is tightening.” And there are some really interesting perspectives in the comments!
Here’s my takeaway, the labor market is unstable. It’s going to be this way for years to come. Your best option is to adapt or make adjustments NOW.
EVENTS
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JOB SEARCH VISUAL
Your LinkedIn profile isn't going to attract views on its own.
I see so many people put real effort into building a great profile. They have a strong headline, solid About section, polished experience and then... nothing.
They sit back and wait.
Here's what actually gets people looking at your profile:
Writing relevant, thoughtful comments.
LinkedIn rewards activity. When you leave a thoughtful comment on someone's post, you get visibility with the author, and everyone in their network. That's free exposure to people you haven't even connected with yet.
But not all comments are equal. "Great post!" does nothing for you. Instead, try:
→ Adding a perspective the post didn't cover
→ Sharing a relevant data point or example
→ Asking a thoughtful question
→ Tagging someone whose expertise fits the conversation
→ Sharing how you've applied the advice yourself
One more thing to keep in mind: every comment you leave is public. Your name, photo, and headline show up right alongside your words. That's your personal brand, so make it count.
Don’t let fear stop you from commenting.
Everyone feels uneasy at first.
Start by commenting on posts by people you know.
Then move on to posts written by people who work for companies you are interested in, experts in your field, and people you used to work with or go to school with.
Consistency here builds over time. The connections, visibility, and opportunities all follow.
Start small. Find one post in your field today and leave a comment that actually adds something. Then do it again tomorrow.
PS: LinkedIn shows how many impressions your comments receive. Track this number over the week as you comment more often!Insert visual and text
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