Be honest…have you ever put off job search tasks by doing anything else instead?

You’re not alone. Procrastination happens for all kinds of reasons:
✅ Some tasks feel overwhelming.
✅ Fear of rejection holds us back.
✅ We simply don’t know what to do next.

I often hear job seekers talk about how much time they waste endlessly scrolling through LinkedIn. It feels like they are doing something but they aren’t taking action.

I also hear job seekers say they spend hours or days updating their resume and cover letter for a job posting. There is no such thing as “perfect” and time is of the essence. Give yourself a deadline!

When I was unemployed, I’d start my day with the best intentions...shower, coffee, morning news… and found myself getting sucked into the newest Netflix series. Why did this happen? Because I:
❌ Was scared
❌ Had no plan
❌ Didn’t know what else I should be doing

Listen, there are many reasons why you are procrastinating. This isn’t easy.

But there is one thing you can start doing today.

Keep a log of what you do, hour by hour. Once you see where your time is going, you can redirect it toward what really moves the needle.

Things like:
⚡ Reaching out to warm contacts to ask for referrals
⚡ Having catch-up calls with past colleagues
⚡ Setting alerts on target company career pages
⚡ Engaging in industry/occupational forums/events
⚡ Recharging your mental well-being

What's your secret to getting unstuck? Reply to this email with your tips! Or comment on my LinkedIn post.

The All-In Job Search Checklist - Adrienne Tom

Take it from this resume writer, job search is so much more than having a good resume. From targeting to messaging to staying organized, there’s a lot you must have in place. Be sure to add the missing elements ASAP! 

15 Ways You Can Easily Stop Job Scams Today - Mark A. Dyson

Please read this and share this with every job seeker you know. I don’t want anyone to fall victim to the scams out there specifically targeting job seekers. Every day I hear or see first-hand these scams taking place. This list is a very good place to learn about many of them and signs to watch out for. Be smart! 

Quickest Way To Lose Your Audience When Networking? - Erica Reckamp

Spoiler! It’s handing your resume over during the conversation. See why this is a terrible idea and what the real goals are for making it a productive, mutually beneficial meeting! 

Why Good Candidates Stay Invisible on LinkedIn - Jan Tegze 

There are settings for your LinkedIn profile you need to know about TODAY. Jan writes: These settings result in: “Their profile does not get shared. Recruiters cannot see their interest. Job alerts show strange results. Recommendations feel random because LinkedIn has no real signal to work with. It looks like the platform is not helping them at all.” If you need to understand these important LinkedIn settings, read this article!

Top 10 LinkedIn Premium Benefits for Job Seekers - Sabrina Woods

Is LinkedIn Premium worth it for job search? Well, Sabrina has outlined the updated benefits of Premium. If you can, get the 30 day trial and use every feature during that time so you can evaluate whether it’s worth the money. Just be sure to cancel it before day 30! 

Have You Verified Your Linkedin Profile? - Linda Brubaker

Did you know verified profiles generate can increase your visibility

Plus there’s a link in the comments on how to verify your profile. It’s free.

Long-term unemployment is becoming ‘a status quo’ in today’s job market: It’s a ‘mental war,’ job seeker says - CNBC

“Today, 1 in 4 unemployed people, or 1.8 million Americans, have been job searching for over half a year.” 

And “[a]s of December, there were roughly 1 million more people looking for work than there were available jobs, according to BLS data analyzed by Indeed.

Listen, these are tough times. This article includes interviews with several long-term unemployed job seekers (old and young) and their stories will sound familiar. It will get better, but you’ll need to take emergency steps to make it.  

Finding work is so hard that ‘reverse recruiting’ is in - Morning Brew

If you haven’t heard about “reverse recruiting” it means hiring someone to find you a job. There are NO guarantees and these “recruiters” don’t have an inside track to jobs. But, please read this so you can understand why it’s a bad idea for yourself. 

Sarah Johnston wrote about it on LinkedIn this week. She flat out wrote: “The reverse recruiting” trend is a scam.” (I recall a firm called Haldane that did this “reverse recruiting” back in the 1980-1990s.)

Respect Is Declining At Work. Here’s How To Fix It - S. Chris Edmonds

Gallup’s latest research reveals that only 37% of US employees strongly agreed that they are treated with respect at work. That score matches the record low tallied in 2022 at the height of the Great Resignation.

Chris explains observable, tangible, measurable behaviors used to specify how leaders and team members demonstrate respect and validation. Let’s all try to be more respectful!  

Build Your Career Productivity Toolkit (with Daniel Pink) - LinkedIn News

This isn’t a list of tools, but concepts by Daniel Pink. During the 1 hour you’ll learn: 

Your LinkedIn profile is your 24/7 personal advertisement! I bet there are simple improvements we can make to get you more visibility. And it’s all done for you. Just copy and paste the info I send. Let’s talk!

You don’t need a perfect plan to start a job search.

In fact, waiting until everything feels clear is one of the biggest reasons people stay stuck.

Most job seekers I talk to aren’t lacking talent.

📆 They’re lacking structure (Try using the structure in the image!)
📌 They’re unsure how to position their experience
🧠 They’re overthinking every application
🛑 They’re bouncing between ideas without traction

Networking is a Waste of Time- Or Is It?

Use LinkedIn Featured Section To Showcase Your Best Work

23 Leadership Interview Questions & Answers To Practice

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