Planning your Job Search from beginning to end requires a personalized Plan. Ever wonder why some people are successful at finding a job and others are not? And did you know there are New Rules all job seekers should be following in order to find a job? Applying for jobs through the want ads, job sites and directly applying with the employer to fill out an application is not enough. You will need a job search plan to help you target how and where to find employment. Job search planning is NOT a Science but an Art. The stages of the job search planning process work together to help you create a plan to finding a job that is a good fit for you. The RESEARCH Stage is all about YOU, your skills and what you want/need from an employer to be productive. You will need to Research Companies to learn who they are as a business, their goals and their needs. The NETWORKING Stage is about selling your skills in a 2 minute pitch that will connect you with strangers who will later become part of your professional contacts. The COVER LETTER is a short personalized letter invites the reader to take a closer look at your individualized resume. At the RESUME Stage it’s all about your accomplishments. An individualized skill based resume targets the needs of the employer and gets you the interview. They call the INTERVIEW Stage the most critical stage of the job search planning process. Preparation, preparation, and more preparation before, during, and after the interview are very important to getting the job. Finding a job will vary for everyone pending the industry and job title you are searching for. According to career development and outplacement agencies like the Five O’clock Club statistics show that for professionals and middle managers it can take 4 to 6 months on average to find a job they want. And for career changes it takes longer. And for people currently employed, it usually takes longer to find a new job because they do not work as hard at the job hunt. Remember, it can take 35 to 40 hours every week with practice, practice and more practice before you will see results. Therefore, AIM for the job you want and put your Plan into Action. Remember when you are job search you are in the business of one…..YOU!