Would you start buying apartments before designing the house? Of course you wouldn’t. However, many job seekers take this approach to their job search. They begin responding to newspaper ads and Internet job postings before creating their job search strategies and overall job search plan.

Your resume isn’t polished and they’re using a copy of a cover letter they found on the internet. They start looking for a job without thinking through the basics of what position they would clearly qualify for and where they would like to work.

This whole disjointed job search approach is doomed to fail. Or, at best, you discover a job that is nowhere near the “right job.”

Job seekers spend time trying to write a good resume, can work preparing for a job interview, and based on their work experience, get a general idea about the right career. These are all individual skills that are useful, but what is missing from this exercise is designing an effective job search plan.

A job search campaign is essentially a marketing campaign. Each section works together to support the other. Just as a company would not ignore packaging design before launching an advertising campaign, the job seeker will have the disadvantage of not carefully planning the entire job search.

In any successful job search campaign there are four insurmountable principles that are the cornerstone of finding the right job.

1. Know which job search ideas work. Knowing which job search approaches consistently work to find a job can be the beginning of a successful job search.

The right approach is one that helps the job seeker find the best people who can help connect them with potential job openings. Just answering ads and posting hundreds of resumes on the internet is basically a waste of time and resources.

Building relationships through networking, collecting references, informational interviews, and contacting recruiters will uncover jobs where there is less competition and closer to an ideal position.

In the course of networking, helping others solve their problems should be the goal of every job seeker. This develops a strong group that is motivated to return the favor by guiding the job seeker to unadvertised positions.

By being proactive in the job search, the marketing effort will uncover people who can make the hiring decision.

2. The most effective job search plans are detailed with a step-by-step process. All active job searches generate an immense amount of information. Typically, many job seekers get overwhelmed quickly.

Every resume is tailor-made based on the employer’s needs, there’s research, interview preparation, people to call, other people to meet, follow-ups, and if you don’t have a well-developed system to track it all, the important items will appear. slip through the cracks.

When designing a job search plan, it should include setting specific and achievable goals, daily and weekly. Action steps to take every day and a method to track your progress. If the planned results are not obtained, the plan is adjusted and emphasis is placed on the areas that appear to be most productive.

Job hunting is work, plain and simple. The payoff is huge when the job seeker finds the right job, so the effort put into the planning stage will always pay big dividends.

3. Plan to stay motivated. The job search is littered with rejections; Unreturned phone calls, dead ends, withdrawn job offers, and broken promises will all leave you frustrated. You can view this as an opportunity and a learning experience or you can give up. Too many job seekers take the later route.

Rejection is normal in any job search. If you stick to the overall job search plan, stay flexible, and learn, there’s no time to give up. Goals are met every day and every week, and this level of achievement will move the job seeker closer to the right job.

4. Don’t let barriers stop your job search. When you’re stuck, seek help. Find other people who can help you get out of your rut or help you overcome an obstacle. Job hunting is a lonely exercise. With a fresh perspective, perhaps new ideas, you can get your job search back on track.

With a solid and hard-working action plan, achievable goals, seeking help when needed, they will put you in charge of your future. A well-planned, proactive job search is the answer to achieving your career search goals.