The 10 Hour Job Search Seriously

The 10 Hour Job Search â€" Seriously I was listening to a teleseminar recently with Jack Chapman (salary negotiations expert) and Orville Pierson (of Lee Hecht Harrison), both legendary thought leaders in the job search space. Orville asked the listeners, all career coaches, resume writers, career counselors and related professionals, what the average amount of time a job seeker spends on a job search per week. I responded that I spent 60 hours a week in my job search, and Oville said, no, I dont want to know what Jason Alba spent, I want to know what the average job seeker spends in a job search. He finally responded with an answer supported by some study: The average job seeker spends 10 hours a week in a job search. 10 hours a week. WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY DOING??? (this question is not strong enough, but the words I wanted to use instead of HECK will surely get me some emails today, so I try to keep it family-friendly here) Are they trying to have a Tim Ferriss 4-hour work week job search?   What are they smoking??? If you are in a job search you should be spending 10 hours a week just in lunches and coffees! I know its discouraging, and hard, and you have to be creative, but seriously, if you arent spending at least 40 hours a week in a job search then you are dillusional.   Or you dont have bills to pay and you dont have a sense of urgency. I was at my laptop by 6am.   I could not sleep peacefully as an umemployed father of 4 (and a half).   I was anxious to get up and see what was in my inbox (usually nothing), and worked until around 6pm when I made myself pretend I was a competent dad and husband, and do some family stuff.   Then, back up at 6 again the next morning. Saturdays was probabaly a half-day, but it was a day I was on the computer. I confess I did all the wrong things in a job search, because I was too smart to get help.   So I did a lot of wheel spinning.   But I know stuff now (I think), and if I were to do it now, Id probably spend my time doing some of the following: Lunches and/or breakfasts and/or coffees every single day.   (10 hours a week) Network meetings weekly there were 3 or 4 for professionals in transition, and others for working professionals that I could have gone to. (10 hours a week) Computer time crafting cover letters and tweaking resumes for different job postings, checking emails, responding to emails, etc. (5 hours a week) LinkedIn Strategy searching for contacts and target companies, reaching out to them on or outside of LinkedIn (5 hours a week) Calling people, and networking my way into target companies This is time consuming, and takes guts to pick up the phone (even if its to contacts you know) but more effective than combing the job boards all day. (10 hours a week) Learning.   Make sure what you are doing is principle-based my job search wasnt, and thats why I was spinning wheels.   Read the Career Hub and blogs from real coaches and resume writers who are in the thick of it with their clients. (5 hours a week) Theres 45 hours right there. There are many other activities you can do I guarantee it.   If you think you can have a 10-hour-a-week job search, go for it. And for the other 30 hours a week, figure out 3 more 10-hour-a-week job search strategies and implement those. I cant believe people can justify a 10 hour a week job search, can you? The 10 Hour Job Search â€" Seriously I was listening to a teleseminar recently with Jack Chapman (salary negotiations expert) and Orville Pierson (of Lee Hecht Harrison), both legendary thought leaders in the job search space. Orville asked the listeners, all career coaches, resume writers, career counselors and related professionals, what the average amount of time a job seeker spends on a job search per week. I responded that I spent 60 hours a week in my job search, and Oville said, no, I dont want to know what Jason Alba spent, I want to know what the average job seeker spends in a job search. He finally responded with an answer supported by some study: The average job seeker spends 10 hours a week in a job search. 10 hours a week. WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY DOING??? (this question is not strong enough, but the words I wanted to use instead of HECK will surely get me some emails today, so I try to keep it family-friendly here) Are they trying to have a Tim Ferriss 4-hour work week job search?   What are they smoking??? If you are in a job search you should be spending 10 hours a week just in lunches and coffees! I know its discouraging, and hard, and you have to be creative, but seriously, if you arent spending at least 40 hours a week in a job search then you are dillusional.   Or you dont have bills to pay and you dont have a sense of urgency. I was at my laptop by 6am.   I could not sleep peacefully as an umemployed father of 4 (and a half).   I was anxious to get up and see what was in my inbox (usually nothing), and worked until around 6pm when I made myself pretend I was a competent dad and husband, and do some family stuff.   Then, back up at 6 again the next morning. Saturdays was probabaly a half-day, but it was a day I was on the computer. I confess I did all the wrong things in a job search, because I was too smart to get help.   So I did a lot of wheel spinning.   But I know stuff now (I think), and if I were to do it now, Id probably spend my time doing some of the following: Lunches and/or breakfasts and/or coffees every single day.   (10 hours a week) Network meetings weekly there were 3 or 4 for professionals in transition, and others for working professionals that I could have gone to. (10 hours a week) Computer time crafting cover letters and tweaking resumes for different job postings, checking emails, responding to emails, etc. (5 hours a week) LinkedIn Strategy searching for contacts and target companies, reaching out to them on or outside of LinkedIn (5 hours a week) Calling people, and networking my way into target companies This is time consuming, and takes guts to pick up the phone (even if its to contacts you know) but more effective than combing the job boards all day. (10 hours a week) Learning.   Make sure what you are doing is principle-based my job search wasnt, and thats why I was spinning wheels.   Read the Career Hub and blogs from real coaches and resume writers who are in the thick of it with their clients. (5 hours a week) Theres 45 hours right there. There are many other activities you can do I guarantee it.   If you think you can have a 10-hour-a-week job search, go for it. And for the other 30 hours a week, figure out 3 more 10-hour-a-week job search strategies and implement those. I cant believe people can justify a 10 hour a week job search, can you? The 10 Hour Job Search â€" Seriously I was listening to a teleseminar recently with Jack Chapman (salary negotiations expert) and Orville Pierson (of Lee Hecht Harrison), both legendary thought leaders in the job search space. Orville asked the listeners, all career coaches, resume writers, career counselors and related professionals, what the average amount of time a job seeker spends on a job search per week. I responded that I spent 60 hours a week in my job search, and Oville said, no, I dont want to know what Jason Alba spent, I want to know what the average job seeker spends in a job search. He finally responded with an answer supported by some study: The average job seeker spends 10 hours a week in a job search. 10 hours a week. WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY DOING??? (this question is not strong enough, but the words I wanted to use instead of HECK will surely get me some emails today, so I try to keep it family-friendly here) Are they trying to have a Tim Ferriss 4-hour work week job search?   What are they smoking??? If you are in a job search you should be spending 10 hours a week just in lunches and coffees! I know its discouraging, and hard, and you have to be creative, but seriously, if you arent spending at least 40 hours a week in a job search then you are dillusional.   Or you dont have bills to pay and you dont have a sense of urgency. I was at my laptop by 6am.   I could not sleep peacefully as an umemployed father of 4 (and a half).   I was anxious to get up and see what was in my inbox (usually nothing), and worked until around 6pm when I made myself pretend I was a competent dad and husband, and do some family stuff.   Then, back up at 6 again the next morning. Saturdays was probabaly a half-day, but it was a day I was on the computer. I confess I did all the wrong things in a job search, because I was too smart to get help.   So I did a lot of wheel spinning.   But I know stuff now (I think), and if I were to do it now, Id probably spend my time doing some of the following: Lunches and/or breakfasts and/or coffees every single day.   (10 hours a week) Network meetings weekly there were 3 or 4 for professionals in transition, and others for working professionals that I could have gone to. (10 hours a week) Computer time crafting cover letters and tweaking resumes for different job postings, checking emails, responding to emails, etc. (5 hours a week) LinkedIn Strategy searching for contacts and target companies, reaching out to them on or outside of LinkedIn (5 hours a week) Calling people, and networking my way into target companies This is time consuming, and takes guts to pick up the phone (even if its to contacts you know) but more effective than combing the job boards all day. (10 hours a week) Learning.   Make sure what you are doing is principle-based my job search wasnt, and thats why I was spinning wheels.   Read the Career Hub and blogs from real coaches and resume writers who are in the thick of it with their clients. (5 hours a week) Theres 45 hours right there. There are many other activities you can do I guarantee it.   If you think you can have a 10-hour-a-week job search, go for it. And for the other 30 hours a week, figure out 3 more 10-hour-a-week job search strategies and implement those. I cant believe people can justify a 10 hour a week job search, can you?