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Sort out all the personal documents you need to start applying to different jobs. Start networking Identify and speak to people who do what you think you'd like to do. Establish personal relationships with companies or organizations you determine you'd like to work for. Apply to different jobs online Volunteer, if necessary, to try out a job or career on for size.
Get all the administrivia out of the way pretty early on.  Touch up your resume or spruce up your CV. Bone up on how to write a cover letter if you need to. Begin diplomatically soliciting letters of recommendation from people who know you well and are positively disposed to saying something nice about you. Other things to think about:  Learn how to interview well and form excellent interview questions  Learn how to protect your online reputation  Sort out your elevator pitch if you haven't already . Networking is probably the single most important step in your new job search. That's because referrals and personal connections (and, let's face it, nepotism) make up the bulk of how people land jobs these days. Why? Referred candidates tend to perform better than random hires and stay on the job longer. So the next time you drag yourself to a networking event when you know you could be sitting at home in your PJs eating ice cream, tell yourself it's for your new, unrealized job.  Remember that people hire people, not resumes. Making an impression in a face to face human exchange is extremely important. People hire people that they like, not necessarily those with the best resume or even qualifications. Networking can seem pretty daunting, especially for introverts. The most important things to remember are that the other person is probably nervous, too, and that no one thinks about you as much as you think about yourself. If you mess up, no biggie; just brush it off! They're probably thinking about themselves, not about you. Say you want to switch jobs and become a parole officer, for example. Well, try to find someone (a friend of a friend will do) who's a parole officer and ask them out to lunch for an informational interview. It might even be a good idea to talk to a warden and ask them the qualities of a good parole officer, for example. More often that you might guess, informational interviews lead directly or indirectly to job offers. During your informational interview, ask them questions about their personal career path and their current job:  How did you find the job? What did you do before you were a [occupation]? What's the most satisfying part of your job? The least? What's a typical day look like for you? What's your advice for someone trying to break into the field? It's not called "pounding the pavement" for nothing. Going in to companies in person and asking to speak to HR about job openings isn't as high success as networking or getting a referral, but it's higher success than blindly stabbing in the dark with online applications. Here's what you do:  Reach out to HR directly and describe your experience or your desired job. Market yourself — briefly. Then ask: "Are there any positions open that might align with my skills and expertise?" Prepare to leave your contact info and/or a resume or CV with the HR department. Don't be discouraged if HR effectively says no. Ask if you can be updated if/when a position comes up and leave your contact info. If you're still interested in the organization after a month or two, follow up with HR and show renewed interest. Not a lot of people do this, and it shows real courage and persistence — two great traits to have. . Applying to different jobs online via jobs bulletins is impersonal and easy, which explains why so many people do it. It's fine if you apply to jobs online, but you should probably couple your online search with more personal interactions to up your chances of success. The goal is to distinguish yourself from the herd, not blend in! If you're not finding much luck searching for leads, volunteer in your free time for a position you care about. It doesn't have to be long hours, but it should be something that exposes you to the real meat of the job. Volunteering looks great on resumes and occasionally turns into a paid position.