Establish goals

This is the first step in initiating a project.  Back when we started in February 2000, I outlined the need to create a vision for your career and then a scope statement for your current career project.  Establishing goals for the project comes from the SMART scope statement, which is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Oriented, and Time-Oriented.  You've done this already if you've been playing along.

Create master plan and schedule

We covered this last month and, hopefully, you've already done this too.  (If not, go back and read last month's column.  Do what it says or go directly to jail, do not pass go & do not collect $200.) Your master plan and schedule give you the outline of what you are going to do during your project, when you expect to get each task done, and how you'll recognize that you've completed each phase of activity.

Establish success factors and metrics

You're probably saying to yourself, "Well, duh … getting a new job, of course."  Yes, but there's more. Determining at the outset how you will measure your success is a critical project management function.  There aren't any pre-set metrics. You get to make assumptions and pick your own.  Start with: How many companies will I research each day?

Don't skip out on this task.  If you don't establish a system for self-measurement, you won't know whether you're keeping yourself on your project schedule.

Identify project infrastructure

No, I don't mean what hardware or software version you're going to use during the job search project (news flash: you could actually do this without any technology at all, if you want.) What I do mean is, have you literally set up your project office?

I strongly recommend that you identify a specific room or place where you go for job search project activities. If at all possible, it should be separate from where you do other things. The purpose of this location is for job search and job search only.

While this may seem arbitrary and stupid, there is a reason.  When you go to this place, you are literally making a transition between other activities and your job search project. This boundary is important - it signifies a shift in deliberate attention to the search and away from other competing priorities.

Coordinate project activities

This one's a killer.  Unless you're currently unemployed, it can be difficult to find the time to do everything you've set out for yourself.  Between working, taking care of yourself and maybe a family, and the countless other things we have to do everyday, it can seem impossible to squeeze in job search activities too.

You'll have to make some decisions (see also Drive Critical Trade-off Decisions) about how you're going to do this.  It won't just happen if you don't deliberately make time.  You need to look at your week, day by day, and decide when you're going to do what is on your task list for the week.

The old saw is true: "Failing to plan = Planning to fail."  I've worked with a coach on other life aspects (coincidentally also named Jamie) and she taught me a very valuable trick.  On a particular day, like Sunday, take out your calendar and decide which things on your task list you are going to do and at what time.  Then write them down in a place where you'll look at them every day.

It's not enough to lump all of your week's activities together in your mind because before you know it, Sunday's rolled around again and somehow, nothing got done.  Being granular about task scheduling helps.

Track and report project status

The world seems to be divided up into two kinds of people - those who make lists and those who make fun of those who make lists.  I used to be one of the latter, but as my "senior moments" seem to be happening more often, I've reluctantly joined the ranks of the former (now if I could only find that #@x# list.)

Effective record keeping is the stealth missile of successful job search.  Plus, if you're a list maker, you already know how good it feels to cross something off the list. Here's my handy-dandy little tool for the month - the task list. 

1. Make up your own and fill it out every week.
2. Transfer your results to the project plan. 

This two-step process helps keep you honest.

Accountability is the other part of this task.  As project manager, you only have to report to yourself.  But, as my own Coach Jamie taught me, it can be very helpful to have to report publicly to someone else when you're a one-person project.  If you can, find an uninvolved but supportive party (tip for you: this is never your significant other; he/she is always involved) to be your project sponsor.  Schedule weekly time to report in.  This also keeps you honest.

Drive critical trade-off decisions

This is another self-management requirement.  Just as you have to plan when you're going to do your job search project tasks, you have to decide at the outset what will make you re-assess your strategy.  And how you will go about deciding whether you'll let yourself make changes to your priorities.  Will time be a factor?  Money?  Pressure from your existing job?  Decide ahead of time, because most day-to-day events seem incredibly urgent and can knock you off balance.

This is especially important as you get to the stage where you receive job offers. Remember all those things you identified as "Must Haves"?  Funny how they fly out the window when you get an offer with molto bucks.  Stay logical and calm when you revisit those priorities.  Be cautious about revising them.  Don't lie to yourself about giving up on things that ultimately will really matter to you.  If you've got a job search buddy, (s)he can make a good devil's advocate.

Manage change approval process

Projects sometimes experience significant changes, like a midstream specification change, major new feature or unanticipated problem.  Good project management involves a change approval process, including a risk document, impact estimate and proposed strategy for dealing with the proposed change.

Outline a change approval process for yourself.  Use your own approved trade-off criteria as business rules for how and when you'll proceed.  Make sure there's some writing and reporting (to someone, anyone) involved.  This should keep you from a snap decision you may regret later.

Remember that accepting an offer is an instance that invokes the change approval process.  You'll want to be deliberate about evaluating each opportunity.  You want the overall best offer, not just the first offer.

Document lessons learned

I think this is the hardest part of project management.  It comes at the very end of the project when all other activities are completed and the manager is eager to get as far away as possible from even the most successful effort. 

But taking some time to document what happened during the project, what worked/ what didn't, where you got into trouble and where you were able to triumph over adversity, is really important.  It's amazing how fast you can forget the details.  And it's also amazing how fast your next job search project will loom into view.  So capture it all for next time.  The job search project is never a one-off

More

There wasn't enough space to start on Phase 3, so I'll get to it next month in: (Not Trivial) Pursuit. Write to me at jamie@jobcircle.com to let me know how it's going for you.  Happy Spring!

Enjoy this article?  Read more of JobCircle.com's Career Coach articles.

Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company.  Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column.  You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.