I recently came back from a trip spent hiking down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back. It was a great adventure with beautiful scenery. It was also a physical challenge hiking up what amounts to three Empire State Buildings. I got to thinking that many of the lessons learned also can apply to one’s job search.

The project plan is a way for you to plan out the activities that you need to accomplish to successfully find a job.  At the outset you need to develop general categories of activities like developing a resume, networking, and researching companies.

I have read quite a few articles that reference the new trend of candidates “ghosting” companies. Even the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), a large HR trade organization, had an article about this. What does “ghosting” mean? The term comes from the practice of ending a relationship by not responding to email, text, etc. from another person. Candidates have frequently complained that they are subject to “ghosting” from companies when they either put in an employment application or go on an interview, only to hear nothing back.

Wouldn’t it just be so easy to call up a headhunter, otherwise known as a recruiter or executive search consultant, and give him or her your resume and say, “find me a job.” Well, generally it doesn’t work that way.