**The next two posts will be a holiday interlude from my 10 steps to breaking free of USG**
In all likelihood, the Thanksgiving-to-New Years timeframe affords you some leave. While important to recharge, don’t take your eye off the ball. If you’re going to make this change, use all the resources at your disposal. This includes the most precious one of all: time.
Try some of the following ideas to use the freedom of a vacation schedule to advance your career transition:
Holiday-themed catch-up emails - Haven’t caught up with a connector or trailblazer lately? Or maybe you realized they have a new contact at a company you want to apply to. Send a season’s greetings along with a request for a call.
Just because you’re off, doesn’t mean they are - Your vacation days provide more flexibility when a recruiter is trying to slot you in for an interview loop. Also, you’ll have more time to schedule informational and networking calls.
Headcount refreshes in the new year - Don’t lose hope if a role you’re pursuing at a hot start-up gets filled. Companies will re-up hiring needs in January. So keep pushing for intros at the places you want to get hired.
Dedicate more energy to the investigation - Sure you have a few extra days to sleep in and go out for a late breakfast. Won’t it feel better to relax after you land that targeted role? Use this downtime to dive deeper into research. This will allow for more massive success during those initial discussions with recruiters and hiring managers.
Create a list - There are likely at least 10 companies you’re targeting. If not, check out Glassdoor for the top information technology companies. Maybe the first 10 aren’t your ideal. That’s okay as it’s a perfect place to start.
Create a spreadsheet - Plug the aforementioned list into a spreadsheet to track your progress with each potential employer in terms of upcoming calls and interviews and active applications. This will bring order to chaos. Also, you’ll demonstrate to yourself the excellent momentum you’re building.
Even applying just one of the suggestions will bring you close to your goal. Every little step is important and your consistent discipline yields inevitable success!