Avoiding A Job Search Meltdown

Nothing sucks more than going crazy over clutter, especially when you're desperately looking for a job.

There are a dozen ways to land a job. This is good thing, except when the same dozen ways happen via e-mail, snail mail, SMS, voice mail, the word of your best friend, and maybe even carrier pigeons or morse code.

The resulting traffic can mess up your routine---and maybe your life (kidding!)---so it's best to stay on top of things by focusing on what needs to get done, which is land that dream job while preserving your sanity.

So here's what you have to do.

1. Keep a folder.
Whether on your virtual desktop, tablet, or real-life wooden desktop, keep a handy file to store all the data you'll mine from websites and job fairs. Lists, charts, spreadsheets, codices, indexes, etc. Make sure the info is available for future perusal once you've read it.

2. Schedule.
Devote serious time each day, whether just a couple of hours in the morning or a nine-to five stretch, to the quest. Never forget that a good part of success is air-tight method. You have to be methodical in your pursuit.

3. Stay clean.
What does hygiene have to do with a job search? A lot. You wouldn't want to look like (much less smell like) crap when you finally present yourself to a prospective hirer. This has a lot more to do with your own natural reserves of optimism and fortitude than paper pushing, but it counts. A lot. Additionally, keep the job search workstation neat. There's no need to bury it in crumpled sheets of frustration and three-day-old pizza.

4. Network!
Never forget that so many great gigs stem from personal interaction. While the Internet is your likely choice for extensive sweeps, meeting people should be a priority as well . Be the socially awkward penguin for a few minutes and reach out to people. Even a simple "good morning" or "is it me or does the job market really suck right now?" could open a new frontier of opportunity for you.

5. Read up on the business.
Always get to know the company (ies) you're applying to. Being family with them, their products, their history, and even their people makes you stand out from a herd of noobs dumping their CVS left and right. A little knowledge is a demonstration of value as well. It means that you actually care about what they do.

(Thanks to: Miguel Miranda from hotjobs)