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RTM and Unemployment

kochava says:
I graduated law school and took the bar exams about a month ago. This means that I've been unemployed for about 4 months, and I've never been unemployed before. It can be very difficult, stressful, and depressing.

So I turned to RTM. I have a lot of free time, so why not use it to finally implement GTD properly instead of the halfway approach I've used for years?

I'm discovering that RTM helps me structure my job search into small, meaningful, and DO-ABLE steps. It helps break down that overwhelming feeling in the job hunt. Here are some of the actions I programmed into my RTM:

Contact career development office to review my resume and stock cover letter
Edit resume and cover letter (based on those edits)
Send resume and cover letter back for second review, and so on
Contact alumni office for alumni in my area who have volunteered to mentor new lawyers
Research law school alumni working in my city (it's all out there on the internet, but your alumni office might just give you a directory! LinkedIn's advanced search is also a good option.)
Write a request for an informational interview (asking for specific advice about the field instead of a job)
Send a personalized version of that email request to those alumni who are interesting or work in my desired field
Follow up with those persons by phone
Coffee date w/Mr. Smith
Send thank you email to Mr. Smith
Check events being offered by State Bar Association (and schedule the interesting or useful ones)
Check Craigslist job postings every MTWRF (or other job posting sources)
Send out resume x1 every MTWRF
Send out resume x2 every MTWRF
Send out resume x3 every MTWRF
Follow up by phone with ABC, Inc. (resume 1), etc
Check in with Mr. Smith (et all) once I get a job and tell him how his advice helped me get that job
Check in with those people at least every 6 months (with a personal update, an article they might enjoy, an invitation, etc)


The possibilities are endless. If you aren't sure what kinds of actions you should be scheduling, contact your state employment office, career offices at post-high school education (even if you didn't go there, they might talk to you!), guidance counselors at your high school, or even the internet! There are virtually limitless ways to enhance your job hunt. The trick is mixing the traditional with the bold and not taking on more than you can chew. Make it manageable, measurable, and not time-consuming. By keeping action items short in time (I recommend 20 minutes or less), you can avoid that overwhelmed, I'll-never-get-this-done feeling.

In short, treat your job hunt like a job.
Posted at 6:38pm on August 22, 2011
emily (Remember The Milk) says:
Hi skylar.curtis,

I just wanted to let you know that you're this week's Tips & Tricks Tuesday winner. We've upgraded your Remember The Milk account to have a free year of Pro.

Best of luck in your search! :)
Posted 12 years ago
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