My experience thus far

Well putting together the articles is going to take some time obviously. But while we're on the topic of finding a job, I've decided to share with you some of my own experiences in finding a job.

I'll admit - finding a job is not easy. Its actually a full-time job if you think about it in order to land that job that you actually want. It takes time, research, prowling on the internet for people, job descriptions, locations, salaries, all that goes into it, and at times, it can get to be - for lack of a better word - exhausting.

So here's what I've come up with after spending some "me" work, and of course what may work for me may not be the case for everyone else out there. But if you're trying to find you're way, might be in your best interest to see how someone else does it, and then try creating your own.

It's a schedule I've come up with, and I'm going to be dedicating at least a minimum of 40 hours a week on finding the job, so here it is:

1. Get up by 6 a.m.
2. Get yourself a healthy breakfast and shower
3. Go to your work desk by 7 a.m. and be ready to take on the day as if you were there at your job for the first time after receiving your degree from college
4. Check up on your Follow-Up list - who are the people you meant to call back, email back, or meet face-to-face for an upcoming interview? Make sure you have a list of these people, and a follow-up method of contact. Example: I called a Tammie Brooks, who was an editor of a magazine, to tell her who I was and that I was looking for a job in journalism. She asked that I send a resume so she can give it to the right people, and I did. The follow-up I made was the next day to make sure that she had gotten my resume. It's very important to make a follow-up to the people you actually spoke with when you were making your calls or emails the week or day before. Make priorities if necessary.
5. After your follow-ups are finished, start scoping the web and broadening the search you had originally started in the first place. Example: if your search like mine was just focused on magazines in Atlanta, expand it by searching magazines in Georgia - or if you'd consider relocating, search other states too to find out what they've got.
6. Draft a list of the search you've come up with, then find the contacts. Granted, finding the contacts can be the tricky part, but just typing in the magazine or place you want to work will only get you half-way. Conduct your research by finding people's names, emails, numbers, etc. on the web by finding out who's who in their organization.
7. Find their method of communication. That's right - stalk. It doesn't matter whether if they know you or not, you've got to get that job remember? The job priority is the most important. One person is one stepping stone to your climb up the ladder. One of the best ways I got people's names and emails is by just getting a bunch of free periodicals from Borders and writing down the names of the editors and writers within that magazine. If they didn't give an email address or nothing in the magazine, I went home and plugged their name into Google. And it worked.
8. Now here's where etiquette comes into play. Let the person know, in your best discreet manner, that you had found their name when you were researching, picked up an article, or however way you got a hold of their name. Tell them who you are and why you're emailing them - to find a job, internship, or to receive any kind of advice or recommendation from them about how to go about finding a job in your field. Remember - they've had experience longer than you, so let their influence do the trick.
9. Okay, so you've made some calls, done some emails, now it's time for a break. If you've either reached 10 or 11 a.m. without stopping, you are on a roll! Take your lunch break when you know it's time to eat. Don't make the mistake to work through lunch - otherwise you'll be cranky that you haven't had something to eat.
10. In my opinion, it's important to always have your email inbox open on 1 tab during your research. I employ tabs just so I can know what's going on in the different tabs I have up. Your email should be your 1st tab - that way in case you get a response from your first email, you can immediately read it and get back to them.
11. So you're back from break, now it's time to keep doing what you're doing, but again make sure you are EXPANDING your search by checking out new places to work, what their about, who their people are, etc.
12. Dedicate the rest of your day until 3 p.m. to finding that information about the jobs you want to pursue. Contacting people, sending emails, keeping follow-ups with the people that respond is very crucial and beneficial to finding that right job for you.

All in all, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. If in your first week you dedicated 40 hours, think about what you can do the next week or following week after that. Research and soak up as much information as you can...people will take notice that you're putting yourself out there to get a job.