Tag: to-do list

It’s a cold and rainy day…

LOL – my title today makes me think of Snoopy on top of his doghouse with his typewriter. It’s a cold and rainy day here in the Chicago suburbs – and I would like nothing more than to curl up in a chair and spend the day lost in a book. But there are jobs to hunt (and maybe an interview to prep for) so here I am at my desk.

But if it weren’t a work day and I didn’t have a mile long to-do list, here are a few things I might be indulging in on a cold rainy day:

I’d like to do any of the above – but I’m heading back to work. I’m taking an online class learning SQL coding – learning something new is always a good idea no matter what the weather is!

Getting busier.

I submitted 3 quality applications yesterday and networked around 2 applications from last week. It’s still slow going but I’m nothing if not persistent. I read that a job search is as much a numbers game as anything these days. So my goal is to source at least 1 good job lead each day and network on at least 1 job. Those numbers seem low? Well, I assure you it can take a full morning to read the job boards, find appropriate job listings for what you want, edit your resume for the role, write a cover letter and then submit the application. Some days it’s exhilarating – some days, not so much.

I’m not whining about it. Really. I did one of those silly quizzes at New Years that “revealed” your key words for 2024. Mine were Patience, Purpose and Trust. I’m using this as sort of a mantra. I’m working on finding a new purpose for my life but it takes patience and trust to know it’s all going to work out OK.

So I’m feeling better physically after the flu and getting back to my household to-do list too. I finished patching a spot in the wall that I may have cracked with over exuberant vacuuming yesterday so today, the painting is going to actually begin. Wish me luck!

Lots to do…

After my week of not doing much on the job search in the wake of the flu, I have tons to do this week. I cannot tell you how the job listings piled up in my in-box – and I really have to read them if I don’t want to miss a good lead right?

My outplacement coach sent me a new version of my resume. And so did the Ladders. Resume rules are SO confusing. My outplacement coach’s writers completely contradict the resume review at the Ladders. And I bet if I sent my resume to LinkedIn, they’d have even more contradictions. If someone tells you they have the definitive template for a resume, tell them you have a bridge for them to buy first. From what I can tell, the best thing you can do is pick a template, make sure you use keywords from the job description and hope for the best.

I also need to follow up on the HR screener interview I had last week. They told me I’d hear about next steps by the end of last week. And I’m getting crickets… I would really LOVE the role too…

I dreamed about my job at Walgreens again last night. So frustrating to dream about work and wake to not working! I think we can safely say, this is a down day in the old job search so pardon me while I go give it my best to turn it around!

Busy Day!

To-do Tuesday and I have a lot of to-dos today! Which makes me happy! Take it from me – there’s nothing worse than only having scrolling job boards as the priority for the day. I’ve been doing some on-line training series to fill time and sharpen up my skills, but I LOVE having a real to-do list for the day today.

It’s a networking day – for brunch, I’m meeting an old friend who is also on a job search. And for dinner, I’m meeting an old friend who is now a CMO so both ends of the job spectrum? It will be good for me mentally to see both of them and I’m really looking forward to seeing both of them.

In between, I have some sanding to do on the wall prep I did yesterday for painting, a trip to the grocery and a couple of other errands planned. So it will be a full day, I’ll be out of the house and the sun is shining. It’s a GOOD DAY!!!!!

Rewriting my resume…

My big to-do today is to rewrite my resume. Again. I met with my outplacement coach yesterday and we went through my resume. I thought I had done a good job updating it but BOY did she point out some places that need improvement. So I have work to do….

I’m also deep networking again. I spoke with a friend of mine yesterday that did a career change a couple of years ago. He’s in a good place now but says it was rough. I’m still all in on marketing but I always think it might be a good idea to get a project management certificate. I’m generally VERY organized, deadline driven and love to write presentations so project management always seems like an attractive alternative to marketing. I just can’t give up my love of figuring out how to connect a brand and a consumer though!

If I had my life to do over though, I’m wondering if I should have followed my first career ambition and went into physical therapy. The therapist at the hospital where I volunteered might not have done me any favors when he told me I was too petite to be a therapist. And life happened with my Mom passing away so going to college for business administration/marketing seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But it isn’t illegal to wonder is it?

OK – gotta go. I have a deadline to get my resume back to my coach!