On the thirty-third installment of Tristan's Tips, our special guest Tristan Layfield talks to us about the three things he believes all professionals should be scheduling regularly. The best time to find a job is when you're not looking for one, so be sure to implement these strategies to set yourself up for when you do need that new job!

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TRANSCRIPT

Tristan: What is going on, y' all? It's Tristan Layfield of Layfield Resume Consulting, and I've teamed up with Living Corporate to bring you all a weekly career tip. This week let’s talk about 3 things I think ALL professionals need to schedule regularly.




Do you know when the best time to find a job is? …. Well let me help you out, the answer is when you’re not looking for one. Searching for a job can be stressful. Think about it. Trying to not only remember what you did the last 4 years of your career but also having to write it down in a compelling way. Attending a ton of events in a short amount of time to try to make new connections in hopes that the uncomfortable first interaction leads to a career. Connecting with people on the internet thinking that maybe, just maybe someone will reach out with an opportunity.




All of that induces a ton of anxiety and honestly doesn’t position you for success in your job search. That’s why I think there are 3 things that ALL professionals, no matter if they love or hate their job, should schedule on their calendars to help them in landing their next role:




The first thing is time to update your resume - As I said earlier, trying to update your resume after 4 years of not touching it is the worst. Especially if you find that application that’s due tomorrow or someone says, “Hey, shoot your resume over to me now and I’ll see what I can do.” If you put 30 mins on your calendar every month to update your resume while everything is pretty fresh in your brain, you’ll keep yourself out of those binds because your resume will ALWAYS be ready.




The second thing that should be on your calendar is time for LinkedIn - Being active on LinkedIn can build up your network which, in turn, can help you in your job search. But being proactive about this allows you build genuine, authentic connections that makes those people more likely to help you in whatever way they can. There are a few things I suggest you get on your calendar when it comes to LinkedIn First, I suggest scheduling time to update your profile monthly around the same time you update your resume. Second, make some time to create posts and engage with other people a couple of times a week, at least.




The third thing is time to network - since most jobs are filled through referrals, this is key. The best time to build and warm up your network is when you don’t need them. But remember, networking doesn’t always mean going to events, it also means warming up connections you haven’t talked to in a while. Since old connections run in different circles they tend to provide different information than what you or your inner circle have access to AND you two already have previously established rapport so they are more likely to help you. Oh, and yeah you should go to events too and be sure to always follow up!




Having these three things on your calendar at regular intervals will help you remain accountable and also set you up for when you really need that new job!




This tip was brought to you by Tristan of Layfield Resume Consulting. Check us out on Instagram, twitter, and facebook at @layfieldresume or connect with me, Tristan Layfield, on LinkedIn!