Completing the previous stages should have enabled you to gain reassurance and confidence in your choice of career path, whether pursuing directly pursuing an occupation or attending graduate school.

Now you are ready to strategically plan and develop your job or grad school search plan. The first thing to remember is conducting a job or grad school search can also be very labor intensive as well as frustrating due to rejections along the way and other circumstances. Many have said looking for a job or graduate school/program is basically a full-time job in and of itself.

Ensure your search strategy is developed comprehensively and includes an expansive list of resources in order to avoid common traps. This may be a time to consider scheduling an appointment with a career counselor to ensure that your plan and vision are clear.

Lastly, it’s important to be action and detail oriented by keeping a log of your daily search activities by maintaining a list of names and contact information of employers or schools/programs. Be careful to note when the original contact was made, the method it was made (phone, email, postal service etc.), when to follow up, and any additional comments which could be useful for future reference.