1. Provided by OptimalResume.com
Job Search Program Case Study
This is a minimal plan for example and discussion featuring an unemployed white collar professional who is
transitioning industries, and is a reference to the Hard core job search program for hard times outline.
1. Rebecca Reed Action Plan 1
Rebecca Reed is an unemployed commercial real estate agent seeking a position in high ticket face-to-face
sales where her competencies could best be adapted. She wants to exit real estate sales because of over
saturation and the feast/famine business cycles. She is well connected with companies in the local community
to include medical, environmental and software, and is attracted to those industries. She is used to working
from a virtual office giving her an advantage in her job search. Main competencies and skills are:
• Excellent interpersonal skills and builds relationships quickly
• Adept communicator and influencer
• Consultative and helpful to others
• Strategic thinker with a solid understanding of the sales process
• Performance-oriented with a commission-based preference
• Excellent knowledge of the geographic area
• Strong negotiation skills and works well under pressure
• Majored in biology in school and enjoys the sciences
• Computer skills far above average and is a quick learner
General Targets:
Medical Equipment and Biotech
Account Executive
Sales Engineer or Representative
Pharmaceutical
Pharmaceutical Sales Rep
Field Sales Representative
Sales Associate
Healthcare Services
Sales Analyst or Rep
Medical Sales Recruiter
Environmental or Alternative Energy
Sales Engineer
Outside Sales Rep
Software, Consulting, Services
Account Executive
Account Manager
Territory Manager
Challenges: Lack of specific industry experience to be offset with a winning sales record and fast ramp up.
Will require product training that others may not require.
Advantages: Proven consultative sales abilities and track record. Needs no sales training.
Well connected in the local community.
Extremely fast learner and very computer literate.
Initial steps: Starting focus is researching viable opportunities and feasibility checking the inventory of skills
with requirements. Revise the personal brand(s) focusing on each segment and target the resume, portfolio
and other documentation. Expand on the personal network within the general industry targets for the first

2. Provided by OptimalResume.com
two months of the search. Dedicate fifty hours per week to the search and reassess the targets after the first
eight weeks. Spend a set amount of time each week performing interview preparation with mock interviews.
Gather feedback from colleagues weekly and network with recruiters and staffing professionals. Review
progress weekly and reassess after three months if no opportunity has yet been landed. Review financial
status and resources to extend the duration of the search to six months if needed.
2. Workweek Hourly Breakdown
Number of Hours a Week: 50 Hours
Monday 9 hours
Tuesday 9.5 hours
Wednesday 9 hours
Thursday 9.5 hours
Friday 9 hours
Saturday Off
Sunday 4 hours
Total: 50 hours
3. Activity Time Estimates and Schedule
Estimated time applied to activities
Networking 30% 15 hours a week
Research and contacting companies 20% 10 hours a week
Internet activities 30% 15 hours a week
Employment/Staffing agencies 5% 2 1/2 hours a week
Classified advertisements 5% 2 1/2 hours a week
Blogging, e-Learning, interview prep 10% 5 hours a week
Total: 100% 50 hours a week
Daily Schedule
Networking Research Internet Agencies Classifieds Preparation Total
Monday 3 4 2 0 0 0 9
Tuesday 4 0 4 1.5 0 0 9.5
Wednesday 4 4 1 0 0 0 9
Thursday 4 2 2.5 1 0 0 9.5
Friday 0 0 4 0 0 5 9
Saturday Off Off Off Off Off Off Off
Sunday 0 0 1.5 0 2.5 0 4
15 10 15 2.5 2.5 5 50

3. Provided by OptimalResume.com
4. Weekly Goals
Networking
5 new tactical contacts referred by people in my network
5 new contacts made on my own
3 to 5 follow-up communications from contacts made the previous week
3 to 5 follow-up communications from contacts made in the last month
1 weekly e-mail message sent to all contacts via LinkedIn
Research and contacting companies
15 unsolicited resumes to be sent out
10 to 15 follow-up letters and e-mails for resumes sent out last week
15 to 20 follow-up letters and e-mails for resumes sent out in the past month
15 phone calls to companies I’d really like to work for
Internet activities
Review positions on SimplyHired, Indeed, Craigslist, Monster, and CareerBuilder and niche sites
25 resumes submitted online
10 or more changes or postings of resume to job boards
Update my own LinkedIn site weekly
Employment/Staffing agencies
3 to 5 contacts
3 to 5 follow-up communications (letters, e-mails).
Classified advertisements
1 to 3 resumes to be sent responding to ads seen in the classified section
3 to 5 resumes to be sent out unsolicited based on scanning the entire Sunday newspaper(s)
Blogging, e-Learning and interview preparation
Contribute in a meaningful way to industry specific blogs
Interact with others in the profession and authentically establish new relationships
Keep up to date with new events and trends in the industry
5. Plan Benchmarks
• Organization of the search, completed resumes, portfolio and other documents in first 2.5 weeks
• 3 interviews in the first 8 weeks and 1 weekly thereafter
• Job offer in the first 3 months and 1 monthly thereafter
• Start employment within 120 days
1
. Portions of this fictional case study were inspired by the subject matter expert Jay Block in his book,
Jay Block, 101 Best Ways to Land a Job in Troubled Times (McGraw-Hill; Dec. 2009), 135-153.