Here is what I do when coaching a client about his or her job search. First of all, I never start with “BIG” goals. So instead of saying “Come back for our next meeting with a job offer in your hands” or even “Come back next week having confirmed an interview with a decision-maker”. These are big goals for a job seeker, especially for one who is out of work. I would rather start with small and easy to accomplish goals. “How many phone calls will you be able to make between now and when we meet again next week?” Notice here that I am not setting the goal for the client, but asking him or her to set the quantitative goal by choosing a number that they can easily reach. If the answer is “twenty phone calls”, I will respond with “o.k., I have written down your goal of 20 phone calls. Is there anything you need to do to prepare for making those phone calls?” If the client answers with “Yes, I will need to write up a list of questions to ask in the phone call” I will respond with “When do you think you will have the time to sit down and prepare the list of questions?”
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If I am working with a young entry-level job seeker, I might use this modified version. “How many people do you think you will come into contact with between now and our next appointment?” The answer will often be “None or maybe one.” because I have not given a good description of the “people” the job seeker will come in contact with. I will then say “I am not talking about people who could hire you, but everyday people you will come in contact with in your daily activities - for instance the clerk at the seven-eleven, the cashier at the local drug store or the mechanic at the corner gas station.” These are all people that you talk with on a normal day, and you can end each conversation with ‘By the way, I am a stock handler in between jobs - what one or two local employers might be looking to hire a stock handler?”
