Baby Steps and Giant Leaps

The first goal any customer states when we start on an employment plan is "to get a job."

Narrowing it down, it becomes "get a construction job," get a job within 3 months," or "become President."

Working further, we use applicable skills and experience to form a desired but realistic goal, such as "get a job as a concrete laborer on a commercial building firm."

It's probably an accurate goal, but a lofty one that will make a jobseeker nervous, especially if there is a timeline on it. A timeline, though, is good for building a sense of urgency.

So then we try intermediate steps to reaching that goal: write a resume and cover letter, complete applications, find transportation, practice interviewing, etc.

Based on this Fast Company article, the intermediate steps should be a larger part of an employment plan. They are each goals to focus on rather than milemarkers to speed past.

Make perfect resumes.
Write perfect cover letters.
Complete and submit perfect applications.
Have the perfect interview.

Getting a job is an outcome of accomplishing these goals.