Two suggestions I would make to this post. I agree wholeheartedly that you need to always have your pipeline as full as you can, whether it be for work you are doing or possible job searches for the future.

The first suggestion I would offer is to begin putting together a profile of what kind of positions you are interested in. What is it you would do, regardless of what it is, that you would do if you weren’t getting paid? what passion do you have, what interest area do you follow, that you could parlay into an income stream? It’s great to look at other companies that may be around you, but finding those places where you get “revved up” to go to daily, or to spend time on is the key. As Steve Martin once said, and I believe is the epitome of the best work, “The most amazing thing to me is…I get paid for doing this!”

The second suggestion is to begin thinking about saving. I’m SERIOUS! Many people are so inclined to live paycheck to paycheck that putting money away for a rainy day is not considered. I am appalled at the number of Baby-boomers now nearing retirement that have no idea how much they need to retire on, much less live on. I have always heard the idea of at least six months of salary at present set aside specifically for a downturn. Saving money, really saving money, is tough to do (my wife and I are doing so, but with a goal in mind – not always the best way to save!) but is vitally important to not become another number in the statistics that we see today of mortgage crisis, etc.

The pipeline needs to be full with networking contacts that you connect with regularly, but also with the purpose to pay it forward now so it may come back and help you later.

Great post – you make an excellent point about being ready well before you need to.

Couple of further tips which build on your point:

1. Add to the pipeline every week (Even if its one new company or contact)
- It keeps up the momentum whilst also keeping your mind alert to opportunties. Chance meetings and convesraions suddenly become opportunities to add to the pipeline.

2. Diarise an appointment with yourself
- Put time aside each week to review the contacts, cultivate relationships with individuals in those firms, making calls, sending emails, doing the follow up

Successful job search is about creating habits so that you take consistent actions (making calls, filling applications, reviewing ads, networking, follow up etc)

But you’re right, setting up the pipeline spreadsheet (or jobberjobber account) before you need it, really is the foundation to building those habits.

S