One of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers do is not preparing a fire-proof job search strategy. And it is important, because it can substantially shorten your way to landing your dream UK job. Let's see this in more details.

One of the things I observed with my career coaching clients is that they wake up in the morning and say "hey, let's search for a job" and they start with this activity without bringing in there any particular focus.
Another typical example is when a job seeker feels more comfortable with one job hunt tool or other and puts all their bets on one horse.

I talked to someone yesterday who complained that none of the recruitment companies are getting back to him so he has been spending the last few weeks only waiting for news! When I asked him why he is not doing something else, he responded that "because engaging a recruitment partner is the easiest".
Any of these sound familiar to you?

Then you might want to read further to see how to take back the reins of your job search and control the process. You can create your job search strategy in 5 simple steps:

Step #1: Define what you are looking for! And if you think that stating to yourself that "I want to find well-paid UK jobs" is enough, you will be disappointed. You need to be as specific as possible - what company, company culture, company size, company maturity stage, geographical location, office, team, tasks, challenge versus routine ratio, in-house or out-of-office job, travel involved, remuneration (not only salary but the whole package requirement).

Step #2: Identify the different channels that could lead to that job! If you are one of those people I mentioned above who likes putting all their bets on one horse, it is time now to get out of your comfort zone. Not only will you miss out on opportunities this way, but you will also be dependent on your source. In other words: you give out control of your hands. So take a pen and paper and get to work: what channels can you identify that could potentially get you to your dream job? Don't cross out anything at this stage yet, just focus on gathering ideas. Is it a UK job board? Is it a specialised recruitment company? Is it networking online or offline? Or maybe proactively calling employers? Just let your ideas flow and put down everything that comes to your mind.

Step #3: Choose your job search mix! Once you mapped out what channels are there to use, the next step is about selecting those ones that will really work and will be an effective addition to your job search mix. You are free to use as many as you wish, but make sure to have more than one on your updated list!

Step #4: Develop an action plan! By now you know already what channels would be the most appropriate ones to use to land a job fast, so now you are going to create a viable action plan around it. Have a look at each of your UK job search mix elements and note down what specific tasks you can do around them. If you selected looking at job boards, which specific one are you going to target? If you chose to network at events, it is time you gather information on relevant networking or professional events. Jot down every single task that has something to do with your job search mix, the only criterion is that it should be specific.

Step #5: Create a daily plan! Now that you have your task list in front of you, create a daily planning for yourself. The aim is that when you wake up tomorrow, you would know exactly what times you would be "working" (looking for a job is a job in itself, isn't it, so why not create "working hours" around it) and what is on your list for that day and for that week.

Congratulations, now you have your Job Search Strategy in your hand!
Do you see how you got from "I want to find well-paid UK jobs" to a specific, viable, measurable, timely plan that will bring all the focus into your job search and will let YOU control?