It’s been almost a month since you’ve graduated, and maybe you’ve scrolled through Indeed.com or made a LinkedIn profile. You’ve celebrated with friends and dodged as many “So now what are you going to do” inquiries from well-meaning family members. But it’s July now, and mild panic has started to creep up.

Don’t panic yet! Panicking never helped anyone. Before you go any further in your job search, though, take a moment to recollect and form a plan.

Here’s how:

1. Plan it out with deliberate reflection—Commitment: 30 minutes

You wouldn’t start preparing for a test without knowing the foundations of the lessons, without knowing the “hows” and “whys.” So before you even go to a job search site, take 30 minutes with a notebook or Word document and write a few things out. What job do you want—now and in five or ten years? Describe it. If you have multiple (there usually are!), then explore all of them. Explore your priorities: location, pay, roles, boss, team size, etc. And don’t forget to ask yourself, What can I offer my employer? Don’t go into this thinking, “I’ll take any job”; create a vision of where you want to go.

Writing them out will help you define things that you may have glossed over in your head. And do this for 30 minutes, because giving ourselves an idea ending, instead of a timed ending, can unintentionally limit ourselves. Give yourself the space to keep thinking!

2. Do some more homework—Commitment: 10-12 companies to research

I know, you finished school hoping you’d be done with homework forever. Well, thankfully this one won’t be graded! Now that you have an idea of where you want to go (from #1), you can go look at what those places are actually like. Go to their websites and research about their mission statement and look at who’s on their team. Look them and the company up on LinkedIn. Read about them in reputable news stories. Target about 10 to 12 companies to research. But don’t get lost in the web scrolling spiral! Write down your findings, which will give you a little more structure and purpose.

3. Make connections with people—Commitment: send 5-10 letters of interest

Which people? All of the people.

First stop: Have you visited your alma mater’s career center yet? They offer not just resume help and interview tips, but they also have networks and connections out the wazoo. Schedule an appointment with them. Some, like Portland State, even offer an appointment over Google Hangouts if you’ve moved out of state! At the very least, visit their resources online; they’re sure to have listings to help.

You know that research you did in #2? Well here’s where it will come in handy! Whether the company has a job posting or not, send an email or LinkedIn message to someone who’s job you’d like. The main point here is not to ask for a job but for information. Avoid going straight to senior people; they are busy. And avoid asking obvious questions; instead, ask what a typical day looks like, using specific questions. Be open and ready to learn.

But make sure your emails are tailored! Revisit your notes from #2. Use the wording that they use on their site. Make sure they know you’re serious about your interest. Making a few templates is good but only if you tweak it for each person.

4. Google yourself—Commitment: 10 minutes tops

This one’s easy but necessary. Hiring managers are going to google you, so you should know what they’re seeing and add or remove anything that you’d like or not like them to see.

And a quick little side note for Future You:

When do you get a job, you’re not going to stay there very long. It’s just the nature of first jobs, so make sure you keep up these habits, especially connecting with people. Always be networking, because soon enough you’ll be looking for another job in 1-3 years anyway.

With each of these tasks, make sure you stay hungry and curious. Do what you have to do outside of the job hunt to make sure you have the energy. They say finding a job is a job itself, so take care of yourself and be healthy in between so you can keep up with the demand.

I’m Stacey Lane: Career Coach | Transition & Career Strategist | Personal Brand Specialist

I help individuals with unique backgrounds find their perfect fit and effectively market themselves so they find work that is as interesting as they are.

Contact me to get started!

Ready to launch a job search but not sure where to start? If you haven’t looked for a job in the past few years, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Get into action quickly with my free “Land That Job Action Plan.”