The Difference Between a Job Search Strategy and a Job Search Plan

When it comes to launching a successful job search, you need both a plan and a strategy, so it's important to know the difference between the two. In this blog post, I share the difference between a job search strategy and a job search plan.

Listen to the podcast:

The Difference Between a Job Search Strategy and a Job Search Plan

People often use the terms, “plan” and “strategy” interchangeably. In reality, those terms are distinct and different from each other. In most situations, I wouldn't be so nitpicky about language because really, who cares?

Despite that, when we’re talking about careers, it’s a whole different game. Without the right approach, searching for a job can very quickly lead to feelings of overwhelm, frustration, discouragement, or confusion.

So, let’s discuss the difference between a job search strategy and a job search plan.

Job Search Strategy

Before you even THINK about launching your job search, you must start with clarity.⁠ Having a strategy will help you get crystal clear about the type of role you want.

A job search strategy is the big picture or blueprint of your job search.

A job search strategy answers your whys: why am I job searching? Why do I want this job? Why am looking for this specific kind of job?

Moreover, the strategy can also answer your big picture questions: How can this job impact my life? How does this job fit with my overall career? How can this job move me closer to achieving my big life goals?

If you're tired of feeling like you're beating your head against a wall in your job search, take a step back.⁠ As I mentioned earlier, get clear about what you want first, so you can approach your job search strategically.⁠

You will be clear and focused on what you want when you have a job search strategy. So, think of strategy as a blueprint, the big picture of your job search.

A job search strategy answers your whys: why am I job searching? Why do I want this job? Why am looking for this specific kind of job? Share on X

Job Search Plan

A job search plan is the specific steps and actions that you are going to take to make your strategy a reality. It’s like a roadmap to achieve your goals.

The job search plan answers all the other questions that you might have for yourself, such as:

• When am I going to job search?
• What am I going to use to do my job search?
• How am I going to job search?
• Who am I thinking of going to, talk to, or network with in my job search?
• Where am I going to do my job search?

Think of the job search plan as being more detailed. You can see it as the step-by-step actions that you are planning and going to take to be successful in your job search.

A job search plan is the specific steps and actions that you are going to take to make your search strategy a reality. Share on X

Why You Need Both a Strategy and a Plan

So here's the thing, you need both a strategy AND a plan if you want to job search without feeling stressed, frustrated, and overwhelmed.

Your job search strategy should come first because it's the big picture. Once you have your strategy, then you can create a plan to achieve your strategy or your job search goals.

You need a job search strategy before you even launch your job search because it allows you to develop the clarity and the right mindset that you need for the job search.

On the other hand, a plan is just as important. You need a job search plan while you're actively job searching because it keeps you focused and on track with your job search process.

So, there you have it, the differences between a job search strategy and a job search plan, and the reasons why you need both to launch a successful job search.

Are you job searching right now? Do you have one or both of those in place? Take some time to reflect on that.