The Job Search Checklist: 7 Must-Haves That Have Nothing to Do With Your Resume
- Corporate Kate
- 20 hours ago
- 8 min read
One of two things has happened: either you are at your job dreaming of another one or out of a job and wanting another one. You are ready to start making moves toward the next part of your career so you do what anyone would do - update your resume. You spend the time to make sure that your resume is ready with measurable results you have achieved, all of your current accolades, and can pass through ATS systems. You are good to get started right?
Not so fast. While a resume is the most critical portion of the puzzle it isn't the only one. The resume (and potentially cover letter) is just the first step in your job search preparation. But after that? Well there are many other important aspects of the hiring process that you have to account for.
Below is a job search checklist with key things you will need during your job hunt process.
References
Story time: I was interviewing for a new job in 2025 and was pretty far into the process when right before the final round interview I received an email asking for 5 references to be completed prior to the final interview to move forward.
Five. Five?! And three of the references needed to be former managers.
I was scrambling as this had not been mentioned at all in the previous discussions with the recruiter or hiring managers. I had some people that had agreed to be my references but not enough as most positions only needed three references at most. I had to reach out to some very old contacts (talk about awkward) and ask that they pretty immediately fill out references for me.
While asking for references is generally uncommon, if a company does ask for them then they tend to take them fairly seriously. Some companies will ask for references right at the application while others will wait until you are further along in your candidacy before asking. In either scenario, you want to make sure you have them ready in a market that has a quick turn around time when it comes to hiring decisions for competitive jobs.
To Do: Curate a list of 3-5 people to use as references (try to make at least one a former manager). Notify those that you want to use as a reference to make sure they are on board with doing so. Also agree to give them a heads up if you add them as a reference for any job. This allows for them to prepare to answer an unexpected phone call or email that they might think is spam and also allows them to research the position you are applying for and hopefully give great feedback relative to the role you are applying for!
Office Professional Outfit
This one would have been a given back in the day for anyone looking for work but with working from home so prevalent and Gen Z's confusion around appropriate attire I want to dive into it deeper.
Even if you are only having interviews virtually, you still need a professional outfit. Outfits should be business professional, NOT business casual in the majority of cases (and I would argue it is better to be overdressed than underdressed for an interview). Even if you are only interviewing virtually it is important that the outfit that the company interviewer can see is professional and in good condition.
Make sure you have the following:
Women: 1 professional blazer (sharp shoulders, crisp fabrics, tailored waist), 1 professional top (collared, opaque, button up), 1 professional pair of pants or skirt (matching blazer, fitted without being tight, skirt should be at knees or below and worn with tights), and 1 professional pair of shoes (short heels or flats). Colors should be neutral.
Men: 1 solid neutral color suit, 1 long-sleeve button down shirt, 1 conservative colored tie, 1 pair of leather dress shoes with matching socks.
To Do: Purchase, thrift, or borrow a full office professional outfit if you do not own one. There are some programs that exist (such as Dress for Success) that have programs to get an outfit to use for interviewing for jobs for free. Check your local community to see if there are any programs in your area if you are on a tight budget.
Another great option is to borrow from a friend. If you have a friend of a similar height and weight not currently job hunting then they may have a business professional outfit tucked away in a closet unused. See if you can borrow it for your time on the job search.
Every once in a while if you are a frequenter of job search blogs or discussion posts you will see someone saying that they got a job without updating or having a LinkedIn so it isn't necessary.
This is the exception that breaks the rule. If you are applying to a white collar position then you need a LinkedIn. If you don't have one then this can raise questions to the recruiter of why you haven't made one and also hurts your visibility if they are looking at other candidates. Even if you never touch it again after getting a job you need to have one now.
You don't have to overthink it. Having the same information as your resume is enough as long as the page exists and is able to be found by recruiters. LinkedIn can also be a great way to network and find open positions so it's worth it to have for the job search aid it provides.
To Do: Create a LinkedIn profile that includes a professional looking headshot, current and past job descriptions that match your resume, and any other ancillary information (certifications, references, skills, etc).
If you are starting a LinkedIn from scratch, start adding people in your network to build up possible references and insight into job opportunities. If you have an established page, make sure it is updated and let those in your network know that you are looking for a new career.
Professional Email Address and Social Media Audit
Hopefully this one is already good to go but just in case I wanted to include it.
For the email, it's ok to still use your Hotmail email (unless you are trying to hide your age in the interview process, in which case make a Gmail). What isn't ok is to have an email address akin to something like downtoparty@gmail.com. Your email address should just be your first and last name with potentially some other characters if you have a common name and yours is already taken. If you have a picture attached to your email, make sure it's the same professional one you used for setting up your LinkedIn.
Another aspect of your digital presence to review is your social media. Social media can be great for showing you having a good time to your family and friends. But if you have tons of party pictures or appear to be consistently on vacation this could be a red flag for recruiters. Do a check if your social media is open to the public to make sure everything is appropriate and if not set all your socials to private.
(I would tell you to just go through and delete those photos but 1. who has the time for that? and 2. maybe you want a reminder of that fun family camping trip in a couple years from now.)
To Do: Do a check if your social media is open to the public to make sure everything is appropriate and if not set all your socials to private. Create a new email account if your email name is unprofessional and make sure your photo is appropriate or shows nothing at all.
Clean Drug Test/Background Check
There could be nothing worse than sending out all of those applications, talking to multiple recruiters, and preparing for interviews only to get to the end and have the future opportunity taken away. And that is what can happen if the hiring company asks for a drug test or background check that you are not going to pass. While drug testing may not be as common due to changes in individual states marijuana laws in certain industries, you can guarantee that most jobs will ask for a background check.
To Do: Check what the drug laws in the state you live in and in the state you are applying to (as they may be different). If you are applying to jobs that have strict drug requirements (think healthcare or government jobs) then be sure that your drug test will come back clean.
Most people (at least I hope most people) won't have anything they have to worry about with a background check. But if there is something on there that could be a potentially red flag to employers then it may be worth chatting with a lawyer about ways to have certain items removed from your permanent record.
Employment and Education Records
It is insane to me that I was getting asked for my GPA when I am close to 20 years out from being in college but believe it or not you may still get asked about it. Hiring companies may also want proof of completed certifications or of your employment history. It's better to be prepared for anything, so make sure you have any documents that might be relevant to a job application at the ready.
To Do: Have information saved in regards to any certifications, education, or licenses you have achieved. These can also be added to your LinkedIn profile for better visibility into your achievements.
W-2's and other employment records might also be needed if the background check can't verify your employment history so those can also be good to have on hand.
Job Search Tracking System
This one is one thing you probably haven't considered since you are just starting your search. But once you are in the thick of applications, interviews, and follow-up emails you will realize just how quickly it can be difficult to stay on top of your job search with so much outgoing and incoming communication and documents.
Establish a system for tracking your applications, documents, and outreaches so that you never forget where in the process a job application is (or if you already applied to the job which you would not expect to forget but alas, you can).
To Do: Create some kind of tracking system that allows you to track applications sent, rejected, and interview requested. Organize your folders and files on your computer in a way that allows you to easily distinguish different resumes and cover letters you are using for certain applications.
This can be done with something like Microsoft Excel or Apple Numbers or using an AI assistant to handle organizing where you are at in your job search and what to prioritize next.
Putting The Pieces Together
I know that was a lot. Especially after you have spent hours fine tuning a resume having this list of actions piled on top can feel daunting. But the good news is that all of these items need to be done just one time and then will be good to go for the rest of your job search.
Make an action plan to achieve one of these items a day if you are just getting started and are feeling overwhelmed with the work you need to do for this job search. Manageable goals help you stay focused and on track during a stressful job hunt process. Good luck!
Comments