Q1 is just about over. If you've been following along since December, you've done the reflection work, built an action plan, and pushed through the February grind. Nice work.

Now, before Q2 kicks off, it's time to do something most job seekers skip entirely: stop and assess whether what you're doing is actually working.

Not whether it feels like it's working. Not whether you're busy. Whether it's producing results.

This is your Q1 check-in. Think of it like a quarterly business review, except the business is your career and you're the CEO.

Why Most People Skip This Step

People launch a job search, pick a direction, and then just keep doing the same things for months without ever looking up to see if those things are getting them anywhere. They confuse activity with progress.

Sending out fifty applications feels productive. Scrolling LinkedIn for an hour feels like research. But if none of that effort is generating actual conversations with real decision makers, you're running on a treadmill.

A job search is a campaign, not a lottery. It needs structure, targets, and regular measurement. If you're not tracking what's happening at each stage, you can't know what to fix.

The Honest Look Back

Grab that pen and paper again. Answer these honestly.

How many hours per week are you actually spending on your search? Not thinking about it. Not worrying at 2am. Actually doing the work. If you're employed and searching, you need at least 15 focused hours a week. If you're in full transition, closer to 35. Anything less and you're not running a campaign. You're dabbling.

What are your targets? Not "I want a good job in biotech." That's a wish. A real target has three components: the industry or field, the position or function, and the geographic area. You should have two or three distinct targets, and here's the key: they need to add up to roughly 200 possible positions. Not job openings. Positions that exist in organizations whether or not they're currently posted. If you can't identify that many, your targets are too narrow or you haven't done enough research.

What search methods are you using? Most people rely on one or two approaches, usually applying to posted jobs and hoping their network delivers something. A healthy search uses six to ten methods running simultaneously: direct outreach to decision makers, networking meetings, targeted contact campaigns, recruiters, job postings, informational interviews, and professional associations. One or two methods isn't a campaign. It's a hope and a prayer.

The Numbers That Matter

In Q1, how many of the following did you actually produce?

Contacts made. Not LinkedIn connections. Real conversations with people who can either hire you or connect you to someone who can. Single digits after three months? That's your bottleneck.

Meetings held. Substantive discussions where you learned about a target area and someone got to know your capabilities. Not casual coffee where you talked about the weather.

Interviews conducted. If you've had zero after a full quarter, something structural is wrong with your approach.

Follow-ups completed. This is where most people completely fall apart. After a good meeting, do you follow up? Not once. Repeatedly. The people who land well treat every contact as the beginning of a relationship, not a transaction.

The Course Correction

The point of this check-in isn't to beat yourself up. It's to get honest about what the data is telling you.

If your targets aren't generating activity, you need different targets or more of them. If you're in drug discovery, look at medical devices, diagnostics, or consulting. Expand the pool.

If you're getting meetings but no interviews, work on your pitch. Can you articulate who you are, what you bring, and why someone should care in about two minutes? Not a rehearsed speech. A clear, natural summary that makes a decision maker want to keep talking.

If you're getting interviews but no offers, look at how you handle the conversation. Are you weaving your accomplishments in, or waiting for the interviewer to ask the right questions? You can't count on them to lead you to your strengths. That's your job.

And if you've barely started? Then your Q1 lesson is this: planning without execution is daydreaming. Pick a target. List twenty organizations. Start reaching out. This week.

A Word About the Reality Out There

I'm not going to pretend any of this is easy. The job market right now is tough. Layoffs in biotech have rattled even the most experienced professionals. Postings get hundreds of applicants. You send thoughtful, targeted outreach and hear nothing back. It's discouraging. I get it.

And here's what I want you to hear from someone who has coached people through every kind of market for over 30 years: the people who land are not the ones with the best luck. They're the ones who kept going when it felt pointless. They adjusted. They got honest with themselves about what wasn't working. They asked for help. And they refused to let a difficult market define their worth.

You are not your job search results. Your value doesn't decrease because a recruiter ghosted you or an ATS rejected your resume before a human ever saw it. Those are mechanics of a broken system, not a reflection of what you bring to the table.

So yes, acknowledge the difficulty. Feel the frustration. And then get back to work with better information and a sharper plan. That's what this check-in is for. Not to add pressure. To give you clarity so the effort you're already putting in actually goes somewhere.

I believe in you. I've seen people in worse spots than yours turn it around by doing exactly what I'm describing here. You can too.

The Spring Advantage

Spring is hiring season. Budgets are approved. Projects are kicking off. Decision makers are looking to build their teams. If you do this check-in now and adjust before Q2, you're positioning yourself to ride that wave rather than watch it from the shore.

You've spent a full quarter building the foundation. Now sharpen the tools, adjust the aim, and make Q2 count.

A big thank you to everyone who attended my recent workshop on identifying and overcoming the blocks and behaviors that sabotage the job search. The energy and honesty in that room was something special. If you missed it and would like to explore what we covered, reach out to me directly at coach_tom@selfactualizedyou.com

Until next time!

Bio: Thomas Patrick Chuna, CHM, is a seasoned talent acquisition and organizational development specialist with nearly 30 years of recruiting experience across diverse verticals, including life sciences, bioinformatics, biopharma, and biotech. As Chief People Officer, he has built comprehensive hiring processes for technical and leadership roles while facilitating programs that enhance productivity, communication, and leadership effectiveness.

A certified Hiring Manager, DiSC consultant, Outplacement Consultant, and Certified Xchange Guide Facilitator, Tom specializes in helping organizations navigate change while building and developing leadership teams. He is an experienced webinar conductor and blogger on career and organizational transformation topics.