Generating MOMENTUM during a job search is priceless, and no amount of careful planning can replace it.

At the end of the day, all the work you put into building new relationships, working on your Resume and leveraging LinkedIn MUST pay off in the form of face-to-face hiring discussions. Week after week. Consistently. And if it’s not, then chances are that there’s simply too much slack in your job search. It’s time to compress your job search timeline down, responsibly, to get those wheels turning!

Key Recommendations to Compress Your Job Search Timeline:

High-ROI Networking Only (No Generals)

The time for casual “getting to know you” chats and follow-ups with people who can offer you nothing on the career advancement front is over. This is make-or-break time, and that means the ONLY people you’re jumping on the phone with are the following:

-People who can either CREATE a role for you at a company, or are at most 1 STEP AWAY from the person who can. Think potential bosses and the heads of closely aligned divisions. For example, if you’re in Marketing you should be looking at company leaders in Business Development, Sales, Product Development, and others.

–External recruiters who have a strong background in placing professionals with similar backgrounds to yours. Tip: run a search for recruiters through LinkedIn which includes some of the strongest skills in your “Featured Skills and Endorsements” profile keyword section to pull up more relevant results.

-Clear, OUTCOME-FOCUSED conversations with HR and internal recruiters for OPEN POSITIONS. This should NOT be the main focus of your job search, but if you’re pursuing it be 100% clear on what the goal of the conversation will be, and how it plays into the hiring timeline.

Also read: Clock’s Ticking: How to Get to the Offer Stage Faster

Practice the 80/20 Rule for Your Resume and LinkedIn Profile

Jobseekers will pour WEEKS into “perfecting” their Resume and LinkedIn Profile. And as an expert in both of those areas, let me be clear: much of that is WASTED EFFORT.

Here’s why — it’s way more important that your platform hit certain baselines of credibility and positioning ACROSS multiple areas (ex. Resume + LinkedIn + Interview Strategy) versus simply excelling in 1. Which means that all of that extra time you’re spending rewriting resume sections which don’t require it would be better spent making moves in an area you’re TOTALLY unfamiliar with, such as networking via LinkedIn. That’s the hidden fear that’s being expressed here — keep the focus on endlessly developing my materials because it’s “not ready” and I don’t have to face the sharp criticisms and spotlight of the hiring game. But playing and WINNING that game is whole point!

Use the following rule of thumb: if your materials accomplish 80% of what you’re after, put it into action. Circle back to it later if you must but GET MOVING.

Also read: 3 Hidden Triggers in Hiring (and How to Use Them)

Schedule More Personal Time for Yourself

Sounds crazy, right? Hear me out. When you have 30+ hours per week to land a new role, you will NATURALLY spread out your activities to fill this timeframe.

So do the opposite.

Carve out time for yourself and your family. Make your physical and emotional well-being a priority, because it will be TESTED as you seek out a better position. Actually, schedule it in your calendar, and hold it as sacred.

Now take a look at the compressed time that you have left for the job search. And ask yourself, “What can I do right now that scares me on that front?” Chances are, that’s the action you should take. The one that will move this forward.

Take it!