Surrounded by apps downloadable to our phone and technology customized to our user preferences, it’s easy to viewing a job search as a luxury coffee labeled with our name and uniquely brewed for us by our neighborhood Barista.

For several reasons, your job search may be more like a wine-tasting than a custom coffee experience. Prevailing conditions including labor force, financial, and industry variables affect the likelihood you will immediately find your preferred career opportunity. Managing your career effectively may require job search diversification—exploring and experimenting with options that you don’t know exist.

Diversify your job search by leveraging some or all of these tactics:

• Avoid assumptions: proactively seek current information from professional publications that verify data and use the information to inform your decision-making
• Seek diverse input: gather current and future market insights by networking with several knowledgeable people to identify emerging trends and opportunities
• Expand your network: meet people outside of your target industry or job function to uncover new paths and leads •Become comfortable with being directionless: develop an “elevator pitch” that presents your diverse strengths and experiences—a combination of which may be exactly what your next employer needs
• Track results: document ideas and insights as well as follow-up items; check the list daily to ensure you are converting viable ideas to implementable actions •Journal your emotions: write about your highs and lows, venting frustrations and preserving successes as motivation for the next challenge or plateau
• Remain positive: trust the disciple of the job search process and exercise this discipline as if it was your job—for now, it is!

An abundance of online career resources are available to support your job search. One particular resource, LinkedIn’s advanced search function, facilitates making new connections to diversify your job search efficiently.