Do you have a plan? According to a recent survey hosted by Robert Half, 82% of those surveyed said they were ready. The survey also asked who had an updated resume. 44% said it has been over a year since they've updated that document. Yikes! Almost half the people hadn't touched their resume in over a year. They aren't ready.

It certainly isn't all about the resume. But having one that is updated and ready to go at all times means something. It means that you are thinking about what you've accomplished in your job.

I would also venture to guess that those 44% are not active on LinkedIn either. If they are too busy to update their resumes, they probably don't see the value of LinkedIn. Nor do they realize that over 80% of recruiters and HR professionals are using this tool to source candidates.

How can 82% feel they are ready for a search if they don't have a plan? Do they think finding a job is easy? Are they not talking to the thousands of people who have been searching for months?

To all of you out there, get a plan. Even if you don't have a job yet. What will you do to continue building your network and look for your next great job while employed?

• Ask your company to sponsor your membership in a professional association
• Identify training that will add value to your brand
• Carve time into your schedule to attend local business networking events
• Attend conferences, better yet, speak at conferences
• Start up a blog, maybe even a company sponsored one
• Follow and meet the key movers and shakers in your occupation and/or industry

All the things you are doing right now in job search need to be continued once you land a job but most likely scaled back.

Ask yourself, "if I lost my job tomorrow, what would I do?" It is never going to be as easy as we think it is going to be.