This is the second in a series of blogs on this topic as I thought this would be a fun way to start the New Year. I’ve reached out to a number of other career counselors as well as to former clients and other professionals in the field. By “insider secrets” I simply mean fresh, new ideas to help you reach your career goals in 2015. Here’s the second tip from Orville Pierson, Author of Team Up! Find a Better Job Faster with a Job Search Work Team. highlyeffectivejobsearch.com:

Job hunting is a team sport, and you should check the scoreboard regularly.

Most people don’t “keep score” when looking for a job. But with no way to tell how fast you’re moving toward that great new job, the search can seem like an endless, depressing series of rejections and difficulties.

Research shows us that the average job search includes conversations with 25 decision makers, people who could be your next boss. Most of these are informal talks, but five turn out to be actual job interviews. And one of those produces a job offer. So each conversation is a step closer to success, and counting them is one of several ways to keep score.

How do you manage to have those conversations? Ask your teammates, those smart and supportive job hunters that you meet with each week to figure out how to get better and better at job hunting – and to celebrate successes, small and large.