Buried under 17 inches of snow today?  I am.  There’s so much snow and wind in Minneapolis this weekend we don’t know when we’ll be able to shovel our way out.  Just because the city is at a standstill, doesn’t mean your job search has to be.

I don’t know about you, but there is only so much hot chocolate I can drink, so many holiday movies I can stand, so many magazines I can catch up on, and so many rounds of The Price is Right I can play on Facebook.  If you have cabin fever like I do, here are five  career-advancing activities you can do to keep yourself from going stir crazy when snowed in.

1 – Review the list of places you sent your resume within the last three months.  Follow up with any employer you haven’t touched based with in two weeks.  Send an e-mail or voicemail asking about the interview status and remind them of your top two brand attributes (the skills or experience that make you unique).

2 – Write thank you notes to your networking contacts: A real, personalized hand-written thank you note, not just a quick e-mail.  Pick 3-5 people to tell how much you appreciate their support this year.  Tell them you appreciate their job leads, whether they lead to an interview or not.  And remind them that they can count on you if they ever need resources or encouragement.

3 – Read and comment on blogs related to your career field.  Now is the time to catch up on industry trends by reading some of those blogs you’ve meant to get to but haven’t had the time.  Take a minute to comment on a few posts to add you insights and promote your brand.

4 – Look at your career plan.  Check to see if you’ve made all of your recent goals, and reassign goals and tasks if necessary.  Think about where you want to be in your career and personal life this time next year.  Write down three goals to accomplish by the end of January 2011 that will help you toward your yearlong plan.

5 – Take the time to look at all you’ve accomplished in the past few months.  Write down five reasons why you are proud of yourself.  Also, write down five things you are thankful for.  Whether you are happy with your job search or not, there were some bright spots.  Recognize what is going well and build on those positives.