Finding a job can be incredibly stressful and downright difficult, especially if you know you need to get back to work to support yourself or your family. If you work in a sector where jobs are generally harder to come by or the interview process is often lengthy, the pressure you feel can be magnified quite a bit.
That’s why you need to be smart about how you look for a job, and time management is key if you want to get as much done as you can in a day. Otherwise, you could spend months looking for a job instead of working and getting paid to do what you’re good at.
Use these tips to help you effectively manage your time when looking for a job. It doesn’t matter what business you’re in either, because they’re all basic ideas that will help you stay efficient during the job hunt.
- Get Up Early
Early risers are often successful, but when it comes to the job search, it’s a basic tenet. It works because you need to be scouring classifieds and job openings so you’ll see them right away after they’re posted.
You want to be the first applicant, or at least in the first group, if you want to try and schedule an interview. If you’re number 100, you probably won’t get that call or email back.
- Do Important Tasks First
If you get up before the postings are all put up for the day, you’ll have time for that cup of coffee and to revise your resume or draft cover letters. You’ll probably do a better job on these when you’re fresh and ready for the day, and you’ll probably do them faster if you take them on early.
As a general rule, important tasks should come first if you want to do them well and quickly.
- Check E-Mail in Batches
You don’t want to be tied to e-mail all day, but you need to see when somebody responds to you. For that reason, checking e-mail in batches and at set times is often ideal.
When you’re job hunting, checking your e-mail about three to four times per day should work well.
- Network at Night
Meeting people and handing out cards or exchanging phone numbers is a great way to find work. However, it’s something that you should be doing at night, not during the day, because during the day you need to be searching for jobs online.
Why? Because that’s when people are posting and setting up interviews. Sending resumes and responding to classifieds at night could mean you get lost in the crowd of literally thousands of other applicants.
- Plan Your Day
You don’t have a job, so you don’t have a schedule. You should! Just because you’re not working doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make a plan of how you’re going to be spending your time each day. Use an online calendar or a paper one. Whatever you do, plan how you want to spend your “work days” in advance so you’re efficient and effective during the job search.
- Take Breaks
Job hunting doesn’t feel like work, especially if you’re coming from a high-stress workplace. It should be treated as such though, and trying to work straight through the day will decrease your productivity.
Take a lunch break outside, walk your dog or just read a book. An hour for lunch and a few 15 minute breaks like you would have at work is an ideal schedule.
- Make To-Do Lists
You’ve got your calendar working now, but in addition to a schedule, you need to make sure you know what you absolutely must do each day. The only way to do that is with a to-do list.
Tack it on a corkboard, put it in your phone or just write it on paper. Whatever works for you, make sure you have a to-do list each day.
- Don’t Play the Numbers Game
A lot of people try to send out a certain amount of applications each day when searching for a job. It isn’t effective, though, and just applying to jobs blindly isn’t smart.
Forget the numbers game and focus on jobs that you’re a good fit for only.
- Manage Distractions
You’re probably applying to jobs from home, and that can be a noisy, distracting place. Don’t let distractions weigh you down though.
Find a place to work and get to it. Keep the TV off until it’s break time, too.
- Avoid Procrastination
Difficult tasks can sometimes be put off when you’re searching for a job – like fixing up your resume. Don’t procrastinate, though, and start taking tasks head on. Employers will assess your performance based on meeting the deadlines as well, so start doing it now!
If you don’t, you’ll find yourself wasting time during the day and not getting jobs you want.
