NOTE: The advice in this article is for unemployed job seekers, but these tips can easily be adapted for a search being conducted while employed too.
Have you ever heard the advice that when you’re not working, your job search should be your full time job?
Frankly, I’ve never thought of that as a reasonable expectation. Maybe it’s because I’ve never met someone who loved job hunting enough to spend that much time every week on it!
On the other hand, I do agree that good time management discipline is critical during a job hunt. When you’re employed, you’re provided with some level of structure, including expectations on how you will use your time to contribute toward shared goals. When you’re on your own, it’s all up to you. You are the master of your own schedule. It’s totally on you to decide how you’ll spend your time.
Here are 4 suggestions to help you manage your job search time well while unemployed.
1. Time Blocking
You can develop good time management discipline by time blocking your schedule. Sit down at least once per week – I recommend Sunday – and schedule out all the things you know that are set for specific dates and times. Create time blocks on your calendar for specific tasks that will take time to do just as you would for appointments and events. A time block to complete a task is like making an appointment with yourself. If you need to accommodate an interview or some other event that pops up unexpectedly, you can easily move the time block that you’ve created for a task so it won’t be forgotten.
2. Time Spent Online
Since answering postings on job boards and at company websites is a necessary but low return-on-investment activity, then it should be done during the non-prime time spots on your daily calendar. I suggest you spend time responding to ads and doing whatever online research you need to do during the early part of the day, like from 8:30am to 10:00am, and then again in the late afternoon/evening after 2 or 3pm.
3. Time Spent Networking
Since networking is a high return-on-investment activity, it should be acted upon during the prime-time parts of your day. Not only is this smart for your energy expenditure, it’s logical. Between the prime business day hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm is when you’re most likely to interact with people. You can schedule coffee and lunch dates, exchange emails, attend luncheon events, etc. Of course, this is not a hard and fast rule because there might be the occasional breakfast, happy hour, or dinner meeting as well.
4. Time Spent Exercising & Playing
Studies show that exercising increases your chances of getting hired quickly. So be sure to schedule it into your calendar. Also, make room on your calendar to enjoy yourself just like you did when you were fully employed. Since Friday is statistically not the best day to be interviewing or making your job search dreams come true, why don’t you make that your personal reward day for the week’s successes?
© 2011, 2019 Angela Loeb