4 Ways to Manage Your Time Efficiently During a Job Search
Looking for a job requires a combination of effort, discipline, and self-care. On the one hand, you must carve out enough time to get those applications en route. On the other hand, you need to take breaks to maintain your energy levels so you can continue your job search with clarity and focus.
Hunting down the vacancies that align with your values and career goals, customizing your resume and cover letter for each application, and practicing your interview skills require significant effort. Moreover, with potentially hundreds of competitors vying for the same position, rejection is normal, but facing constant rejection can definitely take a toll on your mental well-being. Therefore, it’s important to take care of yourself while also maximizing the efficiency of your job search strategy.
We offer you four ways to better manage your time so you don’t burn out. If you’re struggling to put together your resume, consider our professional resume writing services. You’ll still have to customize the document for each job you apply for, but with a crisp, clean template crafted by our resume experts, you’ll save tons of time and energy.
1. Stick to a schedule
Instead of fitting in your job search here and there, make it a part of your daily routine. Carve out a block of time specifically for your job search and put it in your planner or your digital calendar. In this way, it becomes an official part of your day, and you’re ready to work efficiently during that period.
Consciously incorporating your job search into your daily schedule makes it harder to neglect it in favor of other activities. Instead of planning it around other things, start planning other things around your job search. Allocating a specific block of time also helps ensure that you spend enough time on it instead of getting distracted and engaging in more interesting but much less productive activities.
2. Set goals for your job search
If you don't know where you're going, how will you get there? Set some measurable yet realistic goals, then draw up strategies to meet them. For example, make it your goal to apply for a minimum of five positions (or however many you choose) each week, or maybe aim for one interview every month.
Not sure what a “realistic goal” is? That’s okay—just set a short-term goal you consider attainable, work hard, and see where you end up. Depending on the results, you can adjust future goals to be easier or harder. The point is to have some sort of goal set, which will help keep you focused and moving forward even when things feel chaotic and discouraging.
You can get easily distracted during your job search, especially when you're online, dazedly scrolling through positions that aren't a good fit for you. Decide what types of jobs you’ll seriously consider and stick to them—this may necessitate a hefty dose of reflection to determine what it is you truly want. Once you know your long-term goals, you can work on setting short-term ones to help you get there. Setting goals will help keep you focused on the task at hand.
3. Prepare in advance
A lot goes into a job search, which also means there are a lot of ways to make the process more efficient. To achieve this, prepare a few things you know you'll need ahead of time. For example, have your resume and cover letter templates ready so you only need to make a few changes before you send them out. It’s crucial to tailor your resume and cover letter to each position you apply for—hiring managers can easily spot generic applications, and they don’t like them. However, you can save time by preparing a well-written, professionally formatted template in advance. If you don’t feel confident in your resume-writing abilities, you can always entrust the job to our professionals.
In addition, practice answering interview questions so you're not caught off guard when you’re invited for an interview. Learn to recognize what information different types of questions seek to extract—this will help you provide clear, confident, and relevant answers even if the interviewer asks you questions you haven’t specifically practiced. Doing a mock interview or two is always a great idea. You can try this by yourself or with a friend, but if you want expert feedback and actionable tips, arrange a mock job interview with one of our job success specialists.
4. Make time for self-care
Looking for a job can wear you out. You're adding something new to your already busy schedule, which can be exhausting. Plus, hearing "no" time after time when you apply for jobs can be dispiriting. Even if you keep reminding yourself that you’re up against dozens or even hundreds of other candidates, constant rejection will get anyone down, which is why it’s essential to make time for self-care.
Perhaps you can set aside one day a week where you do nothing related to your job search and just relax and enjoy yourself. How you recharge is up to you—you may want to curl up with a good book, go out with friends, or work on a passion project. What’s important is that you come back recharged and ready to resume your job hunt with determination and a clear mind.
In summary, it's critical to manage the time you spend on your job search in the most efficient way to prevent yourself from burning out. It may take several weeks or months to find a new job, so remember that you're in this for the long haul. Keeping your long-term career goals in mind can help you stay motivated despite the inevitable setbacks, but make sure you have short-term goals as well to maintain your focus. To keep going without getting drained, schedule time both for your job search and self-care. If you need help crafting your resume, take a look at our resume-writing service.
