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Looking for a job is a significant undertaking. The most straightforward job search isn't easy, and everyone must go through the same, sometimes painful, process. Whether you're fully employed or unemployed, landing a new job is time-intensive, emotionally consuming, and requires an advanced level of administration. Even if you already possess the personal discipline to manage your job hunt, it can become overwhelming at times, so it is advantageous to build discipline into your job search.
As the job market heats up, we present to you the following tips that may help you effectively manage your job search (and, hopefully, get the job!).
Block Out Time — lots of it. A single online job application can a long time, given all the uploading, job boards that require you to create accounts and detailed profiles, third-party skills assessments, third-party sites that process applications, and on and on (yes, the process is broken). Ideally, you should block out time. Your search should follow a routine and, if at all possible, in a place that is quiet and away from distractions.
Practice Effective Time Management. Time management is not just about blocking out time. It's about knowing what to do and when learning and employing the most effective methods for achieving your goal. Once again, discipline is the key. Plan out your activities and stick to them. There is no test at the end or a single right way of managing your time. Determine what works best for you according to your circumstances, and create a plan and schedule to accommodate your existing day-to-day responsibilities with the demands of a job search.
Murphy's Law Applies. Whatever can go wrong will go wrong. Fortunately, you're not steering a ship through a storm. You're just applying for a job. Tasks often take longer than you believe they will. Build-in cushions to absorb unforeseen delays. For example, let’s say you want to be one of the first applicants for a very appealing job – however, you've been in the same position for five years, and the application has a required section for professional references. Even if you have connections in mind, you might be in a position where you will need to hunt down current contact information and anything else required on the job application (not to mention verifying with your reference that they will give you a good reference – don't assume!). Be prepared for the unexpected.
Track Your Activities. By doing so, you’ll be able to monitor your progress and follow up as appropriate. Create your job search dashboard in a spreadsheet to track your applications, status updates, recruiter/hiring manager names, etc. LinkedIn and other profile-based job boards (e.g., Indeed) give you a head start by collecting that kind of information for you but is limited to applications submitted through their own platforms. The data is still there to pull into your spreadsheet, so you always have a complete panoramic snapshot of your job search.
Save Time With "Push” Activities. LinkedIn and the major job boards like Indeed, Monster, Glassdoor, and others all have job alerts you can set up that push alerts to your email or messages for specific job categories, job titles, or employers. Although going through all the push notifications and following potential leads takes time, it’s still faster than building searches from scratch every time you log in. Keep these activities in mind when creating your overall management plan.
Create Measurable Goals. It can be whatever metrics you want – number of jobs to which you apply, number of online job searches, number of recruiters/hiring managers to whom you can connect, number of hours per week, number of days per week, and on and on. Choose a set of relevant, measurable goals, and monitor your progress against those benchmarks to keep yourself on track.
Talk To A Human! One of the trickier parts of a job search is connecting with an actual person. There are so many technological roadblocks in your way. However, with a bit of research (or a Premium LinkedIn account), you can sometimes identify recruiters and hiring managers in your field. Making professional – and mutually beneficial – connections with people who find people jobs for a living is a long-term investment that may open up additional opportunities.
Philip Roufail contributed to this article.
Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.
