Right now, you may be in the middle of searching for a new job. For many, this is a difficult task involving a lot of stress. It feels like you could constantly be doing more to find that perfect position, but are you being productive? Check out our tips for executing a productive job search.
What does a productive job search look like?
When starting your job search, it is important that you set clear goals for what you would like to accomplish. This could be anything from the type of job you want to end up with to the amount of time you want to spend searching per week.
Try to apply to only a few positions at a time, and make sure to follow up with each one. It is much better to invest real time and effort into a few positions than seemingly randomly applying to a ton. Do your research. Reach out to people that could be helpful connections. Most jobs are found through your professional and personal connections, so be sure to check in with your people and see what open positions they may know of!
Start by applying to positions that you are truly excited about! Apply from the top down, meaning apply for your “dream” positions first (within reason) and then move down to less “dreamy” positions from there. There is no use in wasting your time on job openings that you would begrudgingly accept before you need to. While it is always ok to apply to jobs that you are slightly underqualified for, don’t go applying for positions that are extremely far out of your reach—usually, it won’t be worth the time to put in the application.
Lastly, tailor your application to each job you are applying for. Describe your previous experience in ways that point back to the job description of the position you are applying for. Check out more application tips here.
What does it look like to be busy in your job search?
Being simply busy will quickly lead to burnout. There are more than a few ways to burn out when it comes to your job search. Needless to say, none of them lead to a productive job search. One of those ways is application dumping (just applying to as many jobs as possible), hoping that you get a bite.
Another “busy” time waster is just scrolling through open positions with no real direction or clear objective. Instead, set standards for what positions you are willing to apply to. Determine what qualities you are looking for in a job and narrow your search based on them. You can start to save and categorize jobs and pare them down by the process of elimination. Simply scrolling through openings in your area is going to bring more stress than help.
Lastly, do not focus on too many roles at once. In setting your goals, set a number of applications you want to get in per week or by month, depending on the urgency of your search. Setting goals like “as many as possible” is unattainable and only puts unnecessary pressure on you. Always set quantitative goals. Focus on the applications you are currently working on, and continue your search later, if necessary. Pulling yourself in a bunch of different directions at once will only lower the quality of your work!
How can you avoid stress in your job search?
So, how can you avoid stress during your job search? First off, trust yourself. Remember the experience and skills you have and lean into those—remind yourself what you are capable of. Something will come along!
Secondly, when you set goals, make them attainable. If you are constantly feeling like you are falling behind, you are only going to spiral. Challenge yourself, but don’t drive yourself to a breakdown.
Third: Be willing to wait. It might feel “productive” to keep frantically searching and applying for jobs as soon as you apply for a role but give yourself a couple of days between application cycles.
Fourth: Follow up. If you haven’t heard back about a role you applied for, reach out to their hiring team. Even if you get a “no,” it is better to have an answer. This way, you can move roles into the trash or the “follow up again” file, depending on what you hear back.
Lastly, if money is tight, there is always the option to pick up a temporary role. This could be odd jobs around your area or a role that is typically below your “pay grade,” but it certainly could help pay the bills while you are searching!
If you are still searching for a job, we might have just what you are looking for! Check out our open positions here.
