Finding a job can be stressful, and at times, a very long process. We’re all familiar with applying to a number of job postings, and then maybe only hearing back from a few employers. It can be difficult to try and put your best foot forward when you may not be landing every phone screen or interview. However, you need to find the ways you can be more motivated and encouraged in order to remain productive in your search. Follow the next four steps in order to avoid procrastinating in your job search and move the hiring process forward.

1. Acknowledge the problem

When we actually want to begin our job search, there may be some files and tools that have to be updated before starting. You may have to revisit and edit your resume or you know that you have to do a lot of research and put energy into writing a cover letter. Then there’s the fact of thinking you genuinely don’t have enough time because of how busy your schedule is, so you end up putting it off completely. With any of these cases, there is usually a root to the procrastination that you’re able to pinpoint. Figure out what it is, so you can find the right solution to get past that one struggle and start being more productive.

2. Schedule specific time

Your job search doesn’t need to be an 8-hour task, like an actual work day, for you to make progress. Even carving out small durations of time during your day can make a huge difference. While taking a lunch break, you can simply browse the internet on your phone for positions and just bookmark the page. This doesn’t require much energy and you’ll have a list of jobs that you can start looking at and researching more once you get home after work. Eventually, this will set you up with enough solid job leads that you can start applying to. Even if it’s for thirty minutes or an hour a day, having your time explicitly dedicated to writing a cover letter or organizing your portfolio is a great way to make progress. Scheduling a specific time for these job search tasks will allow you to reduce your stress and manage your time more effectively.

3. Make it important

If you treat your job search as a secondary activity in your life, like reading a book or watching television, the results will show and most likely be stagnant. Instead of searching for jobs while lying in bed or while watching a movie, try to actually get up and be productive, almost as if it were an assignment. It may be beneficial to also change your surroundings, such as going to a local coffee shop or library to work. Making your job search an important project in your day is an easy method to get you more motivated to complete the tasks at hand.

4. Push yourself

The effort you put forward in your job search is integral to landing a job. Jobs aren’t going to land in your lap, so you have to be proactive in seeking them out and applying. Depending on the type of job you’re looking for, they may have a deadline to apply and if it’s something you’re genuinely interested in, you don’t want to miss the date because of procrastination. With potentially many other candidates interested in similar positions, you want to be able to give yourself enough time to present your best self to potential employers. In some cases, a job application won’t necessarily lead to an interview, so you have to add additional tasks around networking and building your referrals. This type of effort isn’t going to come easy, so you need to be able to push yourself toward your goal. It’s important to remember that the reward of finally landing a job you want makes the journey worth it, even if it was demanding.

Procrastination is a part of life and there’s no way to avoid it unless you actively put in the energy to combat it. Avoiding certain aspects of your job search will only make the process more difficult, especially when you have to compete against other candidates for a role. Following these simple steps will make your job search more efficient and will lead to a more productive search in the long run.

 

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