Staying focused on your job search in the summer can be HARD. Especially in the Midwest, where our days in the sun are numbered and fair-weather distractions are seemingly endless!
Here are a few ways to stay productive with your job search, even when you’d rather be doing something else:
- Break your efforts into smaller, more manageable chunks. Working for 20 minutes at a time is much easier to commit to than an hour or two. Even better – break things into tasks, so you are focusing on results rather than time spent. For example, tell yourself you can take a break after you’ve reached out to 25 people in your network about your job search, or once you’ve updated your resume or written your cover letter.
- Reward yourself for good behavior. Once you’ve met your time goal, or accomplished your tasks, reward yourself with something small like a five-minute break, a walk around the block, or a favorite snack. The bigger the goal, the bigger the incentive.
- Schedule your job search for the same time(s) each day. The best times of day for job searching are when you typically feel calm, but mentally alert. For me, that’s right after coffee in the morning and around 8 pm at night. Tailor your job search around your unique patterns; don’t make the mistake of trying to tackle company research or applications when you have too much, or too little, energy.
- Try listening to music. Some studies suggest classical music can have a positive effect on concentration. Many people find popular music and/or with lyrics too distracting, so start with classical music and go from there.
- Minimize distractions. If necessary, set your phone down across the room. If it’s a beautiful sunny day, you may want to opt for a room with fewer windows. Use headphones or a fan to block out noise. If it’s too distracting for you to be at home (visitors, that pile of laundry, the great outdoors calling your name) try the library.
Bonus: Register with Advent! Filling jobs is what we do every day, rain or shine (or blizzard for that matter). When you partner with Advent on your job search, you have a team of recruiters considering you for new openings every day.
So, go on – take that invitation to the beach, guilt-free. We’ll keep the job search going while you’re frolicking in the sun and surf.
Yeah, we’re cool like that.