We are all rushed for time and stressed by the everyday activities that we have to get done for our family or work obligations. Adding a job search to all of this can be enough to (almost) push someone over the edge, especially with the challenges of COVID-19 and the holiday season added on. This is especially true if you are not running the most logical and efficient job search possible.
The best time and stress savers thankfully don’t involve much effort on your part to accomplish. It really is all about utilizing others effectively and investing time early in the proper planning and preparation efforts. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some items for you to evaluate to see if they would assist you in your job search.
- Network – This may be the #1 way to make your job search easier. With networking, you are tapping into the knowledge, efforts, and talent of others in assisting your job search. There are many ways to use your network to make things easier.
- Your network can inform you of upcoming job openings, including those that may not be openly advertised. These are often the best leads, as the general public has not yet become aware and started applying for them yet.
- Your network may be able to give you inside information regarding the companies you are applying for, especially if they work there. This can save you significant time in your researching and also provide you details that may not be readily available.
- Social Media – This avenue can be a quick and easy way to get your message out that you are looking for new employment. It allows you to tap into and (perhaps) even expand your network (as noted above). Using professional social media can also help you by allowing you to connect with people in your industry, or with prospective employers you are interested in. You can also post relevant messages on professional social media to gain followers and (perhaps) interest. Relevant messages might include a link to a leadership article that you found insightful or a note on some upcoming legislation that will be impactful.
- Prepare Ahead of Time – I am a big believer that your preparation time saves you considerably more than what you put into it. In this regard, your job search is no different. Doing a self-assessment to identify what you are seeking in a new position can prevent you from investing effort in chasing after a role that does not meet your needs. Preparing various Cover Letter and Resume templates ahead of time can quickly and easily allow you to customize your documents when a new opportunity arises. Even just familiarizing yourself with the best route to arrive at the company for your interview can save you the stress and time of a missed turn the day of the event.
- Develop a Focused Routine – A job search should not be something that is approached in a haphazard fashion. For best (and easiest) results, develop a routine to your efforts. You will find that you are more efficient by getting more done and in less time. Create a standard list of activities that you want to accomplish, such as visiting various job boards (of course, WNYJOBS.com should be at the top of this list). All of these job pages should already be saved and in your favorite or bookmarked sites. Knowing that you may not be able to accomplish everything on every single day be sure to prioritize your tasks. For example, returning the message of a recruiter, hiring manager, or a member of your network should take priority over chasing a new lead. By prioritizing and setting reachable goals, you can exit your job search on a daily basis feeling good regarding where you currently are.
- Organize Your Activities – As referenced above, it may make sense for you to do all of your lead searching at once by going through all of your job sites stored in your favorites. Similarly, it may save you time and stress to similarly batch other activities together in a like manner. For example, you may want to customize your resume for each position posting you are interested in. It may save you time to do all of that resume customization work at the same time, rather than completing it one-at-a-time for each posting you will be submitting for.
Who wouldn’t want to do something easier, especially if the end result will be the same or even better? You can easily reduce the stress and the effort of your job search by making some simple adjustments in your approach, such as the tips noted above.
As always, the best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of WNYJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at: Joe Stein
