Whatever your reasons are for not being employed at the moment, it will be necessary for you to do a job search sooner or later. The problem, however, is that once you’ve experienced the luxury of having so much free time, you might find it very challenging to get off the couch to start looking for a job. You may even find yourself putting off your job search until such time that you don’t have any other option but to get just a job - any job.
Here are some tips on how you can stop procrastinating when searching for a job.
1. Make your bed as soon as you get out of it
Making your bed is part of starting your day right. When you see your bed rumpled, you would easily feel the urge to go back to it and just lie down. When you do, you will find more reasons to not get up just yet. If you want to fight procrastination, you need to have the right mindset the moment you open your eyes in the morning. You will then be more likely to stay up and start being productive.
2. Consider each day as an ordinary working day
Once you’ve fixed your bed, carry out your morning routine just like you would on an ordinary workday. By treating each day like an regular workday, you are actually preparing yourself to go back to the workforce.
It would also help if you could create a workplace ambience at home. It’s likely that you are doing your job search mainly online, so you might as well arrange your desk and chair so it would look somewhat like a home office. This way, your mind will be away from any distractions while doing your job search.
3. Have a plan of action
One of the biggest reasons you procrastinate is your lack of a plan. If you don’t have any goals to reach, it would be hard for you to be motivated to do something. Thus, it is important that you have a specific plan of action for your job search. Outline your career objectives and identify the steps you need to take to achieve those goals. You should be specific when it comes to what type of work you desire. And then, identify which companies are offering the job you want, and narrow your choices down to the companies that interest you the most.
4. Create a schedule and stick to it
After you have targeted which companies you want to apply to, the next thing to do is set a schedule. Specify what dates and times you are going to do what. For instance, on Monday, your task is to update your resume between 9 am and noon. Then have an hour break before you start sending your application to your target companies from 1pm to 5pm. Make sure that you stick to your schedule.
5. Seek advice from a coach
A personal coach is not only for employed individuals who want to advance in their careers. You may need a personal coach to help you search for the right job for you. A coach will create a plan with you to ensure that your job search is efficient and will lead you to the job that fits you the best.
These are just a few steps to get you started on the job hunt. If you stick to a schedule and follow through, you will be working before you know it.
Photo Courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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