Five Job Search Time Traps

Looking for a job is a full-time job. How many times have you heard that before? Well, it bears mentioning again. What is a job, anyway? You get paid to do something productive that makes the company more successful and profitable. A pretty simple definition, but with a few alterations, it's applicable to most jobs. 

If you think of your last or present job, there are things that distract you from doing what you’re supposed to be doing. Some of them are external, some internal. Distractions on the job take away focus and productivity. The same goes for your job search. If it’s not going so well and you’re not seeing results, take a look at how you’re spending your day and what may be robbing you of your time and concentration.

It’s easy to keep track of your time and schedule with your Smartphone, computer, daily planner or just a notebook. Anything will do. A recent article in a Daytimer newsletter by Laura Stack, "Time Management Trap: Interruptions and Distractions," gives some interesting tips on time management that are good advice for anyone in the job hunt. If you feel like you’re spinning your wheels or not getting results, these time wasters may be the cause:

1. Constantly checking emails. This is a huge time waster and an avoidance tactic. If filling out job applications with no response is too frustrating, checking emails every 10 minutes is a trick to feel like you’re doing something productive while putting off more tedious tasks. Turn down the volume on your laptop, close your email browser and set a time for checking emails. If you get an inquiry, an hour lag in responding won’t hurt your chances. In fact, answering too fast may give the impression you’re sitting around on your email all day with nothing else to do. That may be true, but playing a little “hard to get” can work in your favor.
    
2. Being “on call.” Stash your phone. Put it on mute. The best thing to do is put it somewhere you can’t see or hear it. The “ping” when a new message or email comes through triggers the automatic response to grab the phone and check the message. Just like email, constantly checking your phone or taking every call may take a minute, but those minutes all add up. 
    
3. Tuning in. Turn off the TV. TV is a huge distractor, because your eyes are somewhere besides what you’re working on. The temptation to stop and see who won the Price is Right showcase or how Dr. House solved the latest medical mystery is too strong for some. It’s like eating that one potato chip—you have to have more. 
    
4. The sound of silence. Put on some music or ambient noise. Sitting in a silent house or office can be distracting, too. Some people don’t like the feeling of being alone. Or, maybe the dishwasher starts to sound funny, and they just have to investigate. Ambient noise, or natural sounds like the sound of waves crashing on shore, can help you tune out the distractions. 
    
5. Over-scheduling. Networking is still the best way to find a job. But if your calendar is full of coffee dates and lunches with friends, you’ve crossed the networking line and moved into social job-search avoidance. Are you really discussing leads and job search tactics, or running away from the real work? Not every social occasion or coffee meeting is productive. Choose carefully and spend the rest of the time focusing on your search. 

Practicing good time management before you get a job will help once you’ve landed your dream job. Keep distractions to a minimum, focus your efforts on your job search and you’ll have plenty of time to relax, watch your favorite shows and meet your friends—after you get home from working your new job.

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