It's a truth universally acknowledged that job searching is one of the most stressful tasks a person can engage in.
Gotcha! That's absolutely not true.
If you focus on the right techniques, you can supercharge your job search in just a few minutes a day.
In this post, I’m going to show you ten 20-minute things you can do to relieve some of the stress and put you in control of your search.
By the end, you’ll have a much firmer grasp on the strategic steps you need to take to make your search more effective. You may even find yourself in the middle of a multi-offer bidding war!
Grab yourself just 20 minutes and an emotional support beverage, and let's get into how you can get that new gig faster than you can say “What’s my new benefits package?”
#1. Use Reverse Engineering
Start not with the next step, but where it is you want your steps to lead to. Then walk backwards.
When I first started my second career change, my goal was to be financially independent while also doing something I really enjoyed.
I had no idea how much it would change my life.
I spent quality time with myself deciding on what I wanted my day to day ideally be like. I then worked backwards and broke down the steps and milestones I would need to achieve that outcome.
The plan is simple:
Take 20 minutes out of your day regularly to visualize your ideal day.
Take 20 minutes to get very detailed about what steps you need to take (in backwards order) to get there.
Take another 20 minutes to create a visual record of your plan. Either a calendar, a gameboard type visual, a flowchart etc.
What you can expect:
Focusing on the result will give you a north star, sense of focus, stake in the ground (whatever you choose to call it) that will center you.
#2. Make Time for Dreaming Up Grand Plans
When you've been struggling to find a job, something as simple as taking the time to plan for the future, can feel like wasted time.
But if you skip this step, it’ll be hard to see where your search is going. A plan gives you a roadmap and blueprint for success.
You’ll see understand what candidates are right for the roles you want and who your go-tos are in your network.
What you can expect:
Once you have a plan you’ll have a clear vision for your job search. While your immediate response to needing a job is to jump in whole-hog into simply finding an open role on the internet that seems like a good fit, taking a step back and actually coming up with a long term grand plan will save you lots of time and effort. Even if it feels like you don’t have the time and effort to ‘waste’ on this at the moment.
Want more info on career planning? Have a look over here 3 WAYS TO MAKE MAJOR CAREER MOVES THAT STICK.
Download your free Job Search Tracker now!
#3. Keep on something you’re already doing (but for too much time)
One of the best things you can do to have an effective job search is to show up on LinkedIn. Even when it seems like you’re getting nowhere, taking small steps to get your name into the right spaces can have a huge impact on your career.
Let’s face it, sometimes the things that have the most impact on our job search are monotonous and tedious. And they can be incredibly time-consuming.
So if you’re spending disjointed amounts of time on scrolling LinkedIn, you’re not alone. This is something most searchers struggle with. The endless “I HATE THIS BUT I HAVE TO BE HERE” LinkedIn scrolling.
The good news is, LinkedIn is a perfect candidate for the 20-minute rule.
Instead of staring down the barrel of scrolling for hours at a time, just do it for 20 minutes at a time. You can use a pomodoro timer to help you keep track. Then take a break, go for a walk, step away from it.
What you can expect:
Showing up in intentional bite-sized time chunks keeps you from glazing over and really you can do everything you need to do on LinkedIn in 20 minutes:
Reach out to a long-lost colleague
Follow an organization you’re interested in
Comment on a post by a prominent figure in your industry
Post a thought on an interesting trend in your field
Related Post:WHY YOU NEED TO OPTIMIZE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE
#4. Try something different
If you've been firmly on the side of JobBoardPalooza, you may want to consider a new approach.
Job Boards are great for research but for the most part they seem to be a black-whole like void these days. Unless they’re super niche.
Here’s how to keep this one to 20 minutes so you can test it out and see if it’s a good fit for you:
Go directly to the organizations you’re interested in
Talk to your network
Reach out on social media
What you can expect:
Get out there and switch it up!
Spend 20 minutes trying any other approach other than the job boards you’ve been focusing on. Feel free to use the information you glean from doom scrolling job descriptions, but try any weird and wonderful way that comes into your head.
I had a client who successfully completed a career change by telling the baristas at the cafe they were working at daily what it was they were looking for. The baristas kept and eye out and ears open for opportunities for their devoted regular and made a connection that led to a perfect role.
#5. Take the Time to create a mastermind group
We don’t all have the time (or cash) for one-on-one coaching or therapy. And that’s perfectly okay, because nowadays there are other options available that don’t require a huge time or cash commitment.
You can absolutely still achieve a stellar job search by creating a mastermind. And the kicker is, you can do this one in less than 20 minutes.
There are many masterminds out there, including:
Paid groups that are focused on the particular thing you’re looking for
A mastermind of colleagues or friends you put together to mutually help each other
Local/community groups that are free (many times at libraries or community centers)
What you can expect:
As with most things, you get out of masterminds what you put in. I have been a part of and benefitted from many types: paid, online, in person, coach specific etc.
The most useful mastermind I have ever been a part of when it came to job searches was a bookclub! We spent the last 20 minutes of every meeting with “ask and offer” time.
Folx who had contacts or openings at their organizations shared what they were and those looking for work shared what they did and where they wanted to do it. Connections were made, freelancers were hired, roles were filled. It was amazing.
#6. Implement a filing system for all your docs
The hardest part of literally any career based endeavor is ensuring your ducks are in order. And by ducks I mean resume(s), cover letter(s), portfolio, website, contacts, calendar… the list goes on.
This means an excellent way to use today's allocated 20 minutes is to organize all your business digital paperwork ahead of time.
My favorite way to do this is excruciatingly simple, because it keeps you on track and is accessible from anywhere. A clearly labeled Google Drive folder. That’s it. Now obviously you can use whatever system works best for you. But pick a system and stick with it.
Don’t wait until someone asks for your resume to update your resume! Update everything and plop into an easily accessible folder.
What you can expect:
You may not get the hang of keeping it all together and updated it right away, but the more you use it the more effective you’ll become at document management. Which means you shouldn’t even need 20 whole minutes because you won’t be searching for that document labeled resume_23_final_edit_CSV2_editedfinal_doc
#7. Remember to take a break
It may seem counterintuitive, but building in regular time for some sort of self-care activity or “check-in” means more effective job search because a well-rested candidate is an effective job search navigator.
My clients have had great results just by taking 20 minutes at the start of the week to do something for themselves like walking to their favorite coffee spot, reading a book, or doing a crazy intense HIIT workout.
With all the other things you need to do to during your job search, you may be tempted to skip over this, but please don’t! You need to be your best you during this time. Burnt out you isn’t gong to get the gig.
Here are other 20-minute ways you can practice self-care & take a break:
Listen to an audiobook
Watch ASMR videos
Knit your dog some socks
What you can expect:
There are so many reasons why taking a break should be part of your regular routine.
Starting with it’s anti-burnout benefits and move on into doing these things clears your mind of overwhelm and stress allowing you to actually do the work you need to do.
#8. Plan out your networking strategically
If you’re like me, you tend to dive in head-first without a lot of thought or preparation.
I mean, I’d like to blame my ADHD but I think this is just how I operate if I’m not careful. But seriously this is the truly time-waster of all ways to do literally anything.
Planning your networking out strategically (in order to supercharge your job search) makes networking seriously powerful (and even fun) and only takes a few minutes each day.
Here’s what a networking plan looks like:
Write out your very detailed, ultimate goal. For example “To become SVP of the Western Region for Zippy Ties Inc, by Nov. 3rd”
Evaluate your current network. Looking at all your existing connections, ask yourself:
How can the people in my network help me get to my goal?
Who in my network is a super-connector?
Is my network well-balanced and representative of my goals and industry?
Is there someone I’m not connected to, who I need to be?
3. Identify networking gaps and consider how to fill them.
4. Get started
5. Keep track of your data!
The best part about planning like this is that you end up being wayyyy more focused than just telling every rando you meet that you’re looking for a new role and focus = outcomes.
Want to know more about networking? Have a look at this post THE ONE APPROACH YOU NEED TO MASTER TO GROW YOUR JOB SEARCH NETWORK
What you can expect:
As I said, networking strategically and with focus will bring you infinitely better results than just asking around willy-nilly.
As you can see this actually goes for every aspect of your job search, not just networking. It’s almost like having a plan is the key to success!
#9. Don't compare yourself to others
It can be tempting to compare yourself to other job seekers (especially friends and colleagues), but this will dishearten you and distract you from your personal search making it wayyy less effective and creating a doom spiral of overwhelm.
Heavy, I know. Instead, you can think back to your 6th grade teacher telling you “Eyes on your own paper!” during that pop quiz.
Unless those folx you’re comparing yourself to can offer truly helpful connections or advice, it’s best to steer clear of focusing on them or their outcomes. You have your own goals to work towards.
And the best part is, you can have a truly effective job search in only 20 minutes a day rather than wasting time worrying about what your ex-coworker is up to and how they got that new job so fast.
What you can expect:
Focusing on your own journey will keep you on track without making you jealous or derailing your strategic plans. You can’t actually know what someone else’s goals, results or plans are anyway. THe less effort and mind-space you give to figuring out what someone else is doing is time well spent on your own job search.
#10. Finally, grab my FREE Job Search Tracker
If you’ve been following me for a while, you may know that I help folx find work that works for them. Many times this means helping them figure out what it is they even want to do but sometimes it’s helping them just get the gig.
I’m excited to announce that I’ve made a tool to help you do just that. A fully customizable Job Search Tracker!
So if you really want to save time and maximize your results, head on over and take a peek at how much time (and stress) this free tracker will save you.
It includes a comprehensive spreadsheet with everything you need to keep all that need-to-know info straight and see what your next steps are in your job search.
Sound good? Don't wait because the sooner you get your stuff together the easier your job search will be.
That’s a Wrap! 20 Minutes to Job Search Success
It’s amazing what you can accomplish in 20 minutes when you’re focused and diligent.
The best way to have a successful job search is to be consistent and tackle bite-sized tasks often and regularly, and I hope this guide has been helpful for you.
And don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram where occasionally you’ll witness me do a happy dance over a client big win! Don't say I didn't warn you.
Yours in get that gig goodness-
EBS
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EB Sanders | Career Coach for Creative Types
ebsanders.com
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