Time Blocking Tips to Manage Your Energy as a Full-Time Job Seeker
Being a job seeker can be a full-time job – especially if you’re feeling pressed for time. It’s easy to get overwhelmed when trying to implement the various job search tactics available to us – cold applying, reaching out to contacts, trying to build connections, searching job boards, etc. Burnout can creep up on us if we’re not careful and strategic about how we spend our job search energy.
My First iOS Engineer Job Search Attempt
When I was a full-time job seeker, I felt like looking for a job was the only thing I should be doing. I would fill my days with job seeking activities like searching for companies that had iOS positions posted, reaching out to people at those companies before applying in attempts of reverse recruiting for myself, and working on my next personal project that was going to be “the one” that was going to get me hired somewhere. I ignored what my other priorities were. I felt like my job search should be my only priority. Continuing my job search this way was causing me to burn out.
I was never fully intentional about how I was managing my energy while job searching. I kept filling my day with things that made me feel like I was being productive. And yes, while everything I was doing was yielding positive results and landing me phone screens, the burnout was affecting my enthusiasm for working with these companies. I wasn’t making time for myself or my other priorities.
Tips for Time Blocking Your Job Search Tasks
Time blocking allows you to divide your tasks into blocks of time. You dedicate each block to accomplishing a specific task or group of tasks. For example:
- Set aside an hour for job applications
- Set aside an hour for reverse recruiting attempts
- Block 2 hours for potential phone screens
- Pick 1 day of the week for “on-sites”/code interviews
- Block personal time
We want to make sure that we write down all of our priorities, both personal and professional. It’s just as important to block off our personal time as well.
Consider Incorporating Day Theming with Time Blocking
As developers, we like to get in the zone when we’re coding so we can stay focused on what we’re building. So try mixing day theming with your time blocking schedule. Maybe Mondays and Wednesdays are dedicated solely for coding. Tuesday and Thursday mornings/afternoons can be for job searching and the evening left for coding. Fridays can be reserved for “on-sites”/code interviews.
Wrap Up
Sometimes, the stress of our job search can come out during phone screens without us noticing. Recruiters can pick up on that. My enthusiasm started coming back when I began managing my energy better. I started letting myself be a priority as well, and time blocking my day gave me the structure needed to do more than just be a job seeker. Slowly my enthusiasm for my craft started coming back.
How have you been managing your energy during your job search? Follow me on Instagram and Twitter and let me know!