How to manage full time job search and still enjoy summer

We all know the feeling. Out of school for the first time in a long time, finally time for your friends, great weather and the constant guilt of not applying for all that jobs that you so desperately need right now.

So you enjoy your week, from one BBQ to the next and all of a sudden you find yourself on Sunday night with a seemingly unmanageable amount of jobs to research, e-mails to write and cover letters and CVs to send.

But shouldn’t you be able to do both? Enjoy the summer and still manage the job hunt? Here are some tricks that might help you on your quest.

Time management

I know - it’s a classic. And you have probably heard it a thousand times from your wise professors at University, but that doesn’t make it less true. If you manage your time properly, you will get more out of it. Set aside a certain amount of time per day for your job search and pick realistic times, for example 10am – 1pm. Treat this time like you would treat a job, i.e. be on time and don’t skip just because the sun is shining. If you pick your times right you will still have enough time to sleep and enjoy the afternoons and nights with your friends without feeling bad about not having done anything.

Optimise your research

Rather than starting from zero with your job search every time you sit down, use available tools to help you with your online research, for example:

• Set up an RSS feed for job search sites
• Follow job related tweets on Twitter
• Join relevant LinkedIn Groups

Use Templates

Create prototypes of cover letters and e-mails that are easily editable for the different jobs you are applying to. This way you don’t have to start all over again for each application.

Set realistic targets

Don’t try to do too much. If you expect to send out 30 applications per week you will only get frustrated if you don’t achieve this goal. Set yourself a realistic daily target and don’t forget that it is not only about sending out applications but that research takes up quite some time as well.

Online Presence

Build up your online presence that you can refer prospective employers to for additional information about yourself, for example:

• Your own website with an online portfolio of your work
• A well developed LinkedIn Profile
• A Blog and/or Twitter account where you can show your involvement and expertise on a certain subject

And most of all, don’t forget to go out and enjoy yourself.

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