Too much stuff hindering your job search?
Do you remember last week’s post about finding a job? Sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it? Why it then so difficult to land that job? Of course, there are general external factors like the general economic climate, availability of vacancies in your field.
But many candidates are blocked internally. They can’t get their head around the job search and aren’t as effective as they could be. Here are 3 great tips to give you that clarity needed to land that job!
Create headspace. You may know by now that I’m a big advocate of mind sweeps (aka brain dumps). Write down everything that comes on to your mind. You may want to find a quieter spot and start with 30 minutes. If you have more time, use it. Whether buying that one missing ingredient for dinner, reviewing the slides for tomorrow’s presentation or sending out that feedback back, write everything down. Trivial things like picking up the suit from the dry cleaner occupy space in your mind and it all adds up.
By writing it all down, you acknowledge everything that is going on in your life. You can park the activities and thoughts which are neither important nor urgent. Address them when you need to. Use your newly won headspace to focus on what needs to be handled now like your job search!
Declutter your office and home. Controversially, I’ll say you need to declutter your company’s office and your home office. Notice how I also mentioned home? That’s right! If just one room at home is clutter-free and you’re still stumbling across boxes in the hall way or can’t sit down at your dining table, it will prevent you from focusing.
Clutter blocks your you from achieving your goals and living the life you want. Your mind unconsciously and consciously will spend more time thinking about the state of your home than on your job search.
Today, take 5-15 minutes and make a start. Clear the visible first. Flat surfaces like kitchen counters, coffee and dining tables and or even beds are a clutter magnet. You can take a first step today and declutter your kitchen counters, for example. You can have a great and impactful start by removing all the appliances like the bread machine you don’t use daily. You’ll notice the difference immediately.
Incorporate small changes into your daily life that will help you land that job. Look at your calendar. How do you spend your time? Surfing the web or watching that new TV show pop up every day? Can you spend some time differently and use it for your job search? For example, reduce watching TV by 15 minutes and raise your personal profile online by commenting on industry forums or publishing posts. Have an early breakfast meeting or spend one lunch break per week with one of your connections and catch up with them.
At this year’s International Psychology Conference Dubai, one of the presenters shared how she checks her emails at 9 am, 1 pm and 4 pm only. Her automatic email reply notifies the original sender of this practice and is encouraged to call her if they can’t wait for her reply. Now, this may be a more rigorous approach and I recognise it may not work in every field. However, by checking your emails less frequently, you can concentrate on your activity at hand and get it done more efficiently. In theory and in praxis, this should also help you to leave your office on time or with shorter overtime hours and you can use this time for your job search.
How have you decluttered your life to land that job? Uncertain about the direction your career is going? Contact us to find out how we can help find your path.
Until next time,
Agni