Are You Spending Your Job-Search Time Wisely?

by Mike O'Brien, Climber.com


Looking for a new job is rarely a short-term proposition, but sometimes the problem isn't the lack of jobs available--it's how you're allocating your time.

According to a recent Climber.com poll of 250 new members who earn $50,000 or more, most job seekers spend the majority of their time--over 50 percent of it--on two activities: searching for and applying for new positions. The numbers break down as follows:

• Searching for Positions Online 29.94%
• Applying to Positions 27.28%
• Networking 24.11%
• Researching Companies 12.89%
• Working with a Recruiter 5.56%

With a balance of activities like this, you can get caught in the "activity not productivity" trap--spending the majority of your time on job-search activities that make you feel like you're making progress, but that aren't helping you reach your goals.

Instead, you should reorder your job-seeking priorities and focus on the activities that lead to meaningful, engaging conversations with the recruiters and employers who can best help you gain your next position. A better time breakdown for professionals in the $50,000-and-above marketplace would be as follows:

• Networking 30%
• Researching Companies 25%
• Working with a Recruiter 20%
• Applying to Positions 15%
• Searching for Positions Online 10%

Why the shift? For advanced professionals, the focus of your job search should be on developing a strategy specific to you: identifying what your ideal next position is, and in what type of organization, and then networking with people who can help you achieve that goal. You should not be spending the majority of your time on the highly manual process of seeking out new positions. In fact, most job boards and career-management sites can provide you with excellent automated listings, particularly if you've done a good job of identifying your skills, experience, and interests to attract the employers who would best be a fit for you.

In addition, you should take the time to actually research the companies you're considering for your next position. Too often, job searchers feel they "don't have a choice"--that they must take the first job opportunity they find. This may get you employed more quickly, but it will not help advance your career for the long-term. By carefully considering each company you apply to, you can update your resume to position yourself effectively for those organizations, and you will be better prepared to excel during the interview process.

Bottom line, start treating your job search like the next step in a long-term success plan for your career, and don't settle for a stop-gap solution to a temporary problem. You'll start thinking of yourself in a more positive and strategic light--and both recruiters and future employers will as well.

Job Info , Jobs , Employment