When you’re out of a job, it is easy to become so obsessed with your job search habits that you end up wasting time instead of making progress. In the end, your eagerness may become an obstacle to your job search efforts. If you don’t want to find yourself wasting valuable time, here are some things you need to avoid doing.Rewriting your resume repeatedly – You need a resume that is written well, one that conveys your skills and experiences that pertain to the job. However, creating different versions for each job is a waste of time. You also expose yourself to problems because it is harder to organize your applications with the number of resume versions you submitted.
Rewriting your cover letter repeatedly – Like with a resume, you need a solid cover letter to convey the message you can’t with a resume. However, if you keep writing a new one every time you apply for a position, then you’re wasting valuable time. Create a template that you can quickly tweak for each position instead of starting from scratch every time.
Applying to every job opening you find – You want to get a job as soon as possible, but sending your job application to every job opening won’t help that cause. Start focusing your job search on jobs that you know you have a good shot at getting, instead of mindlessly sending a resume to every job.
Following up too much – It’s understandable that you can’t wait to find out if you will be hired after a great interview or if your application was received by the hiring manager. Still, you also need to understand that hiring managers have other things they need to take care of besides filling an open position. It may take time for them to get back to you, and you just need to be patient.
Limiting yourself to one avenue in searching for a job – You have your way of doing your search, but this also means that you are missing out on a number of alternative job search avenues. If you search for jobs mainly using the Internet, you might be missing opportunities for jobs that are only posted locally.
The need to find a job soon is understandable, but you must learn how to manage your time properly. Spending all of your time finding a job does not mean that you will find a new job sooner than someone who spends less time in his or her search. Be smart and efficient in how you use your time so that you can make the most out of what you have and achieve your goal sooner.
