MY JOB HUNT IS A MESS – HOW CAN I GET ORGANISED?

So you waded straight in and started to sink? Don’t fret, it happens to the best of us – and it’s totally fixable. Here’s what to do now:

Stop job-hunting. Take 24 hours off from applications and searching for vacancies and spend the day getting yourself organised. It isn’t a waste of time – it’s an investment.

Build a system. Ask ‘What would work best for me?’ Some people love spreadsheets, others need spider diagrams. Graduate Fog isn’t going to micro-manage this for you. You’re smart people – do whatever works for you. What kind of tool would help you keep track of your job-hunting progress?

Use the system. There’s no point in creating a beautiful rainbow-coloured chart and then not using it. Whatever you build needs to be something you actually use when job-hunting. Add to it, change bits and make sure each task has a column marked ‘Next’ or ‘Action plan’ so you can see what needs to happen now. If you’re not using it, change it so that you do.

Make a five minute to-do list. Before you even switch on your computer, make a list of things to do toady. This should be a series of bite-sized tasks that if you completed you would feel like you’d had a good day. Cross each task off as you go. Assign each task to ‘morning’ or ‘afternoon’ if you need more structure.

Clarify your motivation. Discipline is only a problem for tasks that you don’t want to do. So switch job hunting to become a task you do want to do. Make two lists: “I want to get a job so that…” and “If I don’t get a job, I can see myself…” You’ll find both lists come in handy when you’re having a bad day.

Talk to your parents. If you haven’t already, call a summit with your folks to explain what’s happening. As well as being helpful for them (it’s hard to know how to help a job-seeking graduate), it will be a boost to hear yourself explaining your plan to others. If you know you’re going to struggle with motivation, it can be helpful to promise them regular weekly update meetings.

Define your hours. It could be 9am until 5pm, 11am until 7pm… But whenever you work best – and however much time you have – make sure it has a clear start and end. With a task as sprawling as job-hunting, you need to keep it in check. Know when to clock off, shut down your computer and head to the pub to meet your mates – and talk about something other than job-hunting.

*Anything we’ve missed on this subject?
Email Graduate Fog here and we’ll weave some extra info into this section for you.

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