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Unemployed: Time on your hands
December 25th, 2007
There’s nothing more maddening than waiting for things to happen. With job applications, there’s a double whammy. It’s using up time, and that time can be used more productively.
1. Clear the decks.
When you have a chance, clear up everything domestically, even household chores. Make sure you don’t have anything getting in the way of your job applications. That includes bills and shopping. These basic situations are a distraction, and add to your use of time. You can get all prepared for an interview, and come home with a mountain of ‘extras’ to do.
For those with unavoidable distractions, like kids, try for something acceptable to you and them, simple, but do it so it’s clear Mommy/Daddy really has to do all this. Preferably make it something fun, so they know they’re not being ‘exiled’, but they’re clear on your movements and times.
Some distractions are so normal you don’t even notice you’re being distracted. The routine stuff literally eats away the whole day, and not much else gets done. The risk is you can find yourself with a full day, trying to fit in your applications and preparations for interviews between domestic crises and bits and pieces of everyday life. You can wear yourself to a frazzle pretty quickly that way, if you try hard enough.
The fundamental approach is pretty simple:
- If something needs doing, or will need doing, make sure it gets done, ASAP, so it doesn’t become a problem.
- If something can be brought forward, done immediately, do that.
- If you can rid yourself of anything or anyone likely to make demands on your time, do it instantly.
The net result of this is hours of available time. It’s not really ‘extra’ time, it’s the time it would have taken you to handle the natural accumulation of ‘things’ that make up human life. Put enough of it in one place, and you’ve got some space to breathe and some room to maneuver.
(With apologies to Einstein: Time can make space.)
This also helps when making applications, particularly during phone screenings and basic inquiries. You can devote your full attention to them, without World War Three breaking out during the process.
It’s quite easy to find that situations that interfere with every aspect of looking for a job.
- Writing a decent cover letter can be totally disrupted by a phone call. Tell them you’ll call back, because you’re really busy, and that’s nothing less than the truth.
- Making the CV is hard work of itself. You’re at proofreading standards of performance here, and you must have time to do it properly. Just about anything else can wait. If it’s not life or death, put it on hold.
- Talking to contact officers isn’t a raffle. (Well, it’s not supposed to be.) You need time to be able to sort out what questions you want to ask, and what information you need.
There are ways of managing time so you’re calling the shots. Doing it this way, you have a good chance of not only getting organized, but staying organized. You might have to make a few extra phone calls, but it’ll be worth it.
Playing catch up with time isn’t a good idea. You’re always behind, and just trying to break even. This added time gives you a chance to plan ahead:
- You set up the times for what you’re doing, not a third party. (Definitely not just anyone who’s trying to fit you into their schedule, and costing you flexibility) You don’t have to be ‘difficult’, just honestly pointing out that you do have commitments.
- When setting up a time frame, always be realistic. Don’t cram things together. All that does is create a treadmill for yourself. If you’ve got a scheduler, leave some space in it so you’ve got time to keep things tidy, unless absolutely unavoidable. (In which case open up some free time in your schedule for the soonest possible time afterwards. Work can create itself, unless you stay well on top of it.)
- Make absolutely certain that there’s no leftover tasks around, whenever you can. They snowball.
Other uses for any available time are surprisingly simple, and don’t interfere with job hunting:
Training is pretty civilized these days, and you can get yourself some decent, accredited, qualifications without much hassle. A lot of the online training and open universities are accredited, and you really can do yourself some good in terms of job prospects.
In terms of timing, in many cases you can set your own schedules. That’s a selling point with the education industry, and it’s also obviously a perfect way to manage your time effectively. You may even be able to work out a routine so you have most of weekdays free, and can fit in any interviews, etc, with the course. You tell the employer about the course, and ask what sort of study leave is available. That will definitely convince the employer that you’re a self starter, and can function using your own initiative.
Being alive is quite popular with most people, and if you’re not buried in a confused, unnecessary mess of ‘things to do’, it can be fun. You can even have a social life, and not be stuck in some goldfish bowl existence, or a museum full of things you would have liked to have done.
Show some respect for yourself, and get out and do at least some of the things you want to do.
Sport, arts, karaoke at defenceless people in clubs, personal projects, or just enjoying things, it’s your life, so live it.
The important thing here is you’re in charge of your own life.
You’re using your time as a tool, not as a shovel to dig your own grave.
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January 22nd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
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