12 Tasks That KILL Your Job Search Before Noon

Everyone wants to have a killer job search, but you might not realize you are doing things to kill your job search.

Here’s an excellent article titled 12 Tasks That Killer Employees Always Finish Before Noon.

I love this article. It includes suggestions such as:

#1 make a to-do list the day before,

#4 exercise (to improve energy and mood levels)

#7 arrive on time (imagine the stress saved!)

#10 avoid morning meetings

I wanted to contrast that with things that are really, really counterproductive! So with that, I give you a list of things I see that kill your job search that you need to beware of. Are you doing any of these?

12 Tasks that KILL Your Job Search Before Noon

1. Check Facebook. Time waster that will suck you in to irrelevant places. 5 minutes is okay… 50 minutes multiple times a day will kill your job search.
2. Get caught up in LinkedIn News articles. Interesting, but won’t necessarily help you network into your target companies.  Time suck.
3. Browse through irrelevant tweets. I used to do this, to see what was going on in the world. Waste of time.
4. Look at blog posts from family, friends, etc. Fun.  Time suck. Sorry. You are not on salary to read your family and friend posts.
5. Read the local news website. Time suck.  Not relevant to your job search usually.  You can justify it as staying in touch with current events, but you are spending valuable time doing that and not calling people you need to call.
6. Sleep in late. Whatever “late” means to you.  I have found sleeping in late disrupts my day and before I know it, it’s afternoon and I am BEHIND on what I hoped to accomplish that day.
7. Skip exercise (same as the original post). What job seeker doesn’t need an improvement in energy and mood??  Seriously, do it.  Daily.
8. Pass on your routine (same as the original post). Most people who start a job search are floored by how unstructured their day and life is.  I give you permission to create your own routine and structure… and then stick to it.  Some of you need structure to the minute, others just  need daily goals.  Either way, create a routine and honor the routine.
9. Not journal. I’m becoming convinced that journaling is the gateway to peace, your soul, and sanity.  Therapists regularly recommend journaling to cope with issues.  Leaders have journaled.  Some do it for their kids and grandkids, others just because.  Having blogged for 6 years I can attest that journaling (which I’ve realized is blogging, for me) has perhaps saved my life. I’m going to do more personal journaling, as I’ve finally seen the value in this, and wish I would have done it many years ago.
10. Avoid making the phone call you’ve been putting off. I get it, you are chicken.  But get over it and pick up the phone.  Every day. Just once a day. Get that off your list.
11. Applying to jobs online. You complain about the resume black hole, yet you keep hucking your resume into it.  It’s time to listen to everyone and spend more time networking than applying.
12. Unusual housework, “honey do” list items, handyman projects. These need to get done, but treat your job search like a full-time job and schedule time for the other stuff, just like you did before.  I’m not saying to let things go… but schedule your priorities.

Hey, I’ve been there.  I wasted time.  Hours, days.  I still do, sometimes, as an entrepreneur.  I’m not pointing fingers, but if you have an opportunity to change your situation, I want to help, and I hope this list is helpful.

Would you add any to the list?

Do you think any of these things are okay (especially in moderation), or can you see that they might kill your job search?

One thing I’d recommend to not kill your job search is to make sure you invest your time in learning the right job search tactics. Here are a few of my favorite courses I’ve put together for you.