Productivity: The Secret Saucefor Successful Job Search

Catherine MorganCareer Transition Coach | Business Consultant

Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.

Time is scarce

• Time is your most valuable commodity

• No matter how much time we have, it never seems like enough– Family

– Career

– Fitness

– Volunteering

– Hobbies

– Other?

Who gets more done?

• Someone with a lot of spare time?

• Someone with a lot of commitments?

The inner game of productivity

• Need to create good mental space

• Invalidate negative self-talk

Taming the “monkey mind”

• How do you calm the “chatter”

– Exercise – walking, running, swimming

– Meditation

– Yoga

– Other?

Know when your peak times are

• When are you usually at your best?

– Are you a morning person?

– Do you prefer late night for thinking?

How to find more time

• Find out where your “leaks” are

– Keep track of what you do for a week

– Usual time-sucks include:

• Watching TV

• Internet surfing

• Interacting on social media

• Playing video games

• Writing long e-mails

• Meetings

• Volunteering

Setting boundaries

• Know what you are willing to do for work

– And are not willing to do

• Remember to set boundaries (and stick to them!) with:

– Family

– Friends

– Volunteer commitments

– Recruiters

Avoiding burnout

• Take the time to recover from the previous job’s burnout, if necessary

• Plan for the long haul

Right time on right things

• Online applications

• Lunches and coffees with network

• Informational interviews

• Industry networking

• Cold outreach to target companies

Syncing progress and expectations

• Are you making progress?

– Take small steps every day

• Are your expectations realistic given the time you have been in transition?

What causes overwhelm?

“Overwhelm is caused by NOT knowing WHAT to do,

not by having too much to do.”~ Michael Port

How to get past overwhelm

• Get things out of your head

– Trying to remember too many things can cause immediate overwhelm

Capture all tasks

• Overwhelm will subside when you get into action

• Capture everything you need to do in some way (paper, software, phone app)

Out of the brain and on to…

• Everybody is different

– No tech – lists and sticky notes

• Sticky note fun:

– Write each task on a sticky note

– Put all notes on your left

– When a task is done, move note to the right side for a visual sense of completion

Software can help

• WorkFlowy

• Evernote

• iDoneThis

Create logical groups

• Once out of your head, tasks can be combined into logical groups or projects

– Business projects

– Personal chores

– Administrative tasks

First way to prioritize: Cha-ching!

• #1. Do the task that is the most important

– Hint: The fast path to the cash

Second way to prioritize: Gulp

• #2. Do the dreaded task first

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you

the rest of the day.” ~ Mark Twain

Third way to prioritize: Check

• #3. Do the easy things first

– Build momentum

Fourth way to prioritize: Whoo-hoo!

• #4. Gauge your enthusiasm

– Which task gets you excited?

– Do that first to get a little energy that can carry over to the ones that are not so fun

Your friend the calendar

• Be hands-on: Use your calendar!

– Go through your commitments and other projects

– Define specific tasks and block out times

– Also schedule in breaks and fun

Add in constraints for productivity

• Work will expand to the amount of time you give it

• Set deadlines – even if they are fake

• Bracket your time with other things that can’t move

• Keep some kind of a schedule (and keep your sanity)

Some bonus tips

• Try using a timer with 45- or 50-minute blocks and then take 15- or 10-minute breaks

– Or try 25-minute blocks with The Pomodoro Technique http://pomodorotechnique.com/

• Write a list for the next day when you are finished with your work day or at night

– You may relax and sleep better – and feel more productive in the morning

Keeping track and following up

• Most people use these:

– Spreadsheet

– Calendar program (Outlook, Google Calendar)

Notice avoidance behaviors

• This happens frequently when what we need to be doing is scary or tedious

• Notice when you start doing something (anything!) to avoid the dreaded task

– Laundry

– Organizing your office

– Cleaning

– E-mail

Need to have or nice to have?

• Job seekers can get sidetracked thinking they need to:

– Learn some software package

– Get a specific certification

Ways to mitigate anxiety

• Identify it and name it

• Attack it with logic

• Disarm it with gratitude

Banish crazy-busy

• Forget crazy-busy

– It’s the new normal

Questions?

Catherine MorganCareer Transition Coach | Business ConsultantPoint A to Point B Transitions Inc.877.672.5333Catherine@PointAtoPointBTransitions.comLinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/PointAtoPointBTwitter @PointA_PointB

Catherine speaks on:- Productivity- Entrepreneurship- Small Business- Career Transition