Job Seekers: What Can you Accomplish in Just 18 Minutes a Day?

Job Hunting Tips

by Barbara Safani on Jan 6th, 2010

Not much. But the Department of Labor reports that the average number of minutes unemployed Americans are spending looking for a job each day is 18 minutes. What can those 18 minutes possibly translate into? Checking one job board, making one phone call, connecting to a few friends and colleagues online, or maybe zapping out three or four resumes to potential employers? If we dedicated just 18 minutes to our paid jobs each day we would surely be on performance counseling or shown the door right away. Why would anyone think that 18 minutes a day translates into an efficient job search?

When you are unemployed, job search is your full-time job. And you need to spend 35 to 40 hours a week on it just like a paid job in order to gain traction and see results. Perhaps the 18 minute statistic is the result of not knowing how to search for a job rather than just plain laziness. Here are some activities you should be doing regularly each day during your search.

Network, network, network. Most people find their jobs through people they know. Think about all the ways you build relationships and affinities with others...family, friends, professional colleagues, your accountant, your doctor, your dentist...they are all part of your network and they may be the link to others that can help you in your search.

Build an online presence. Hiring managers and recruiters are searching for top talent online on a regular basis. But they can only find you if you have created a professional online identity for yourself. Take the time to create a robust profile on LinkedIn and a bio on ZoomInfo.

Create a list of target companies. Rather than only looking at companies that have immediate openings, create a list of companies in your field or geography or those you admire. Try to secure introductions to decision makers at these companies before the need to hire arises. If you create inroads early on, you may increase the likelihood of being top of mind with that employer when a live opening surfaces.

Research companies. There may be dozens of companies you are not currently familiar with that could be a good fit for you and your skills. Great resources for company information are Hoovers and your local library.

Set up job alerts. Since the job boards can be somewhat overwhelming, a great strategy is to set up alerts on the different job boards so you are notified when openings that are relevant to you become available. Or try using an aggregate job board such as Simply Hired or Indeed to quickly track openings across multiple job boards.

Tweak your resume. Each time you send out your resume make sure it is addressing the needs of the hiring manager. I'm not suggesting a total re-write each time, but frequently it makes sense to reposition content, add additional keywords, or swap out an accomplishment or two.

Customize your cover letters. Spend the time to create cover letters that address as many of the requirements from the job posting as you can. If you can barely make a match between your skills and the job requirements, forget about posting and move on. It's a waste of both your time and the hiring manager's.

Send thank you letters. Yes, this is still expected. And the thank you letter gives you the opportunity to make a second impression on the people you meet. Customize your letters; if you meet with three people from the same company, don't send the same letter. People talk and you will lose credibility for sending the same letter to multiple people.

Eat lunch. Lunch meetings and coffees are a great way to reconnect with people you know and secure future introductions. Schedule several such meetings each week.

Volunteer. This is a great way to give back to the community, support a cause you are passionate about, and at the same time, build trust and credibility with others who may be in a position to help you.

Join a professional association. Being part of a community of like-minded professionals is a great way to gain introductions to important decision makers in your field. Better yet, take on a leadership role in the organization as a way to become better known by the members.

Attend industry conferences. This is another great way to be "in-the-know" on what's going on in your industry and to be seen by people who may be able to help you in your search.

Write. You don't have to be a wordsmith in order to write in a meaningful and compelling way. Offer to write for a professional journal or association newsletter or comment on blogs written by colleagues in your professional circle. Find a way to get in on the conversation.

Track your job search movements. In a job search you compile a lot of information...business cards, resumes, articles, etc. Create a system for and monitor your job search activity to keep information fresh and eliminate redundancies and errors.

Do a favor for someone. A favor goes a long way. Help someone with a computer issue, watch a friend's child for the afternoon, help someone move, or just do something thoughtful for a friend in need. These small acts of good will go a long way and will be remembered when you need help from the other person.

In 18 minutes you can take a shower, deposit a check at the bank, or walk your dog. But you can't search for a job in 18 minutes. You need to put in the time...a lot of it...each and every day.

Barbara Safani is the owner of Career Solvers, www.careersolvers.com, and author of Happy About My Resume: 50 Tips For Building a Better Document to Secure a Brighter Future and #JOBSEARCHtweet.

18 Comments

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

E. Daniel says: (11:24AM on Jan 8th 2010) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5

This is a really good article. I have been unemployed for nearly six months, and reading this article has given me some clues as to why I may still be unemployed. I job hunt far more than 18 minutes a day, but I have been using the same resume and cover letter for all jobs, I now know that this is not a good idea. Thanks for the insight and ideas on what else to do with my time.

Barbara safani says: (11:37AM on Jan 8th 2010) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5

Daniel,

Job search is certainly a lot of work and I'm glad to hear that this article offered you some suggestions for working smarter. Best of luck in your search and beyond.

Guenther Strunk says: (1:52PM on Jan 14th 2010) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5

I really would like to know how did the DOL determined 18 minutes…?

Spending 18 minutes on each item of this daily task list ends up being 4.5 hours. Now, that is more like it. Double this and one will have a complete workday including the lunch meeting.

Thank you for Barbara for providing this “schedule”, I needed this reality check. Though I already consider job-hunting my fulltime job, I have not been very effective as far as the outcome. Revising my current daily task list and a check-off will be helpful to get my search back on track. I do some of it but not consistently. One afterthought though to this schedule – and something I have not done either at this point – I’ll add a 16th task, “Prepare for the Interview”. It takes daily practice just like anything else.

Barbara safani says: (3:08PM on Jan 14th 2010) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5

Guenther,

I don't have details on the DOL's methodology for gathering this information, but I think it is pretty clear that some job seekers are not working as smart or efficiently as they could be. I really like your additional point to practice your interview skills and this becomes especially true when you have an interview coming up since each interview has its own set of unique questions and challenges. Thanks for reading!

Salma Sultana says: (1:29PM on Mar 3rd 2010) Vote Up Vote DownReport2/5

I'm just getting to start my full time "job search" and this is very useful.
Ofcourse we are desperate but any cues about how not to seem too desperate for a call back or an interview ? About the networking, a lot of people have started that but it would be great to hear your insights about networking in particular.
Thanks for the article. I've printed it and pinned it on my daily reminder board so I have a direction for my search.

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