How to Pick the Ideal Time of Day to Do Your Job Search

1. How to Pick the Ideal Time of Day to Do Your Job Search Let's face it, we all have times of day that we're better at certain things than others. And while we might be able to fumble and force our way through anything at any time, our job search efforts will almost always be more effective if we can apply the appropriate task to the appropriate hour. Even if it’s as simple as signing up at a job site like Vested, you still need to make time to fill out the necessary pages. You need to import your LinkedIn details, and make sure you set your goals and expectations. Then only then can you let Vested’s patented matching algorithm match you to openings at the world’s best startups. Job searches are perhaps the best example of this "right task right time" thinking, especially since the somewhat spare-time, clandestine nature of finding a different job usually demands a great deal of efficiency. Follow these tips for matching your mind to different job search tasks throughout the day. Research A lot of people view career research as a semi-brainless, Web-surfing sort of activity. Indeed, much of the information you need is gathered by looking up sites, book marking Webpages, and following links. But a lot of the activity is actually a complex matter of making jumps of logic and seeing veiled connections between disparate information. So get up early and do it when the house is quiet, the computer is free, and your mind is rested and ready. Or, as an alternative for non-morning folks, use your lunch time -- get a laptop, head to a coffee shop and chunk away at it. Networking Since person-to-person networking requires free-moving conversation skills, try to delay this so it's not first thing in the morning. Your mind probably isn't moving fast enough and you quite likely aren't very confident in how you look. That said, don't want wait for the afternoon or evening energy sag. Best compromise for networking is late morning or lunchtime. Resume and cover letter writing These tasks require a great deal of thought, as well as your best language skills. So don't put them off way into the evening when your mind's power is falling off in preparation for bedtime. Best time is lunch

2. hour, when your mind is warmed up and moving, but not tired. At the same time, your motivation will be stronger, since you've already endured a full morning of your current grind. If you can't swing that, aim for an hour right after work. Grab a snack and put the time in before dinner. Interviewing Finally, like networking, interviewing requires a great deal of social skills and verbal agility. So you don't want to be tossed into them right out of bed. The ideal time is mid morning or early afternoon. If you wait until late afternoon, your mind may be wandering off on the idea of going home or battling the impending rush hour. That can make you rush, or give choppy answers to shortcut the process. Not good. Likewise avoid midday interviews if possible - you'll probably be running low on energy because you're ready for food. And if it's a lunch interview, you'll be distracted by the many etiquette issues of eating for an audience.