The document discusses productivity tips for a successful job search. It recommends setting boundaries on your time to avoid burnout, capturing all tasks to overcome overwhelm, and prioritizing tasks by importance, difficulty level, or enthusiasm. Productivity is key to making progress in applications, networking, and other job search activities. Setting a schedule with specific tasks and breaks can help maximize productivity.

1. Productivity: The Secret Sauce
for Successful Job Search
Catherine Morgan
Career Transition Coach | Business Consultant
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.

2. 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?

3. Who gets more done?
• Someone with a lot of spare time?
• Someone with a lot of commitments?

4. The inner game of productivity
• Need to create good mental space
• Invalidate negative self-talk

5. Taming the “monkey mind”
• How do you calm the “chatter”
– Exercise – walking, running, swimming
– Meditation
– Yoga
– Other?

6. 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?

7. 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

8. 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

9. Avoiding burnout
• Take the time to recover from the previous
job’s burnout, if necessary
• Plan for the long haul

10. Right time on right things
• Online applications
• Lunches and coffees with network
• Informational interviews
• Industry networking
• Cold outreach to target companies

11. 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?

12. What causes overwhelm?
“Overwhelm is caused by
NOT knowing WHAT to do,
not by having too much to do.”
~ Michael Port

13. How to get past overwhelm
• Get things out of your head
– Trying to remember too many things can
cause immediate overwhelm

14. Capture all tasks
• Overwhelm will subside when you
get into action
• Capture everything you need to do
in some way (paper, software, phone app)

15. 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

16. Software can help
• WorkFlowy
• Evernote
• iDoneThis

17. Create logical groups
• Once out of your head, tasks can be combined
into logical groups or projects
– Business projects
– Personal chores
– Administrative tasks

18. First way to prioritize: Cha-ching!
• #1. Do the task that is the most important
– Hint: The fast path to the cash

19. 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

20. Third way to prioritize: Check
• #3. Do the easy things first
– Build momentum

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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)

24. 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

25. Keeping track and following up
• Most people use these:
– Spreadsheet
– Calendar program (Outlook, Google Calendar)

26. 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

27. Need to have or nice to have?
• Job seekers can get sidetracked thinking
they need to:
– Learn some software package
– Get a specific certification

28. Ways to mitigate anxiety
• Identify it and name it
• Attack it with logic
• Disarm it with gratitude

29. Banish crazy-busy
• Forget crazy-busy
– It’s the new normal

30. Questions?
Catherine Morgan
Career Transition Coach | Business Consultant
Point A to Point B Transitions Inc.
877.672.5333
Catherine@PointAtoPointBTransitions.com
LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/PointAtoPointB
Twitter @PointA_PointB
Catherine speaks on:
- Productivity
- Entrepreneurship
- Small Business
- Career Transition