It didn’t seem like it was that long ago when you had all the time in the world to focus on your job search. You don’t have a job so you have nothing else to do right? This is assuming you’ve already exhausted your “I lost my job so I’m distracting myself with isolation via video entertainment by streaming movies, video games, and/or tv series.” Depending on your mental strength, this can last anywhere from 3 days to 3 months.

However, we are all now experiencing life during Covid times. So being at home alone with nothing but your favorite ice cream and a full day to play on LinkedIn isn’t an option for many of us. If you’re like me, you’re dealing with a full house which includes your spouse working full-time and two kids both doing school full time all while at home. This leaves little time to do your job search as you navigate your internet speeds, school teacher prep, and what feels like constantly making snacks to feed this heard of hungry mouths. Now more than ever, it’s important to stay organized and focused. So today I bring you my top tools to stay on track with your job search.

Google Sheets

Job searching is tough and in order to do it properly, you need to be organized. Apply for jobs gets complicated fast and you need to know when and what you applied to. I rely on Google Sheets to do this. There are tons of templates that you can download but you don’t need anything to fancy. All you need are a few columns to jot down the job title, company, and apply date. I go the extra mile and include which resume I sent, where I applied, and include a link to the job. This way when I get an email or phone call weeks or even sometimes months after I applied, I know what I sent to them.

Trello

I use Trello now as my daily list of things to do. Keeping with an Agile/Kaban style organization, I am constantly adding to this list of what needs to be accomplished each day and week. I love that you can easily make adjustments on what needs to be done and can apply labels and due dates. This method keeps me focused on what I need to accomplish each day without feeling overwhelmed. Because I can see all my items at once, I don’t stress so much about the big picture cause I’ve broken everything down into digestible chunks.

YouTube

I know Youtube might seem like a weird one here and no, I didn’t add it so that can distract yourself with easter eggs found in Avengers Infinity war or watch the new Dune trailer over and over. YouTube is a fantastic resource for videos on job searching. I have a full list of bookmarked videos ranging on how to nail the first interview, build my case studies, whiteboard challenges, and even how to connect with others on LinkedIn. Look out for a future post where I’ll list my top youtube channels.

Grammarly

I have no idea how I would exist without Grammarly. If you’re like me, you’re terrible at writing and even worse at spelling. I rely heavily on Grammarly to go beyond the average spell checker. Highly recommended and the chrome extension makes it work with your Gmail, sheets, and docs. If there was only one item here that you need to get, it’s Grammarly.

Headspace

I normally am a calm person. I take time out of each day to relax and reflect on my thoughts but as I mentioned in the opening sentences, I’m trapped at home with my wife and two boys. So, I have found a new appreciation for meditation. Headspaces makes the most out of my time when I need that mental break. Even a 2 min breathing exercise goes a long way. Sure I sometimes tell my wife I’m taking a 15 min meditation break only to switch to Netflix, but that’s a different blog post to share.

Now get to work!

We’re all dealing with a unique situation and making sure we utilize our time wisely is even more important than ever. I hope this list helps you with your focus to accomplish your job search.

Good luck out there!

What are your favorite tools to stay focused?

Blog

Tools to stay on track with your job search