If you’re a job seeker, you’ve probably heard the expression “searching for a job is a full-time job.”   This implies your daily routine while unemployed should have as much structure as when you’re employed.  But how do you know you’re living up to that?  How do you know if you’re doing enough to maximize your time?  Read on!

In this post, we’re going to present a sample schedule that you can adopt right away.

Oh, and there’s your health to consider.  Most medical practitioners agree that maintaining an established, daily routine is vitally important to both your mental and physical health.  This is especially true during a season of unemployment.

Example: A Job Seeker’s Daily Routine

Below is a guide for your Monday through Friday.  Adopt it as is, or make it personal to your day!

7:00am – Get out of bed and eat breakfast.  Whether the new job you land is a 7-4, 8-5, 9-6, etc., you probably won’t be in your pajamas at 7am.

8:00am – Find a quiet place and hit the online job boards.  Review new postings and check to see if you missed any the day before.  Look at LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster at a minimum.  Save the opportunities that interest you so you can be ready to apply later today.

9:00am – Exercise and shower.  You have 90-minutes for this.  Take a fast walk around the block, do yoga or hit the gym.  Use the exercise time to think about the job postings you saved, and begin thinking about a good angle for each cover letter.

10:30am – Tailor your résumé and cover letter for a new job opportunity.  Your goal is to submit 1 application each day.  Remember: résumés that include a cover letter are 40% more likely to be read by a hiring manager.  Lacking confidence in your current résumé?  Click here to send it to us for a free analysis.

12:00pm – Lunch and networking preparation.  While you’re eating, zip off an email to a friend or former colleague and invite them to meet you for lunch one day soon.  Aim to set up at least one networking lunch per week – it’s another way to get out of the house and keep your professional social skills active.

1:00pm – Elevate your LinkedIn profile by increasing your presence across the site and bringing your profile up to date.  Like & comment on posts relevant to you.  Share articles or posts from others.  These actions will display on the feeds of your connections and could make you stand out to someone who knows about an opportunity or is a hiring manager.

3:00pm – Consider a couple different options during this hour:

• Research content ideas for a LinkedIn post.  Draft the post and publish it. Be sure to also use relevant, trending hashtags
• Identify a volunteer or pro bono opportunity that will keep your skills sharp.  Sign up for it.  Volunteering is a perfect way to fill gaps in your work history and it’s a great networking tool

4:00pm – Practice your interviewing skills.  This could involve researching a company for which you have an approaching interview; rehearsing answers to common interview questions; practicing your answers with a friend; recording yourself; or writing down and committing to memory a few achievement stories that highlight your relevant strengths.

5:00pm – You’re done! Pat yourself on the back and take pride in how you refuse to let unemployment = unproductivity.

If we missed anything, let us know in the comments and share you own daily routine tips with other job seekers!