Looking for a job is, indeed, a full time job. And like any full time job, you probably waste a lot of time either completing tasks, or between them. The difference is, when you’re looking for work, you don’t have a boss to answer to. You are only accountable to yourself — and let’s face it, you kind of favor you.



Plus, between the entertainment center (the one you bought before losing your job), Rock Band 2nd Edition, and that super comfy couch, your house probably has a lot more distractions than the average office.



In order to stay on top of your job search, you have to be disciplined. You have to be aware of what slows you down, and make a conscious effort to overcome it. You have to resist the urge to watch Judge Judy again, no matter how compelling the plaintiff’s case.



1. Surfing the internet :

Thanks to Google, we’ve got the whole world at our fingertips. Need to know what happened to the lead singer of that obscure 90s band? It’s just a few clicks away! But just because we have access to this information doesn’t mean we really need it. And it certainly doesn’t mean we need it while we’re in the middle of writing a cover letter.



If your crack is the Google search (ditto for Facebook, Myspace and Twitter), you really need to go cold turkey, at least for a few hours a day. A friend of mine takes his laptop to a coffee shop without an Internet connection – and he’s amazed by how much more he gets done.



Save some of the job descriptions you’re interested in, and then disconnect. Without the temptation to research the origin of Graham Crackers (or catch up on your friends’ status updates), you will be free to focus on revamping your resume and preparing various targeted cover letters, which you will then save offline and send out, en masse, once you are reconnected.



2. Obsessively checking email :

Now more than ever, you probably check your email constantly for any responses from employers, or updates on leads. But now more than ever, you need to refrain. Your inbox probably won’t change much in ten minutes. And all that logging in and out, not to mention reading personal emails, is just slowing down your search.



Instead, set aside a few times a day for checking email – once in the morning, after lunch, and at the end of the workday. Maybe one other time in between, if you really need a fix.



It might also be smart to use a different email address for anything related to your job search. That way, while you manage your professional communications, you won’t get sucked into a never-ending thread for your best friend’s boyfriend’s birthday party.



3. Chit chatting :

OMG, you’ve just spent the last hour on iChat, ranting to a friend about your former company. What a complete and utter waste of time. Especially for your friend.



Instant messaging has, in a lot of ways made our lives more efficient. It can be useful to your job search too. But let’s face it – aren’t you really spending most of your time chatting about everything but?



Do yourself a favor and log out. Make a coffee date to catch up with your friend, and save all that frantic typing for activities more relevant to getting you a job.



4. Eating Your Time Away :

A few weeks ago, I attended a little event called Laid Off Camp – an all day seminar for the unemployed. I mostly went for the free bagels.



At the “time management” session, the speaker asked everyone to share with one another how they wasted time during the day. The man next to me explained how he spent almost all day planning for and preparing dinner for his wife (who was still employed). He’d get up in the morning and research a recipe, go to the grocery store in the afternoon, and in the early evening, he’d start cooking. It’s pretty easy to see how an entire day of job hunting could be usurped by one time consuming – but awesome! – Risotto.



Even if you don’t cook, you might find you are unreasonably focused on food (combine boredom with depression and you get one monster of an appetite).



While it’s okay to spend a little more time on cooking or planning your meals (one of the few perks of unemployment), you don’t want it to start eating up hours of your day. Cut out the excessive trips to the store by doing your grocery shopping for the week all at once. And try not to spend an entire morning deciding what to eat for dinner.



5. Applying for the wrong jobs :

It’s important to be ambitious, but sending out countless resumes to jobs you are totally unqualified for is a waste of time. Chances are, your resume won’t even get through to a human being (because of course, if it did, they would surely realize you were worth giving a shot to, based on all of your other, unrelated but equally impressive achievements).



With so many resumes being weeded out by automated keyword scans, chances are yours will just get lost in the Internet abyss.



Instead, be realistic about your qualifications. If you want a chance at an entirely different role than your current skill set allows, consider going back for further education.



But don’t waste your time applying for one long shot of a job after another. The competition is just too fierce, and your time too valuable, to make it worthwhile.



6. Isolating yourself :

It’s an easy mistake to make – you overestimate the power of the job boards, and underestimate the power of your network. You feel guilty about leaving the house, socializing and meeting new people. You just don’t have the motivation to go to industry events.



Now is not the time to be a hermit. These days, most people find jobs through someone in their network. Everyone you know, and every new person you meet, is a potential lead. Get out there, meet new people, get active in your industry and make sure all your friends and family know you’re looking for a job.



But instead of just announcing you’re out of work and desperately looking, research the companies that employ the people in your network. When you see a match, reach out. Your friend, or friend’s friend, may very well get you a foot in the door.



And when you do start schmoozing, make sure you keep track of your contacts and follow up. Otherwise, all that hard work – and painful small talk – will go to waste.



7. Excessive worry :

At a time like this, it’s natural to worry. You’re worried about whether or not you’ll find a job, worried about the competition, worried you’re too young, too old, too inexperienced or maybe too qualified.



You may spend hours agonizing over an application you’ve already sent out – you should have changed line two in your cover letter, or maybe you failed to highlight a key strength. And how are you going to explain that time you were fired? Or that 10-month gap?



Stop! Worry achieves nothing. You’re wasting your time and energy, and shattering your confidence (which you really need right now). And although it’s easier said than done, you can choose not to worry. It is a choice.



Instead of worrying, take action. Channel that energy into something more productive. Arm yourself. Be prepared to explain any inconsistencies in your resume. Spend a little more time making your next cover letter that much more effective.



You can’t change the past. And chances are, you’re going to face a lot of rejection before you land that dream job. It’s just the nature of the search. Accept it, do the best you can, and always keep moving.



Maximize your allotted job seeking time, so you can reward yourself later with a solid hour of bad TV, a decadent dinner, or a frivolous, self-indulgent Google search. Guilt free.