Using “GSD” During Your Job Search. 5 Tips For Job Seekers.
In Stephen Covey’s best-selling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – one of his powerful lessons in personal change is to put first things first. So, if you’re a job seeker, are you truly making your job search a serious priority, and putting it first? Here’s a pro-tip from the straight-shooter recruiter… that dream job won’t happen without GSD time.
What’s GSD time? When you block off time on your Outlook or Google calendar to GET S**T DONE. No meetings. No calls. No visitors. No matter what you do during your GSD time, it’s yours, and yours alone.
As a professional:
Maybe this is when you do your expense report. Or follow up on emails
Maybe this is when you write employee reviews.
Maybe this is when you take a break with your Calm app and so some deep breathing.
Or maybe you simply carve out time – as much as you need – to chip away at that big project. An hour or two per day where you shut your door (or shut off your Zoom) and really put your nose to the grindstone.
So, why not apply that same thinking to your job search?
As a job seeker, you can…
Book GSD time to practice your interview skills.
Book GSD time to work on your resume.
Book GSD time to refresh your LinkedIn profile.
Book GSD time to research companies that you’d like to work for on Glassdoor, or just skim their websites.
Book GSD time to network with peers and industry experts.
How can I carve out GSD time?
During your lunch hour pop in to your local coffee shop or SBUX and do some work on yo’ self. (We don’t recommend using your company laptop for job searches and personal gains – be sure to bring your own, or do research on your phone or tablet!) Or, find an outside bench or table where you can sit with a sheet of paper and get some quiet time for professional betterment.
Make a list on a sheet of paper of companies you’d like to work for.
Make a list of contacts you can reach out to.
Make a list of your best qualities and why they make you a solid hire.
Drivetime can be GSD time. Use your talk-to-text to make notes to yourself. Brainstorm your greatest achievements. Name off former colleagues to hit up for references or LinkedIn recommendations. Ask Siri or Cortana to remind you to review the Microsoft Word resume templates.
Work out, and GSD. While you’re on the treadmill, could you be looking into the latest technology trends in your industry so that you have talking points during your next interview? Could you be looking a company’s competitor to see what they’re doing, as a conversation starter?
Set your alarm :15 minutes earlier. Even a quarter of an hour could be just the jumpstart your career search needs. Pour some coffee, put on some chill, instrumental tunes, and get to work on getting that dream job.
Anything worth having is worth working for. Are you truly putting in the hours and the effort? Book yourself some time to Get S**t Done, and see how your job search takes off.
