Organizing your home office can help you find a job faster. By staying organized, you'll be able to stay on top of all your leads and keep yourself motivated. Use the following suggestions to help you organize your home office to support your job search.
Why You Need To Organize Your Home Office
- Protect your peace of mind by restricting your job search activities to one designated area. Keep a healthy balance in your life while you're looking for your dream job. Maintain a designated place in your home where you make calls and write cover letters. Allow the rest of your home to remain a place where you can relax or focus on other obligations.
- Avoid distractions. Having a designated area will also make it obvious to yourself and other family members when you are on duty. Ask the rest of your family not to disturb you. Make a schedule and stick to it.
- Keep yourself motivated by tracking your progress and accomplishments. The average length of time it takes to find a job has grown dramatically. You can't get a job offer every day, but you can keep yourself encouraged by having a place where you track that you're meeting your goals for making contacts.
- Project a professional image. It's much easier to project a professional image to potential employers if you create a business-like environment. You'll sound more professional during phone calls if you're not trying to do your laundry at the same time.
- Work more efficiently. Looking for a job can be very time-consuming. By staying organized, you spend less time looking for lost documents or phone numbers.
- Network more effectively. Being organized is crucial to supporting your networking efforts while you look for work. More than ever, you'll need to keep in touch with key contacts and extend your network. Having a system in place will help you keep track of contact information, follow-up plans, and schedule those important information interviews.
How to Organize Your Home Office
- Design an office that suits your own work style. Some people are most productive when they have a big wall calendar reminding them of everything they need to do. Others work best with drawers and files that put everything else out of sight so that they can focus on the current task. Create the surroundings where you'll function best.
- Be prepared for incoming calls. Prepare yourself for return calls from potential employers by having a voice mail greeting that sounds professional on your cell phone or whatever line you use. If you're giving out a number that you share with your family, ensure that anyone who answers the phone is briefed on how to respond.
- Display something that motivates you. Looking for employment is a full-time job. Keep things around that inspire you to persevere. You might use objects that are meaningful in your faith tradition or any inspirational quote. Anything that makes you laugh may give you the boost you'll often need.
- Evaluate yourself. You are your own boss during your job search, so manage yourself wisely. Assess your home office arrangements and activities periodically so that you can make improvements as needed.
Getting organized can give you an advantage in finding the job you want and help you feel more confident while you're working to advance your career. A well-designed home office will also make your job search less stressful and more productive.
