How can you prioritize your job search while working and going to school?

Being Realistic about your job search is how you link between your education and the potential hand on experience related to your path. it is never about the hopes only but the good combinations you would make in a specific span of time in your life.

Personally, when trying to search and secure an internships, I knew it would be exhausting to apply to 100+ companies a day, balance school and involvement, and work, so I decided I would set goals for myself and stick to a timeline that I knew would work with my schedule. For example, Google Calendar was a great tool that I utilized to space out my day and add reminders for what should be done.

Setting realistic expectations is crucial when juggling a job search alongside school and work commitments. Consider the demands of your schedule and establish achievable goals for your job search. During my own experience of working full time and attending school, I found that setting manageable expectations allowed me to stay focused and motivated.

It’s important to be realistic with your job search goals relative to the amount of time you have available to perform job searching types or activities…. It’s not just the applying for jobs, it’s the networking, connecting with people, building relationships, all of that matters. And then developing a plan and a schedule so that you can execute on the activities that will help you achieve your goals. And like anything consistency matters in the execution of the activities you identified in your plan.

The pressure felt is real, when your peers are applying for the same jobs. In my experience, I was competing for work with 60 other peers from my graduating year. Expectations can easily be influenced by comparing the actions that your peers take on their job search journey. Be kind to yourself and acknowledge your own capacity for the additional time and effort needed for each step in the process, in addition to the existing work or studies that you are already committed to. I found that focusing on myself and completing the tasks incrementally, at my own pace, reduces the stress and frustration.

Effectively managing your time is key to balancing work, school, and a job search. Create a dedicated schedule for job search activities, allocating specific time slots in your calendar. Whether it's updating your resume, networking, or applying for positions, having designated times ensures you stay organized and on track without overwhelming your existing commitments.

Plan your job search activities well ahead of time (e.g. career fairs, lobby days). Job search activities happen pretty much once a year or every couple of months, so one should do their best to accomodate for such occasions, whether it's missing a class or a few hours of work. With respect to work, make sure to talk to your manager about the changes.

When you stick to a plan and live each day with intention, you will be so much more productive than living a life of randomness or taking each day as it comes. So it absolutely is important to schedule your job search activities as reality is when you block out time in your schedule for job search activities you are much more likely to get those activities done.

What always worked for me was making sure that my time applying to internships was not at the same time that I was planning on getting some studying done. Giving your undivided attention is crucial, especially in school, so this is where building your schedule out on Google Calendar can be helpful.

As someone who had to attend college, a full time job and manage a family, I realized that setting realistic daily goals will help me manage my time better. Job search requires commitment and huge rejection expectations to avoid feeling disappointed every time a rejection letter comes. So planning how many applications to push through daily at certain hours of day and also monitor the roles you are applying for will go a long time in saving you time.

Prioritizing job search tasks is essential to maintain efficiency. Identify the most critical actions that align with your career goals and allocate time to them first. Whether it's tailoring resumes for specific applications or attending networking events, focusing on high-priority tasks increases the impact of your job search efforts. LinkedIn can play a big role getting you one step closer to your goal, take sometime to enhance and perfect your LinkedIn profile.

We all have the same amount of time in each day… 1,440 minutes. High performers know that prioritization of their time is key, whether they are looking for a job or balancing the demands of their life, family, kid’s commitments etc. When it comes to job searching you absolutely have to prioritize your job searching tasks, scheduling time in your calendar for those high priority tasks and then saying “no” to those unimportant or irrelevant things that are competing for your time so that you have more time available for your job search activities.

My favorite platforms to make sure I am alerted about any deadlines or important tasks include Notion (free for students with a student email), Google Sheets, and Apple Reminders! All of these platforms (except Google Sheets) will allow you to get an alert of different dates and deadlines; also, there is a place in settings where you can set a "Priority" (high, medium, low) so you can know what needs to be done first.

Not every list has to start out in chronological order, brainstorming can be a great way to begin the list, just write everything down that comes to mind, no matter how random, and from there, assign a level of priority to the tasks that need to be accomplished, that can wait, or is it even relevant? Utilize what works for you, whether it is electronic, or writing everything down on paper.

Given that I was balancing an 18 credit load, being extremely involved on-campus through leadership, and going to work, I knew that I had to make sure I was flexible and taking care of myself. Having that adaptability through this process is crucial, so if something that is not on the calendar pops up, make sure you maintain open communication with everyone it may affect. Also, to take care of yourself, make sure you find something you enjoy to do and do not lose sight of it! For me, I enjoyed lifting, and this helped me step back and take a break!

Maintaining the balances is a life time practice in all aspects. When you start practicing it from the early time of your education, this will help you reaching your goals easily later in your life. it is all about practice!

Maintaining a balance between work, school, and a job search requires careful planning. Acknowledge your limits and be realistic about the time and energy you can allocate to each aspect. During my simultaneous work and school journey, finding this balance involved effective time management and maintaining open communication with employers and professors as well as your friends and family. Know that you will be missing out on friends and family time, instead of feeling left out zero in on your goals for your future self to keep you going in the right direction.

The last thing you want to do when searching for a new opportunity while balancing your current school and work obligations is risk being a valuable team member and student in hopes of a silver lining offer letter. It is OKAY to not reply to every single job ad or recruiter that sends you a notice. Sit down and do some research on what exact position/companies you are interested in and put your full effort in to avoid any wasted time for all parties involved. I cannot tell you how many recruiters have contacted me just to do a “quick screening” and then crickets for months - these are not where your efforts and time need to be wasted.

Amidst the hustle, self-care is often overlooked. Prioritize your well-being by ensuring adequate sleep, exercise, and relaxation. Balancing multiple responsibilities can be demanding, and taking care of yourself is fundamental to sustaining the energy needed to excel both at work and in your studies.

These are my 5 self-care app go-tos : Headspace: 5-min guided meditations for stress & focus. Pre-meeting lifesaver! Calm: Nature sounds, sleep stories, & more. Elevate: Brain games that actually feel fun. Oak: Habit-tracking app for small wins & lasting change. Unplug: My digital leash. Reclaiming focus & sleep, getting away from the notifications.

I found that focusing on self-care and meditation to help ease my anxiety were what finally allowed me to focus enough to pass my boards, it is also something I wish I had focused on during my schooling. That saying is so true, always take the oxygen mask for yourself first before helping others. So help yourself first before focusing on anything else.

In my experience I have been notorious for burning myself out during times of constant time management battles. Remember you cannot perform at your best when you don’t take care of yourself. Sleep, hydrate, take breaks, breathe, and most importantly do not lose sight of those in your life who need you healthy! No job or career will ever be worth being present for things that your body, mind and soul need.

Don't hesitate to seek support from friends, family, mentors, or classmates. Share your goals and challenges with trusted individuals who can provide valuable insights and feedback. During my own journey, having a support system proved invaluable in navigating the complexities of a dual work and school life.

When we're also students, it's easy to get overwhelmed by schoolwork to the point we forget about job hunting. To address this, block out a certain time of time to do job applications or to prepare for interviews. For instance, when I was a full-time student and looking for summer 2024 internships in fall 2023, doing LeetCode problems was the first thing I did every day when I woke up before I started my schoolwork. By deliberately setting out time in the day to send applications or prepare for interviews, I ensured that it was also part of my routine, such as doing schoolwork and going to class. In summary, learn how to incorporate job search tasks into your routine by deliberately leaving time for it in your schedule.