How to Manage Your Daily Tasks and Finances While Job-hunting

When you are searching for a job, it's important to set up a schedule where you can make time for your job search, while still attending to family responsibilities and commitments. By establishing a routine and sticking to it, you can make the most of every day to land that job sooner. Here are some tips on how you can get started.

Make lists and schedule calendars

List-making can help you organise your day more efficiently and be more productive, which in turn improves your mood. Create a list of all you need to do — chores, personal engagements and tasks — such as taking your kids to school, buying the week’s groceries, paying your bills, sending out job applications, following up on leads and attending networking events (virtual or otherwise).

List all your daily tasks and start checking them off one by one. There are a number of free task management apps available online, such as Trello and Wunderlist, to help you make and track these lists on your mobile phone, if you prefer that to a handwritten one. Allocate time in the day to networking, as well as reading general and industry news. But don’t forget to build in time for leisure activities and family outings.

Here’s an example of what an ideal day could look like:

6am: Wake up and go for a walk

7am: Freshen up and eat a healthy breakfast with the family

8am: Catch up on the latest industry news and trends

9am: Research companies, tailor your resume and cover letters, and apply for jobs through emails or job portals

12pm: Take a break for lunch, run errands, buy groceries and do household chores

1pm: Follow up on previous job applications

4pm: Attend an online networking event and/or evening classes to upskill yourself

9pm: Write a journal entry. This is useful to reflect on the small achievements for positive affirmation and motivation

10pm: Ensure you get a good night’s sleep to be ready for the next day's activities.

Log your expenses

Before you land a new job, pay attention to your finances. As you start to budget in earnest, categorise and keep track of your expenses, such as monthly utilities and bills, as well as the unnecessary extras that can be reduced or even cut out completely.

Use a monthly budget-planning template or create a simple spreadsheet of your own, and list your expected expenses for the month. Include all the hidden expenses as well, like your EZ-link card top-up amounts and taxi fares.

Here’s one way to simplify your expenses to help figure out which ones to cut down:

Daily expenses: food, transport

Monthly expenses: clothing, utilities, phone and internet bills, insurance premiums and entertainment

Long-term expenses: children’s school fees, income tax and unexpected medical expenses

Set aside expenses you cannot compromise on, like your children’s school fees and monthly bills. Set a limit for your daily expenses and work towards staying under this limit each day. The more you find cheaper alternatives, the sooner your daily savings will accumulate over time to stretch your budget for a few more months until you get your next job.

Stay updated on your job search progress

You're probably applying for multiple jobs on a daily basis. Each one of these is likely to involve various stages — application, interview upon shortlisting, tests and then maybe a second interview. You need to remind yourself to follow up on them at the right time. You most certainly don’t want to send multiple applications to the same company.

Keeping track of these tasks will keep your hands full so it’s best not to keep this information just in your head. Luckily, there are handy apps like JobHero to organise your job search and remind you when it’s time to follow up.

If you're looking for more career advice, visit MyCareersFuture for articles to help you on your career journey.

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