Many people dream of being their own boss. However, self-employment does come with its pitfalls. At a regular job, you have a boss. There are consequences for lateness, poor attendance, poor productivity, etc. When you work for yourself, you must be able to stay disciplined and on task.
The process of finding a job is very similar to being self-employed. You set your own schedules, you measure your own progress and you are solely responsible for what you do or do not get done. Inefficiency costs time and money at any job, but now that you are working for yourself in attempting to find a job, it’s your time and money, not your company’s.
You are the boss
While you are on the job hunt, embrace the concept of being your own boss. Doing so, will keep you on task and focused on your goal. Here are some practices that you can engage in to help you live out this concept:
- Motivate yourself. Good bosses know how to keep their employees motivated. As the boss of your own job hunt, you should be able to find something that lights a fire inside of you and encourages you to act. Rather than being afraid of the future or disheartened at your lack of employment, you should consider everything that you have to gain at the end of a successful job hunt. This motivation could be money, stability, goal fulfillment or anything else that gets you eager to make progress.
- Treat your day like a work day. A real boss would not tolerate lateness. Get up early, eat your breakfast, take a shower, get dressed and get to work. Take a break for lunch and, if you need to, put in some overtime. Try to tune out any distractions that crop up as well – if possible, find an area in your home (or away from home) that is quiet and conducive to making steady progress in your search.
- Set realistic work hours. Bosses expect their full-time employees to be at work for all of their allotted hours per week. You should expect the same of yourself. If you are searching for a full-time job, expect to put in something close to full-time hours every week on your search: preferably between 30-35 hours per week. However, you should also know your limits. Much more than that, and you run the risk of burning yourself out. You need to stay motivated and on task for as long as it takes to find a job.
By managing yourself (in your job search) as a boss would manage his or her employees, you will stay on target for a successful result. Follow these tips, and employ yourself as you search.
