Searching for remote jobs can easily morph into a daily activity of visiting multiple job portals every day, spending hours just peeking at different postings, saving many of them, and applying to a few of them. While we might think the main problem is that there are not enough openings available, in many cases, the lack of focus in our remote job search can be the real issue.
What is more effective is to put a clear time limit on your search and create a system to follow when looking for a job. You do not have to spend half of your day looking for work. Consider spending only 30 minutes but focus on the search for relevant jobs. This kind of steady approach will help you find the best options, create appropriate job entries, and network with people who might offer you help while searching for the desired post.
- Stick to less random browsing
- Get jobs that correspond to your abilities.
- Tailor your applications, rather than sending the same CV to different companies.
- Include networking and feedback in
Why Randomly Scrolling Job Boards Wastes Time
When engaging in a remote job search, it’s not uncommon to be left feeling frustrated. You open a job board with the intention of spending only 10 minutes searching for jobs, but somehow you end up making comparisons between listings, looking up salary data, checking out the company pages, and getting distracted by all the tabs you open. By the time you’re done, an hour has passed without you realizing it.
- Don’t go by the hours you spend searching for jobs online.
- Don’t apply for every opening that has the word “remote” in it.
- Always check the basic requirements before you
The use of the 30-minute technique allows for one to break down their job search into four separate sections, each taking 30 minutes. Each section is devoted to looking into one job so that once the timer goes off, the job seeker can move on to the next job application.
The reason why this is useful is that looking for a job entails different types of tasks. Finding jobs is different from evaluating them or writing an application letter and also networking. Separating these activities streamlines the search process.
The 30-Minute Remote Job Search System
Your daily job search can be broken down into four clear stages:
- Five minutes to look for new jobs
- Ten minutes to select the most relevant jobs
- Ten minutes to adapt resumes and cover letters
- Five minutes for networking and making follow-ups
You won’t need any complicated tools for this process. Keeping a spreadsheet, a notes application, or a document will be enough to make sure you track your progress.
The most important thing is to be persistent. A system you can repeat every work day is going to be more useful than a complex system taking you two hours to complete and not being very easy to stick to.
First five minutes: Look for New Jobs
Start looking for remote jobs from newly posted job openings. Don’t waste time on everything. Focus on job positions, fields, and companies you are interested in.
For instance, if you are looking for work as a content writer, do not search for all remote job offers; search for specific content writer, SEO writer, copywriter, and similar jobs.
Remember to rely on a few really good job boards rather than jumping from one job website to the other multitude of websites.
- Conduct your search by using precise job titles.
- Begin by looking at the latest positions posted.
- Apply the area or time-zone filters.
- Select jobs matching your experience level.
- Save jobs you find helpful for future stages.
Do not write your application yet—you are only looking for job postings now. Finding eight suitable job postings in five minutes is more than enough—50 is not a must. Quality is what matters in the next stage.
Next 10 Minutes: Customize Your Applications
After picking out your most promising offer, devote the following 10 minutes to improving the application rather than replicating what you had already sent to other jobs. For instance, the job’s requirements might mention project management as one of the main requirements, and therefore your CV should reflect your previous projects instead of requiring the recruiter to look for project work.
Your cover letter or application message should relate your experience to the company’s requirements. There is no need to make it too long. In fact, a short and precise letter is much more effective than a web of water statements.
- Align your core competence with the job posting.
- Focus on specific results whenever possible.
- Adapt your professional summary if required.
- Indicate special instruments you can use
- Eliminate any irrelevant information.
Final 5 Minutes: Networking and Follow-Up
The last seven to fifteen minutes should focus on getting to know people, not about scouting for job opportunities. Connecting with people can be as simple as replying to a conversation online, reaching out to someone in your relevant industry, getting in touch with a former contact or following up on an application for which you have applied.
You don’t necessarily need to send out messages in bulk. A single quality connection can be of greater value compared to reaching out to twenty different people with a standard request.
- Make a point of sending one targeted networking message.
- Participate in the relevant online discussion
- Follow up on the previous application in a relevant manner
- Reconnect with someone you have had a meaningful experience with
- Be organized in your approach.
Create a Weekly Application Tracker
A simple tracker can help you determine if you are making progress in your search for a remote position.
- How many applications did you send out?
- What source of information gave you the best job leads?
- How many people responded?
- Which applications resulted in the interview?
- How many follow-ups did you make?
The tracker is not only a log of your actions but also serves as a feedback mechanism. For instance, in case one of the job sites gives you 20 listings that do not match your qualifications, whereas another site gives fewer listings, but they suit you much better, you will know which job site to invest your time in.
How Many Applications Should You Submit?
No single number of applications is right for everyone. It doesn’t mean anything more meaningful to apply to 50 applications in a week than to send 10 applications. The right number depends on the person, their experience, job type, competitiveness of the market, and how many modifications particular applications require.
The better goal is maintaining sustainable application speed. If you manage to find several great opportunities weekly and consistently apply for them, you are manufacturing the process that can be maintained. If you are sending dozens of applications just to increase the number of applications sent, think of your strategy.
- Stick to well-matching vacancies
- Avoid applying just to meet the target number.
- Pay attention to the most prospective opportunities.
- Analyze your response ratio periodically.
- Modify your strategy if the results keep being bad.
The goal of the search for remote work is not to accumulate confirmations; the goal is to be invited for an interview and get the job.
Measure More Than Application Count
Application count is one of the easiest numbers to track, but it isn’t the most useful one. It is important to observe the occurrences after sending out applications. For example, if you send out 30 applications and do not hear back from anyone, submitting another 30 applications may not be the solution to your issue. Instead, examine your key performance indicators.
● Application-to-response ratio
Are employers responding to your applications?
● Response-to-interview ratio
Are you having talks with potential managers regarding your applications?
● Interview-to-offer ratio
Are your interviews successful?
● Source performance
Which positions generate more positive responses for you?
● Time spent per application
Are you managing your time wisely in submitting applications?
Make the 30-Minute System Work for You
This system’s critical element is repetition. You don’t have to do it without a mistake every time. You have to have a system that is simple enough to utilize. On certain days, you can have a number of great jobs found. On others, there might be nothing, however much garbage. You shouldn’t reduce your standards simply because you couldn’t find anything worthwhile in a search that day.
When it comes to finding a remote position, you don’t want to be spending all day doing so. Instead, you want to establish a strategy that will eliminate random scrolling on your phone and allow you to hone in on what you actually want.
This thirty-minute approach allows you to assign roles to every stage of your search. The five minutes should be used to find options. Ten minutes of your search will be dedicated to selection. The next ten will focus on submitting applications. The last five will be reserved for networking.
Try this strategy for a week and monitor the results you obtain. Don’t get focused on the number of applications you make; pay attention to the feedback, times of interviews, number of connections you get, and the quality of jobs you receive. Leaving the remote job search process aside, you can effectively manage your time.
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