Searching for a new position can be an overwhelming, long-term and tiresome job. In order to use your time productively and get the best results, you should organize your activities and set short-term goals.  Organizing your time will help you to stay focused, avoid burning out, and help you to achieve maximum results.

Below are some tips for activities you can focus on to organize your time, but remember there are many ways you can do this depending upon objectives, schedule, career field, and any interviews, new job postings or contacts that emerge. You can choose certain days to focus on a couple of activities, adapting your schedule to any contact leads or interviews you get from prospective employers.

1) It’s a good idea schedule a time each day for checking the top career websites in your field.  You may even want to choose one or two different career sites to focus on each day of the week.  Make a list of the positions that interest you and that match your skills and experiences. You should make time to fill out an application, customize your resume and cover letter to the position and include any other specifications to apply for the job within the same week.

2) Research companies or organizations in your field that interest you.  Save your top companies and frequently refer back to their websites for job postings. Remember to also research small companies in your field of interest. It can often be easier to land an entry-level position in a smaller company when you’re first starting out.

3) Allocate a percentage of your time to building your social networks and relevant career site profiles online.

4) Make time to talk face to face or by phone to family and friends about anyone they may know in the field you’re interested in.  Ask them for contacts to set up an informational phone call or meeting so you can network and learn about any hiring fairs or updates in the field.

5) If an employer contacts you to set up an interview, your first priority is to research the company and prepare for your interview.  Read up on relevant news or information in your field. Employers like to see that you stay updated on developments in the field and you’ll also gain more insight into the job market.

6) Try to create goals for yourself each week.  They can be simple goals, such as: find and read 3 articles related to your field; find and apply to 5 relevant positions, catering your professional resume and cover letter to those specific jobs; create or tweak your LinkedIn profile and join groups in the type of work that interests you; create a list of organizations you want to research—you get the idea!

Creating an organized approach, allocating time, and setting goals each week will help you stay focused and motivated so that you can find the right positions and eventually land just the right job.