Looking to boost your productivity, maximise your time at work, and secure your next dream role? Getting a good start first thing in the morning can set you up for an uber-productive day – and getting your job search underway before 9am can see you get a jump on the hunt and kick start your motivation and momentum.
Whether you’re looking to score an internal promotion, make a sideways move into a new organisation or take the leap into a new industry, here are five ways to get the job early, and improve your career in the process.
- Reach out to your network. Your professional network can be a goldmine for expanding your horizons at work, so think about new opportunities and partnerships, and who you can reach out to. Make a list of prospective contacts and aim to email, call or connect with one or two of them at the start of each day, before they become too bogged down in their own to-do lists.
- Browse job opportunities. If you’re looking to make the next step in your career, browsing and saving job opportunities to apply for later can be a great way to spend your first 10-minutes of the day! To streamline the process, set up saved searches based on relevant industries or keywords, or create job alerts to have new opportunities sent directly to your inbox.
- Do your research. Staying on top of industry news, and company, salary and market trends can help you stand out at work, make more informed decisions, and show you know your stuff. Grab your morning coffee and browse the paper, trade journals and online resources to get up to speed. If you’re looking for an internal promotion, keep a bullet-pointed list of the most useful facts to share at the weekly work-in-progress meeting.
- Reflect on your next move. Do you know where you see yourself professionally in five or 10 year’s time? To keep moving forward and making the best career moves, it’s important you regularly assess your goals and aspirations. At least once a month, set aside some time early in the day to ensure that you’re on track towards your short and long-term goals, and reflect on your next move.
- Learn a new skill online. Upskilling is a great way to continue enhancing your value as an employee and fast-track your career. Whether you want to learn how to code, build a better marketing plan, or speak a new language to better connect with international clients, there are many free and affordable courses available online and via podcast, apps and downloads.
Spending the very first 30 minutes or hour of your day learning a new skill is ideal, since most people absorb and retain new information best first thing in the morning.
If you're looking to make the next step in your career, browsing and saving job opportunities to apply for later can be a great way to spend your first 10-minutes of the day! To streamline the process, set up saved searches based on relevant industries or keywords, or create job alerts to have new opportunities sent directly to your inbox.
- Do your research. Staying on top of industry news, and company, salary and market trends can help you stand out at work, make more informed decisions, and show you know your stuff. Grab your morning coffee and browse the paper, trade journals and online resources to get up to speed. If you’re looking for an internal promotion, keep a bullet-pointed list of the most useful facts to share at the weekly work-in-progress meeting.
- Reflect on your next move. Do you know where you see yourself professionally in five or 10 year’s time? To keep moving forward and making the best career moves, it’s important you regularly assess your goals and aspirations. At least once a month, set aside some time early in the day to ensure that you’re on track towards your short and long-term goals, and reflect on your next move.
- Learn a new skill online. Upskilling is a great way to continue enhancing your value as an employee and fast-track your career. Whether you want to learn how to code, build a better marketing plan, or speak a new language to better connect with international clients, there are many free and affordable courses available online and via podcast, apps and downloads.
Spending the very first 30 minutes or hour of your day learning a new skill is ideal, since most people absorb and retain new information best first thing in the morning.If you're looking to make the next step in your career, browsing and saving job opportunities to apply for later can be a great way to spend your first 10-minutes of the day!
