Create systems that will allow you to be productive and organized in your search. 

• Time Management

  Students and alumni consistently tell us the importance of managing time to have a successful search. Make time now for developing healthy, productive habits that will set you up for a positive outcome.

  🧠 Know

  • Check out this LinkedIn article on Student Time Management Strategies and the Job Search
  • Review the Time Management Guide for Students on Duke Career Hub
  • Read the Time Management Resources for Graduate Students and Postdocs, a site created by Duke PhDs which includes a time management diagnostic tool and additional time management resources.
  • Check out articles, TED Talks and additional resources from the Academic Resource Center.

  📈 Prepare

  • Schedule some time each week in your calendar for your internship or job search. Not sure how much time to spend?
  • Read How Much Time Should You Spend on a Job Search from the balance careers for ideas.

  🖐 Practice

  • Tweak your schedule based on what works for you

• Track Applications and Correspondence

  Keeping track of the work you have done during your search will allow you to celebrate progress, stay organized, and remember where you’ve applied and who you’ve talked to! You’d be surprised at the number of students who receive a phone call for an interview and can’t remember what they applied for.

  ✅ Actions

  Develop a system for tracking your applications and correspondence. Consider examples like:
   
  • David Paykin’s Job Tracker tracks jobs, interviews, and networking.
  • Orville Pierson’s Search Work Team methods from The Unwritten Rules of the Highly Effective Job Search using the Progress Chart with Progress Chart Definitions
  • Your own spreadsheet or a calendar reminder system

  Ask 2nd year students and alumni systems they have found helpful.