10 Quickie Job Search Tasks That Take 5 Minutes or Less

10 Quickie Job Search Tasks That Take 5 Minutes or Less10 Quickie Job Search Tasks That Take 5 Minutes or LessAsk anyone who is job hunting, and theyll surely tell you that it feels like a never-ending cycle of reading through job postings, submitting job applicationsand waiting. Lots of waiting. But there are fun, fast things you can do that require minimal effort but pack a maximum punch. Tackle these 10 quickie job search tasks listed below that take five minutes or less, and get your job search on the right track to success.Here are 10 quickie job search tasks that take five minutes or less1. Get strategic.Want to work for a specific company but havent landseen any job listings? Reach out to them directly. Contact the HR person to see if theyre hiring (they just might be) and, if not, ask if you can submit your resume and cover letter anyway. When the hiring manager needs to fill a newly opened position, guess whose application will be right at the top of the pile?Start applying for jobs today. Sign up for2. Spruce up your social media.Your personal Facebook page is flooded with photos and cute quotes. Your professional page? Not so much. For 2016, make it a point to have your social media accounts updated and reflecting the fruchtwein professional part of you.3. Take time for yourself.It might seem counter-intuitive to take time away from your job search to just chill, but its really important to take care of yourself while you job hunt. After all, its a stressful time, and making an effort to eat and sleep well, exercise, and enjoy life can make all the difference in your overall happiness and the success of your job search.4. Know what youre worth.Lets say that youve invested a ton of time and energy (and yes, dollars, too) in your job search. Now youre at a point where youre offered a job (sweet) but you have no idea what you should actually be making. Sites such as payscale.com offer salary calculators that can help you determine what youre really wort h to a potential employer. With that info, youll be in a much better position to negotiate salary.5. Get organized.You cant expect to have a quick and easy job search if your home office is a bomb and your desk is scattered with papers, coffee mugs, and twisted cables. Before you launch into your job search for the day, take some time to clear the clutter. A clean desk will clear the slate for a much smoother search. Toss anything thats not necessary, scan or file papers, and vow to keep it clean. Give yourself five minutes to complete this task and see how far you can get.6. Find your referrals.Theres a reason why you receive so many LinkedIn requests for referrals- they matter, not only to the recipient, but also to potential employers. Go through your previous employers and colleagues with whom youre still on good terms and ask for recommendations. But dont simply use the auto-generated LinkedIn email request personalize it so that past employers can remember who you are and writ e a glowing recommendation.7. Control your calendar. Although you might think its a great idea to spend all day every day on your job search, you should think twice before putting this into practice. Spending all your time on job searching can quickly cause burnout, but you also want to maximize the quality of your search, too. Use your calendar to help create manageable actions (e.g., contact a former employer, etc.) to help keep you on task.8. Know what you need. Once you decide what type of job you want, go through positions that match your interest. You might quickly discover, though, that your skills dont match up to the requirements of the job. If youre determined to make this career a reality, write down what it would take for you to land this type of job (e.g., specific certifications or education level). Then, make it a reality.9. Stay social.You might loathe networking events, but theyre oftentimes a necessary part of job hunting. Look for local events in your area that yo u can go to you might discover that theyre not as bad as you might have thought10. Make a connection.In an effort to boost your network, you should reach out to former colleagues, coworkers, friends, family members, and bosses, too. Let them know that youre looking for a job, and be specific about what youd like to do, so that you dont get misguided (but well-meaning) job leads.These 10 quickie job search tasks can help reinvigorate your search and also make your job search a faster, easier, and dare we say, fun processFind more job search tips here.Readers, what do you think of these quickie job search tasks? Do they inspire you to jump-start your job search? Let us know in the comments