WHY I BUILT A WEEKLY JOB SEARCH SCHEDULE—AND WHY YOU SHOULD TOO
By Alex Harrington, GCDF, CCSP
Editorial Note: This blog is part of a series written for fellow federal employees who, like me, are facing the challenge of moving on after a career in public service. After nearly 30 years—serving first in the U.S. Marine Corps and then as a federal civil servant—I’ve found myself among those impacted by the current Administration’s workforce reductions. Accepting the Department of Homeland Security’s early retirement offer was not an easy decision, but it has placed me on a new path. One that I know many of you are walking as well. My goal in this series is to share practical tools, strategies, and encouragement drawn from both my professional credentials and my own transition journey, with ChatGPT helping me refine and organize these ideas so they’re ready to support you in your next chapter.
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For more than a decade, I’ve lived with Stage IV Melanoma cancer. It’s a battle that has taken a toll on my body, reshaped my outlook, and taught me one of life’s hardest truths: time is the most precious thing I own.
When you live with a clock powered by the sharp edge of cancer pressing at your throat—a clock that ticks louder than most can hear, and louder still than most can bear—you quickly learn how fleeting time truly is. Every moment becomes measured not in years, but in months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, and seconds. Those of us living with cancer understand in a visceral way just how precious each moment is, and how dangerous it is to waste even one. I’ll admit, I haven’t yet mastered time, but I no longer squander it on worries that don’t matter or distractions that don’t deserve me. Instead, I guard my hours fiercely and choose with great care the people and purposes I give them to. Because once a moment is gone, it’s gone forever. Benjamin Franklin was right: “Lost time is never found again.” Whether you’re in a job search or just trying to figure out your next step in life, don’t take your time for granted. Guard it. Use it with purpose. And above all, give it only to the people, pursuits, and places that give it meaning.
Why a Weekly Job Search Routine Is the Key to Success
Knowing the importance of not wasting time—both yours and mine—I am writing this blog for you. Whether you’re unemployed, working part-time, or job-hunting while employed full-time, your job search is your full-time job. And like any job worth doing, it deserves all of your intentional focus, organization, and prioritization. In a past blog (The Full-Time Job of Job Searching: Treating Unemployment Like a 9-To-5), I emphasized that job hunting isn’t passive; and, in fact, it’s a full-time investment that demands a 40-hour work week from you. Conversely, I would argue that far too many job seekers do not treat their job search as a full-time job, and they fall into one of two traps: either they’re doing too little, or doing too much of the wrong things.
Unemployed? Treat Your Job Search as Your Full-Time Job
For those job seekers who are fully unemployed and actively seeking gainful employment, your number one job is conducting a full-time job search—meaning you should be investing at least 40 hours a week into networking, applications, and interview preparation. If you’re not dedicating that level of effort, don’t be surprised if your unemployment stretches beyond six months. In fact, recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that the number of Americans unemployed for 27 weeks or longer rose from 1.57 million in July 2024 to 1.83 million in July 2025—an increase of about 16%—now accounting for nearly one in four unemployed workers. This sharp rise underscores how critical consistent, full-time effort is in shortening the duration of joblessness.
For those job seekers who are fully unemployed and actively seeking gainful employment, your number one job is conducting a full-time job search—meaning you should be investing at least 40 hours a week into networking, applications, and interview preparation.
To illustrate my point, I came across this essay titled, “What Men Are For”:
When I was thirteen, my father lost his job. He was hardly alone: this was in the early 1980s in the UK, and he worked in manufacturing. It took months for him to find work. Each morning he would appear at the breakfast table, freshly showered, in a shirt and tie. Then he would go to his desk to check for new job postings and send out résumés. One day I asked him, “Why do you still dress so smartly when you don’t have a job to go to?” He looked at me and said, “I do still have a job. My job is to get another job so I can take care of all of you.” I’ll never forget that moment. I saw, for the first time, that Dad’s job wasn’t just that mysterious thing he went off to do every morning. It was a manifestation of the relationship of care between him and the rest of the family.
Don’t Drift—Act with Urgency Before the Window Closes
Throughout my 40 plus years of working (I started paying Social Security at age 17) and looking for a new job or career—while unemployed, working part-time, or job hunting while fully employed—I’ve learned that without a weekly job search routine, it’s easy to drift away from your most pressing and important tasks. That’s why I started treating my job search like a full-time role, and let me tell you: it changed my focus and how I allocated my time to the most important job search activities, such as: 1) Asking for job leads, 2) Using business directories and other resources to target employers, 3) Establishing contacts at your favorite companies, etc.
That sense of focus taught me an even deeper lesson: job searching is not just about activity—it’s about urgency. As David Goggins puts it:
Like medics on the scene of a car accident, we all must act with a sense of urgency and tune into that ticking clock in the back of our minds. Because there is a drop-dead time on everything we do in life. All our dreams and visions come with expiration dates etched in invisible ink. Windows of opportunity can and do close, so it is imperative that we do not waste time on [bu!!$##] (Goggins, David. “Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within” (p. 32). Lioncrest Publishing).
All our dreams and visions come with expiration dates etched in invisible ink. Windows of opportunity can and do close, so it is imperative that we do not waste time on [bu!!$##]
His words are a sobering raw reminder that time is not promised, and opportunities will not wait indefinitely. That’s why building a structured routine isn’t optional—it’s the difference between drifting through a search and actively moving toward the next opportunity before the window closes.
Why I Stick to a Weekly Routine
During my past job search efforts, I didn’t use a weekly job search schedule, but instead used a laissez-faire approach looking for opportunities. My days blurred together. I’d start one thing, get distracted, and then fall into discouragement, or worse—allow others to unintentionally hijack and steal my precious time. But once I committed to a weekly job search routine, everything changed. I started waking up at the same time every morning, getting dressed for the day, and blocking off time for specific tasks like networking, researching companies, and following up on applications. Creating a weekly job search schedule helped me stay focused, clear-headed, and forward-moving.
I found that even small habits—like making my bed—set the tone for the day, illustrated by Admiral William McRaven, author of Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World, wrote: “Making my bed correctly…was my first task of the day. It demonstrated my discipline.” He’s right. When I do that first task well, I’m more likely to keep showing up for the others. What’s more, having a weekly routine increases mental and physical health. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, having a morning routine increases energy, productivity, and positivity. It certainly did for me. I began to think more clearly, act more intentionally, and, frankly, feel better about myself, knowing that I put in a good day’s work.
Guarding My Time—Even from Others
Since 1997, I’ve invested much of my free time in volunteer and community initiatives—Federal Career Connection, Inc., Career Transition Academy, and the Richland County Young Marines, to name just a few. While these experiences brought me joy and meaning into my life by helping others, they also taught me an important lesson: I must protect my time—not only from distractions, but also from people who are eager to use it, often at no cost.
You may be thinking, “Alex, isn’t it a good thing when people value the time we give and the work we contribute—especially to those in need?” And yes, I agree. Well-meaning friends, colleagues, and community leaders genuinely appreciate pro bono time and effort. But here’s the caution: when you’re in a job search, you can’t afford to give away your most valuable resource—your time—carelessly.
If you are fully unemployed and actively seeking work, your number one job is your job search. That means treating your time as sacred. When someone asks you to volunteer, run an errand, or join a spontaneous catch-up, don’t feel guilty about setting boundaries. Communicate clearly: “I’d love to connect, but I’m working right now. Can we schedule another time?” Guarding your time in this way not only protects your productivity—it also sends a powerful message to both yourself and others: your job search is real work, and you are committed to it.
Communicate clearly: “I’d love to connect, but I’m working right now. Can we schedule another time?” Guarding your time in this way not only protects your productivity—it also sends a powerful message to both yourself and others: your job search is real work, and you are committed to it.
Balancing Time with Family
While a disciplined job search routine is essential, it should never come at the expense of family. In fact, maintaining family routines can provide the stability and emotional support you need during a period of transition. Shared meals, bedtime stories, and cultural traditions anchor children and reassure them when other parts of life feel uncertain. Keeping expectations high—whether it’s schoolwork, chores, or sticking to the family budget—teaches resilience and responsibility. Just as important, find age-appropriate ways for children to contribute to the well-being of the household; this not only strengthens the family unit but also helps them feel valued. And don’t forget your spouse or partner. Carving out time for one another—without distractions or children—enriches your relationship and sustains you both during stressful times. A healthy family rhythm creates balance, grounding you in what truly matters while you focus on the important work of securing your next opportunity.
Time Is Too Precious to Waste
Benjamin Franklin said, “If time be of all things the most precious, wasting time must be the greatest prodigality” (William M. Thayer. Franklin, Mass. 1893, Gaining Favor with God and Man. Lionheart Publishing). I’ve lived that truth. The moments I lost to procrastination or passivity in past job searches were moments I couldn’t get back. But when I began to structure my time, I became more productive and purposeful.
Here's What Helped Me—And Can Help You Too
Download the Weekly Job Search Schedule tools:
- Template_Weekly Job Search Calendar
- Instructions_Weekly Job Search Schedule
- Examples of Weekly Job Search Schedules
These resources gave me structure and focus:
- Elevate Your Job Search: The Power of Routine for Job Seekers
- The ‘Hour-a-Day’ Job Hunt Routine That Works
- Building a Winning Daily Job Search Routine
- FREE TOOL: A Sample Schedule and 15 Step Daily Routine for a Rock-Solid Job Search
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About the Author:
Alex Harrington, GCDF, CCSP, is retiring after nearly three decades of distinguished federal service, most recently as Senior Executive Advisor for Policy and Performance Operations with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. A Certified Career Services Provider and Global Career Development Facilitator, Alex founded Federal Career Connection, an initiative that has helped thousands navigate career transitions into public, national, and military service. A Persian Gulf War veteran and former U.S. Marine, he writes about resilience, leadership, and hope, drawing deeply from his personal journey as a Stage IV cancer fighter. Alex resides in West Virginia with his wife, Teresa.
