The job search can be a daunting experience. When you’ve been hustling for weeks or months to find the perfect opportunity, it’s easy to feel bogged down or frequently distracted. But before you start scrolling through instagram or vacuuming your apartment for the third time today, pause, take a breath, and consider how you might refocus. If you feel like your productivity is dwindling, follow these steps to stay on task.

Set realistic goals

While you work toward your big goal of landing a great job, setting smaller goals each day can help you stay on task and better realize the progress you’re making. You might reserve one day for resume updates, another for reaching out to five professional connections, and another for submitting three job applications for positions you’ve been eyeing. Writing down actionable objectives for the week ahead will help you both stay focused and feel accomplished when you look back at what you’ve checked off your list.

Minimize distractions

We all know how easy it is to reach for our phones in moments of boredom or procrastination. Keep distractions to a minimum by turning your phone off or placing it in another room while you work on applications. Need a little extra help? Try a distraction-blocking app to prevent your internet eye from wandering from the task at hand.

It’s also helpful to designate a particular space for job search-related work (a transition to a specific place in your home can help you mind transition to a different headspace as well). Keep your job hunt area tidy and free from clutter, distracting appliances, junk food, or anything else that could tempt you away from your work.

Stay organized

It might seem obvious, but keeping track of which jobs you’ve applied to, and which you’re hoping to apply to, will prevent you from duplicating application steps or reading through the same job listing over and over. Simplify your job search with Altogethr — you can search multiple job sites at once, compare positions, and save the jobs that are the best fit all in one place. With easy navigation and helpful filters, you’ll stay on top of everything on your to-do list and increase your productivity.

Find an accountability partner

You’ve likely realized how the support systems in your life have helped you through tough times in the past, and the job search process is no exception. Ask a friend, family member, or fellow job-seeker to act as an accountability buddy — someone who can check in with you, swap stories and advice, and offer encouragement to stay motivated when the going gets tough.

Good luck with the job search, and we hope these tips help you keep your focus! Do you have great tips for staying productive that aren’t included here? Let us know how you stay on task in the comments section below!

Follow these tips to prep for and ace your next interview.