Waiting for a Job Offer? 5 Productive Ideas While You Wait to Hear Back

This post list 5 ideas of how to make the best use of your time while you are waiting to hear back from a job interview or throughout the entire job searching process.

Waiting to hear back after a job interview or waiting for a job offer can be filled with so much stress and anxiety. Your poor phone can’t take the picking-up and down all the time! That is worse than watching paint dry on a wall, at least you can see the progress!

But when you are waiting to hear back on how you did on an interview or if your resume has even made it to the hiring manager's desk, there isn’t a way to know how things are going. All you can do is wait, and that could be days or even weeks from the first phone call to the next interview.

So how can you save your sanity and make the best use of your time while you wait?

Here is a list of 5 ideas to keep you productive and distracted while you wait to hear back from a job interview or throughout the entire job searching process.

1. Learn a New Skill or Get Certified

Waiting to hear back for the results of a job interview or if your application has made it through to the next round is a great opportunity to brush up on job-related technical skills or learn something entirely new to you.

LinkedIn Learning: An expansive catalog of videos that cover an insane range of topics from almost every field in the professional world.

I love LinkedIn Learning because I am a visual learner and the videos keep me engaged.

I use LinkedIn Learning like how I use Google. If there is a career-related question that pops into my head, there is a video that can help guide and answer it for me.

Also, the homepage is formatted like Netflix, showing you the latest videos, top-rated, or suggested videos based on your search history.

Your first month of learning is free! You will need a LinkedIn account to sign up for LinkedIn Learning.

Skillshare: Always wanted to learn how to take that perfect picture or how to take care of a house plant properly? Whatever new skill you are curious about, just type it in the search bar, and you will get a variety of courses. Learning a new skill that fulfills you personally is a great way to build up your confidence and a great ice breaker when asked- "so what do you do for fun"? Bonus! The first 7 days is free with unlimited access to classes!

2. Create An Online Presence

I am not talking about being active on Facebook or Instagram, so what do I mean?

Design and create a website that showcases your professional work, hobby, or a cause you are passionate about. All presented on a website designed by you. Yes, you can make a website. It's much easier than you think. I’ll explain a little further down.

Here are some ideas for websites:

Digital portfolio- showcase your illustrations, artwork, and case studies
Blog- share your knowledge around a hobby or passion towards a cause.

a personal note...

I launched this blog because it combined my love of learning and passion for empowering women. I wanted to create an inclusive digital space for women of all backgrounds and experiences. With topics on how to advance in their careers or how to launch and grow their business. The blog also serves as a perfect case study, showing my ability to learn new technical subjects and applying them in a digital medium.

Creating a website these days it's not as complicated or as scary as you may think.

All of the build-your-own website platforms offer pre-designed portfolio or blogging templates with a simple drag and drop feature. Meaning, all you have to do is upload photos and add your text in blocked out spaces. Kind of like filling out a digital form.

For a digital portfolio: Wix.com is a user-friendly website platform that offers an A.I. (artificial intelligence) website building tool. Just answer a few questions about your website, and the algorithm will create and design it for you! Once the design is populated, all you will need are photos and text inserted in the designated areas. See, easy peasy.

For a blog: Bluehost with WordPress is the number one choice for bloggers to use for hosting and for website building. They have pre-made templates to choose from, and there are a ton of YouTube videos on how to create a simple blog.

3. Help Someone Find A Job

After three months of being laid off and submitting applications after applications, at a certain point, I was completely over thinking about my own job search!

So, I decided to write a post on LinkedIn and to offer my help to anyone who was also looking for a new job.

Here is the post I wrote on LinkedIn :

The post received so much engagement from people in and out of my network. It kind of went "viral" (over 1600 views) for a couple of weeks.

I was overwhelmed by the responses of encouragement on my job search. And made new connections with people who were in the same boat as me. I quickly gained a “job search” crew.

Here are some of the ways I helped others in their job search:

Endorse a skill for colleagues on their LinkedIn profile.
Forward job postings I thought could be a good fit for another person in my "job searching crew".
Helped edit and revise resumes and cover letters.

4. Get Active- Volunteer!

Volunteering is an awesome and productive distraction from your job search.

Pouring your energy and attention to an organization that wants and needs your help is a welcoming feeling! Especially during a time that could be filled with rejection or being ghosted. Volunteering is not only good for others but good for your well-being.

Here are some apps and websites that can connect you with an organization that sparks your interest:

Golden App: The app makes it super easy to find volunteering opportunities around your area and a social sharing feature to ask your friends to join you! Download the Golden App in the Apple store or google play store.

Volunteermatch.org: For over thirty years, Volunteer Match has connected people with non-profit organizations in their community. You start by entering your location and can choose an ongoing volunteer role (administrative, project managing, social media help..) or choose to participate in an upcoming volunteering event. If you prefer to volunteer within the comforts of your home, you can volunteer virtually, check out their full list of options.

Charity Miles App: Your next hike, run, or bike outing could help earn money for a charity without having to ask friends or family to donate (however, there is that option too)!

The Charity Miles app integrates with the GPS on your phone or health app, and logs your physical activity, and tracks the distance. For every mile completed, a small donation is awarded to one of the 40 charities you can select.

The donation comes from corporate sponsors that repurpose their media dollars and in return for their donation- the companies run premium ads on the app. The app is free and can be download on the Apple store or google play store.

5. Put down your phone, give your mental well-being a break

There is no way around how long it could take to land your next job.

From start to finish, it could be from a couple of weeks to a couple of months and all that waiting could take a major toll on your mental well-being.

Here are a couple of healthy distractions that do not require the use of a phone:

Focus on your current job - If you are fortunate to be searching for a new job while in another, put your phone away and be present in your current role.

Do you know the saying “leave on a high note” ? It’s a great reminder to always bring your best self to work. And when it comes time to exit, people will remember the quality of your work rather than your lack of focus. Leave with the best impression possible.

Get rid of the clutter and get organized - Starting a new job is also an opportunity to start fresh by getting rid of the clutter in your room or house. Start with your closet or pantry and get organized to help you save time for those future mornings of getting ready for your new job.

I hope these 5 ideas will not only help make the time go by faster when you are waiting to hear back from a job or company, but will also add more value to your life both personally and professionally.

Leave a comment below on your job search journey- what do you do to kill time?