“Time Management Skills” is a phrase used quite often in job listings from potential employers. This week’s blog will discuss what those are, why they are important and how to develop them.
When looking through job listings, you will often find the phrases, “self-starter”, “works independently” or “fast-paced environment”. These phrases are indicators that the duties of the job include tasks that are deadline-driven. But what does it mean to be a “self-starter” or “independent worker”? All of these are ways to describe that the job requires good time management skills.
What are Time Management Skills? These are the skills that you possess that allow you to manage your workload effectively. These include ability to prioritize—accomplishing tasks and schedule projects so that deadlines are met, and to manage a “to do” list that may be longer than there are hours in a work day.
“How do I develop good Time Management Skills?”
- Develop a routine to your day. Creating a “to do list” is a good way to itemize the tasks that need to be completed.
- Prioritize: Plan your day so that the more urgent or time-sensitive tasks are completed in order of the deadline.
- For example, if you have a meeting to attend at the same time as a project deadline, plan your day so that you can spend time on the project well in advance of the deadline while still being available for your meeting.
- Track timeframes for duties and projects:
- Estimate (or time yourself when completing tasks that you do regularly) the amount of time it will take to finish the task and schedule appropriately.
- Utilize a calendar or to-do list so that you can “plug in” tasks according to deadlines. This will help with planning your day or week so that you are informed of what needs to be completed and when.
- Adjust your “to do list” as new tasks or projects come your way:
- Adjusting your list as you go through your day is necessary when new tasks or meetings are scheduled. If an unplanned meeting is suddenly announced, re-prioritize your list so that room can be made for the meeting in your schedule. Put off some of the items on your list to another time (well within the deadline frame).
You likely already have time management skills that you use in your personal life. A mental “to do” list: such as “I need to pick up groceries and schedule a dental appointment while Suzy is a soccer practice” is an example of prioritizing and scheduling your tasks.
Even those who are excellent at multitasking need tools to keep them on track. The ability to “juggle” your tasks and projects during the day is part of prioritizing. When an urgent project or matter comes up, the ability to mentally re-organize that to-do list is something that you do often. Planning a coffee date with a friend but an emergency dental appointment becomes available for that same time? Rescheduling and re-prioritizing so that both can get done is a skill you already have in your personal life. When interviewing for a position and asked about your ability to multitask, you don’t have to use an example from a previous job if you haven’t had one in a while. Use your personal experience in managing appointments, projects, and deadlines (like doing your taxes and paying your bills) to illustrate those highly sought after “multi-tasking” skills during interviews for potential jobs.
‘Till next time,
Becky
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