LinkedIn saw this one first, but it is more than time to update my blog and I wanted to share some insight I have on the importance of pacing, as it relates to my job search. At this time in my life, I am searching for a new professional role and I have been tracking the analytics of my job search. Wrapping up month five of my job search, I want to share a lesson I learned from reflecting on the data.
“Time for a ridiculously deep dive into my job search analytics, to make a point about motivation, pacing, and burnout. 😊
Overall, I am averaging about 2 applications per day – some days may be 0 and some days may be three or 4, but for all intents and purposes I am holding about a 2-per-day pace.
Overall (Feb 1 – June 26, 2025): 328 apps = 2.23 apps/day
Now… I broke it down by month to look at my progress. I saw it going two ways… Either I would start off at a faster pace and then slow down as the continued search became mundane, or I would start off at an even pace and pick up speed as I become more “desperate” to find something. While neither of my theories were correct, I am glad I kept these metrics because I noticed an interesting trend. See if you can spot it:
February 2025: 59 apps = 2.11 apps/day
March 2025: 68 apps = 2.19 apps/day
April 2025: 130 apps = 4.33 apps/day
May 2025: 14 apps = 0.45 apps/day
June 1–26, 2025: 57 apps = 2.19 apps/day
I notice that I held two applications per day pretty consistently, except for April and May. In April, I really ramped up my search, doubling my pace. I applied for 130 jobs in just one month. In May, I clearly felt the burnout, submitting only two applications per WEEK.
In April, I pushed myself. Hard. While I probably felt really productive at the time, it led to burnout in May, where my output dropped nearly 90%. Looking back, I can clearly see that consistency beats intensity. Progress doesn’t always mean pushing harder… it can also mean pacing yourself and making space for rest.
Crossing my fingers that I soon have more to analyze than just my own job search data, but for now, I am going to take a much needed “job search break”. For the next week, I will offer myself some time to recharge and focus on my studies.”
Link to my LinkedIn Post for the original content:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/abbyjeffries_break-jobsearch-motivation-activity-7344124810353942528-FjTL?utm_source=social_share_send&utm_medium=member_desktop_web&rcm=ACoAAEkofu0BH6NFxqTFVxkApRYbKkNrt5SYChk
