Looking for New Job? Break down your job search into bite-sized chunks.

It takes ~3 months to find a new job or longer if you’re balancing it with life's other priorities. And it's easy to get discouraged without progress. But you can build a job search habit that quickly gives you some successes through behavior design.

“Behavior design is a systematic way to achieve any outcome.” (B.J. Fogg, Tiny Habits)

Here’s how to quickly get some momentum on your job search.

Designing a job search habit

Step 1: Identify your specific job goal, such as finding a program manager or remote job.

Step 2: Brainstorm actions that help you achieve your goal for example, updating your resume or learning a new skill.

Step 3: Circle the most impactful actions that you want to do now, not should do.

Step 4: For one-time actions like updating your resume, schedule time--no matter how small--and set a reminder. Then, start chipping away at it 5-10 minutes at a time.

Step 5: For behaviors that you want to build:

• Make the new action super small like reading an industry blog for 5 minutes or only one paragraph.

• Identify a routine action in your day that you can add the new action to like eating lunch.

• Connect both actions: Read the article for 5 minutes while eating lunch.

The key is to design the habit for who you are by breaking down the behavior into the most achievable action you are able and willing take.

There's no magic wand. But with motivation, ability, and repetition, you can design the behavior that'll achieve the job you want--like magic.