Regardless of your skill level or job title, managing your time each day is essential for career success. Disorganized people quickly realized that they are not able to keep up their well-maintained peers. Spending time cultivating your time management skills with give you the right tools to move your career to the next level. Here are some tips to get you started.

• Start with your routine. In order to maximize your time management strategy, you have to have one. Begin by creating a routine that makes the most sense for you, the type of work you do, and your typical day. Use this as a template to organize all of your time each day. Before the end of the day, track what you need to accomplish the following day so you can stay on track. And don’t forget to make time for your personal life as well.
• Keep a calendar. A routine is a good start, but it is equally as important to track the tasks you need to complete. You can use an online calendar, like Google’s offering, or a desk calendar to help yourself keep up. There is a sense of satisfaction when you are able to cross something off your To Do list when you finish it. And that feeling can motivate you to keep going on to the next thing.
• Schedule time between meetings. One of the ways people get caught up in a cycle of poor time management is by not effectively scheduling appointments. Being late is a statement, and it isn’t a positive one. You’re effectively telling everyone else that your time is more important. So, to avoid this, schedule a buffer time before each meeting. This can assure that you can stay on time and unstressed.
• Block out email time. Experts all agree that the constant attention to email is a huge time grab for most professionals. Rather than getting caught in the cycle of responding to email immediately when it is received, block out times during the day to pay attention to these correspondences. When you first arrive in the office, after lunch, and before the end of the day are good times. Set aside a half an hour to respond, and otherwise, don’t look at your emails throughout the day.
• Make use of “Do Not Disturb.” When you are engaged in tasks that need your undivided attention, don’t be afraid to establish a Do Not Disturb policy. If you work in an office with a door, close it. Use a white board outside your door to indicate you need to be left alone. Set your phone to Do Not Disturb. If you’re in an open office, create a signal that will inform others that you need to be left alone.

Are you looking for more ideas to effectively manage your time? We have recruiting offices located in Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles and Orange County, so call us today to learn more!