Tips From a Recruiter: How to Manage Your Time and Meet Deadlines

Whether you are a student, intern, or even well into your first (or second) job, managing your time and meeting deadlines can be very challenging. At the same time, it's a skill you’ll need to master to achieve your professional goals and maintain a healthy work-life balance. 

If you don’t feel like you have a handle on it quite yet, you are not alone. Recent studies show that the average worker spends 51% of every workday on ‘low’ to ‘no value’ tasks, and only 18% of people follow a proper time management system.

To help you build a strong foundation for managing your time and meeting deadlines throughout your career, we sat down with Kristen Ayres, the Director of Recruitment at City Teaching Alliance, to hear her tips and tricks on this topic. Read on to learn how Kristen manages her time, and how you can too!

1. Create a to-do list to stay on track

First things first — break out the pen and paper … or Google Docs or your computer ‘notes’ app! There’s too much going on in your personal and professional life for you to keep track of your tasks in your head. That’s why Kristen suggests writing all of your tasks down each day, adding that creating to-do lists helps her prioritize tasks and goals. 

"It always helps me visualize tasks I need to do by what day, and it's so satisfying getting to cross them off," she said. 

There is also plenty of free software out there today that you can use to track your tasks and progress made toward your deadlines, such as Asana or Trello. The important thing is that you stick with one system and be diligent about keeping it updated and checking in daily. 

“Take the time to set up systems that keep you on track and work for you,” Kristen said.  

Once you get your to-do list on paper or typed out, Kristen recommends using Google Calendar to give yourself set times to work on different tasks so that you can meet your deadlines.

"I use Google Calendar to schedule myself work-blocks for tasks and projects I know need to get done. I love color coordinating the blocks based on the type of task," she explained. 

If something is taking longer than expected, she added, you can "revisit your time blocks to see where you can add more time or finish it."

It’s also important to acknowledge that your tasks that involve other members of your team or company might take priority over other (solo) tasks — and that you keep that in mind when allocating your work blocks. For example, Kristen says that if “something you are working on will affect the ability of someone else finishing their projects, that should be something you prioritize.”

By creating an organized to-do list and schedule, and keeping other team members in mind while doing so, you should feel confident that you are setting yourself for success. 

2. Prioritize your time and reward yourself for accomplishing tasks

Aside from not allocating enough time to complete a task before a deadline, one of the biggest challenges to meeting deadlines is a lack of motivation to complete a task, and as a result giving in to distractions, Kristen said. 

"I recommend carving out time to complete those tasks that you may not want to complete,” Kristen advised. “If you don't make the time, you'll continue to put it off. Put a block on your calendar and work on that task until it's completed."

When you’re working on a task you aren’t that excited about, it can be much easier to give in to distractions from coworkers, either in the office or virtually. Kristen shared that her trick here is to set a "time-sensitive project" status on your office-wide messaging system (like Slack), so people know that you are working on something and may be slow to respond.

Kristen also recommends rewarding yourself for completing the tasks you don’t want to do so you have something to look forward to after you’ve marked them off.

“It might sound silly, but reward yourself with a walk outside or a little chocolate after finishing a task," she said.

By honoring your calendar time blocks, and using rewards to motivate yourself, you can immediately improve your ability to manage your time properly. 

3. Communicate honestly and regularly about your work

As mentioned above, communicating to your coworkers about your workload is an important part of meeting your personal tasks. By letting people know what you are working on and when, you can help them understand why you may be unable to take on additional tasks at the moment.

And while it’s a good idea to be open with your coworkers when you are busy, the most important person to communicate with when you need help prioritizing your tasks and support on your workload is your supervisor and/or manager. Kristen recommends that when communicating with your manager, you should come prepared with your list of exactly what projects you're working on and their deadlines, and any concerns you might have regarding your workload. 

"It really is better to communicate and talk through it than to over-promise on being able to finish more than you can handle and not deliver," Kristen advised. “I always respect when people are upfront and clear with deadlines saying things like, ‘I won't be able to get to that by Wednesday, could I have it to you by Friday instead?’”

As an early career professional, turning down a task or project outright can be intimidating. However, being honest about what you can handle and showing that you still want to help out — such as by proposing an alternative timeline — will only earn you more trust and respect at your company. 

4. Take ownership of missed deadlines

Lastly, sometimes things don’t go as planned, and it's also vital to communicate to your supervisor or manager if you fail to meet a deadline or don’t think you’ll make it — and what you plan to do about it. 

"Take ownership and accountability," Kristen said. "It's better to be upfront and honest and ask for extensions, than to have your manager find out without you bringing it up. I recommend acknowledging your progress or the initial deadline, and giving an update on when you plan on having it finished."

Kristen suggests that you approach that conversation with something like this: 

"I know I was supposed to have this project in this morning. I apologize, it is taking me longer than I originally anticipated, but I am about 75% done. I am dedicating the rest of this afternoon to completing it and will have it to you by this afternoon."

By being open with your manager, and presenting an alternative plan for getting your tasks done, you’ll be setting yourself up to be regarded as a responsible member of the team. 

You might feel pulled in a million directions at work and in your personal life, but you can control your situation and get your work done by taking the right steps from day one. That includes creating a clear and updated list of the tasks and their deadlines, being intentional about carving out time to complete even the tasks that you dread the most, and ensuring you are communicating your progress (or issues) to the right people along the way. By following these tips and techniques in this article, you'll be well on your way to managing your time more efficiently.

Feeling motivated and interested in joining the next generation of successful career educators and difference-makers? Learn more about City Teaching Alliance here.