Career Talk & Job Board

So many time I find myself finally getting into a project, only to get a call or Teams message that pulls me away from my work. Hitting the Do Not Disturb button is an absolute life saver when your working on a project with a deadline and need some space to breathe.

This sounds super simple, but something that helps me stay on top of everything is super detailed to do lists. I do this using One Note, but there’s tons of apps (bonus if you can access on your computer and phone, like slack).  This helps me by writing down something I need to remember or something I need to do later, and would otherwise forget. This also helps me start my day as I can quickly remember exactly where I left off and what I need to do next! 

I do social media for our school I keep things simple by just using a simple Excel spread sheet to lay out my ideas for each day of the upcoming months. I like to try to keep 1-2 months ahead with that simple plan and get posts scheduled out as far in advance so when extra requests come up I can have time to deal with them on the fly.

As a social media manager, it can be difficult to avoid doom scrolling on your phone during work. Often times, I visit Instagram or TikTok to post something to a brand account or look for ideas, then I realize an hour has gone by scrolling.My top productivity hack to avoid doom scrolling is batching my tasks that require me to actually be on my phone/social media. I also utilize Sprout’s Smart Inbox for replying to comments/messages so I can avoid being on my phone.Curious if anyone else has tips or ways they avoid being on their phone during work hours (or even after work hours!)

Hey all - I’m Katy and I lead Riskonnect’s (B2B SaaS) Global Social Media program. My best productivity tip is: Schedule time to get specific tasks done on your calendar.  Scheduling a specific time to get work for Social done is so helpful - especially for folks like me who work with global colleagues, that may lean towards scheduling a meeting first thing in the morning (when a social post is set to go out, or to be checked on once live).  This can mean either time-blocking so that you always have time in the day to get work for Social done, or it can mean adding mandatory time into your day for both on and off the clock time. 

I love to "parallel play"—working alongside someone else on Facetime or in person without direct collaboration. It helps keep me off my phone and from doom scrolling. Similar to an accountability partner! Especially since I work remotely, it also feels like I’m working alongside a co-worker even though it’s usually just a friend in a completely different industry.

Here's how it works:Choose a task: Pick one specific task to focus on. Set a timer: Work on that task with intense focus for a set time (e.g., 25 minutes). Take a short break: Step away from your work completely for 5 minutes. Stretch, grab a coffee, or do something non-work related.   Repeat: Continue this cycle throughout your workday.Why it works for me:Improved focus: Knowing I have a limited time to work on a task helps me avoid distractions and stay laser-focused.   Increased energy: The short breaks prevent burnout and keep my energy levels up throughout the day. Reduced procrastination: Breaking down tasks into smaller chunks makes them feel less daunting and easier to start.   Enhanced creativity: Stepping away from my work allows my

Use automation tools to save time, especially since they can help a pro to focus more on their creative side and leaving the hashtag creations, data analytics, and other important but time-consuming tasks to the right kinds of tools

This sounds super simple, but something that helps me stay on top of everything is super detailed to do lists. I do this using One Note, but there’s tons of apps (bonus if you can access on your computer and phone, like slack).  This helps me by writing down something I need to remember or something I need to do later, and would otherwise forget. This also helps me start my day as I can quickly remember exactly where I left off and what I need to do next! 

My favorite hack for being more productive is using a pomodoro timer. As someone who can be easily distracted, working in social media can be especially challenging (anyone ever suddenly scrolling through a page about starting a hobby farm when you started out doing market research? lol).I like to use an app called Be Focused. It lets you create your to-do list for the day and to set how long you want your working sessions and breaks to be. I like to do 25 minutes of work, followed by a 3 minute break, 3x. On the third round, I get a longer 10 minute break. My rule is no phone during the short breaks, only during the long one!This process has helped me be so much more productive and focused over the past year!

Making your bed in the morning goes beyond just shuffling around your sheets to make things look a little less messy. It may be a small task, but it sets the tone for having a productive day. This action encourages you to tackle other items throughout the day and helps start the day with a sense of accomplishment and order 😀

I personally cannot function if all of my work things are not in order!! To keep everything in order, I make sure that everything is documented and lives in our internal intranet. It doesn’t do anyone good if it just lives on my computer! I make sure things are clearly organized and uploaded so everyone has access.  I also rely so heavily on PM tools to keep me organized. I’ve used ClickUp, Wrike and Asana at previous orgs and at my new org we use Loop. Loop isn’t the best of the PM tools out there, but it still helps get what i need done to help me remember all of the little things that are so easy to forget!

If I am feeling overwhelmed and scattered, it helps to focus on my breathing and transform the anxiety into productive energy that I can channel into work. 

It used to be that, unless I was in a meeting, my door was always open and my online status was always “available.” It never occurred to me to do it any differently until one day, when I was overwhelmed with tasks I needed to complete and venting to my boss, that she told me to just shut my door and set up a “do not disturb” message. I had a bit of a “I’m allowed to do that?” moment before I took her advice, and lo-and-behold, cranked out all my tasks in record time!So, my advice, don’t be afraid to shut everyone else out for a little while and prioritize your time. My door is still open most of the time, and I love chatting with my coworkers, but it’s also nice to know that if I never need some time to really focus on a task, I can just shut my door and turn off my notifications for a bit.We use Outlook and Microsoft Teams at my job. If you do, too, I really recommend diving into the settings and customizing your notifications to your preferences (though, I’m sure

For me, one of the ways I’ve always stayed productive is by balancing my checklist each morning.The two things I am always sure to do are:Plan 1-2 easy <5min tasks first thing, to drive up my sense of accomplishment and feel some motivation for longer, deeper projects. Have a bank of 5-20min tasks that I can jump to when I fatigue on a bigger project. This helps to change things up and keep the momentum running.These tasks don’t always have to be “work” related to. It might just be cleaning my personal inbox. Scheduling a doctors appointment, ordering dog food, anything like that.

My go-to productivity tool is a simple paper booklet divided into a "To Do" list and an "Ideas" list. Crossing off tasks keeps me focused, while the "Ideas" section captures inspiration without interrupting my workflow. At the end of the week, I review my ideas to turn them into actionable tasks for the next week. Simple, satisfying, and effective!

Each day, I focus on 1 big task, 3 medium tasks, and 5 smaller tasks. This rule helps me stay realistic about what I can accomplish, while also ensuring I tackle important priorities without feeling overwhelmed. Breaking my workload into manageable chunks like this has significantly improved my focus and efficiency. I don’t have to accomplish all of the big task, but knowing that I’m putting in work on it helps make sure I’m staying on track.

☝️ This one feels so obvious and (almost) goes without saying, but you should only have one top priority. 🗓️ When you start your day, focus in on one priority to measure your success against. Starting your day by saying “my top priorities are scheduling social posts, brainstorming new content, and answering emails” can feel overwhelming and impossible to achieve. “My top priority is scheduling content.” You can do that! Focus in, be honest with yourself, and declare your one top priority for the day.

My productivity tip is a good old fashion pen and paper to do list. Nothing feels as good as crossing something off your list!

Here's how it works:Choose a task: Pick one specific task to focus on. Set a timer: Work on that task with intense focus for a set time (e.g., 25 minutes). Take a short break: Step away from your work completely for 5 minutes. Stretch, grab a coffee, or do something non-work related.   Repeat: Continue this cycle throughout your workday.Why it works for me:Improved focus: Knowing I have a limited time to work on a task helps me avoid distractions and stay laser-focused.   Increased energy: The short breaks prevent burnout and keep my energy levels up throughout the day. Reduced procrastination: Breaking down tasks into smaller chunks makes them feel less daunting and easier to start.   Enhanced creativity: Stepping away from my work allows my

As a social media manager/ parent/ person with lots of interests and activities, the distractions are endless. I frequently have ideas when reviewing feeds or working on projects, but in order to stay on task during dedicated project or task time, I have a “parking lot” where I write down or screenshot any ideas I want to revisit. I block time weekly to review this list. During that time, they’re either deleted, filed away, or lead to inspiration or new projects. This helps me reduce the number of “SQUIRREL!!” moments during focused periods of work. Would love to hear what works for others!

I find that sitting in the same environment day in and day out - whether you work from home or in office - can often stifle productivity and creativity.If you have the flexibility, work from a coffee shop for a few hours or even just work from a different room in your home (the kitchen table instead of your office) or a different space in your office building (get outside on the patio if you have one or hang out in a lounge space).A simple change of location can sometimes break the monotony and help stimulate your brain with new ideas from your surroundings. 

My productivity tip is borrowed from the book Deep Work by Cal Newport. He suggests you time block the same couple hours every day for deep work. This is time where you are pushing your brain to its capacity and putting in your hardest effort, in order to create work that cannot be easily duplicated. It’s where you are really adding value to the workplace. The more you stick to it, the easier it gets.