The Four-Hour Friday (Or How to Fit a Job Search Into Your 60-Hour Week)

It's Friday at 2pm. You just got out of a three hour working session. You have another client call at 4pm. Your utilization is at 110% this month.

And you're supposed to be job searching.

The career advice people will tell you to "dedicate serious time to your search." They'll say you need to "treat your job search like a full time job."

These people have never worked in consulting.

You don't have 20 hours a week to dedicate to your job search. You barely have 20 hours a week to sleep.

But here's what nobody tells you: you don't need 20 hours. You need 4 really good hours.

I've worked with 200+ consultants through their exits. The ones who moved fastest weren't the ones who spent the most time. They were the ones who were ruthlessly strategic about the time they did have.

Here's the framework that works.

The Four-Hour Reality Check

Let's start with brutal honesty about your schedule.

You're working 60-70 hours a week. Maybe more during diligence sprints or when a deck is due. You're traveling 3-4 days a week (or stuck on Zoom calls all day if you're remote). You're on client time from 9am to 6pm minimum, often later.

Your realistic windows for job search:

• Friday afternoons (if you're lucky and don't have a deliverable due)

• Sunday evenings (before the Sunday Scaries hit too hard)

• Random 30 minute gaps between meetings (too short to be useful for real work, but maybe enough for job search stuff)

• Early mornings (if you're a morning person and not completely destroyed from the week)

That's it. That's what you're working with.

Most people try to squeeze job search into all these little gaps. They spend 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there, an hour on Sunday, and they end up exhausted without making real progress.

Here's the better approach: protect one four-hour block per week and make it count.

Friday afternoon is ideal. Monday and Tuesday are usually client-heavy. Wednesday you're underwater with work. Thursday you're trying to finish stuff before Friday. Friday afternoon is when the client is usually mentally checked out, your team has less scheduled, and you can actually think.

If Friday doesn't work, Sunday afternoon. Not Sunday evening (you'll be stressed about the week ahead). Sunday afternoon from 1-5pm, before the dread sets in.

One four-hour block. Every single week. Non-negotiable.

This is your job search time.

What NOT to Do with Your Four Hours

Most consultants waste their four hours on low-leverage activities.

Here's what doesn't work:

Don't Spend Two Hours on One Application

You know this pattern. You find a job posting. It looks perfect. You spend 30 minutes reading the description. Another 45 minutes customizing your resume. Another hour writing a cover letter. Then 15 minutes uploading everything to their janky application system.

Two hours later, you've submitted one application. You'll probably never hear back.

This is the biggest time sink in job searching. And the return on investment is terrible.

Unless the role is absolutely perfect and you have a strong internal connection, you should spend a maximum of 20 minutes per application. We'll talk about how to do this later.

Don't Browse Job Boards Aimlessly

You open LinkedIn Jobs. You scroll. "Hmm, that's interesting." You read the description. You click on the company profile. You read about the company. You look at who else works there. You check their funding status.

45 minutes later, you haven't applied to anything. You've just consumed information.

This feels productive. It's not.

Job boards are for targeted searching with specific criteria. Not for browsing.

Don't Try to "Learn" About Industries

Consultants love to research. You think you need to become an expert in tech, or fintech, or healthcare before you can apply to jobs in those industries.

So you spend hours reading industry reports, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube videos about "what product managers actually do."

This is useful background research. But it's not job searching.

The time to learn about industries is after you have conversations with people in those industries. Not before.

Don't Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Two Hours

Yes, your LinkedIn profile should be good. But it doesn't need to be perfect.

Spend 30 minutes making it not embarrassing:

• Headline that says what you do and what you're looking for

• Summary that's clear and concrete (not generic consulting buzzwords)

• Job descriptions that have actual accomplishments with numbers

That's it. You're done.

Don't spend two hours A/B testing headlines or choosing the perfect profile photo or rewriting your summary six times.

Good enough is good enough.

What Actually Works: The Four-Hour Framework

Here's how to use your four hours to actually move your search forward.

Hour 1: Direct Outreach and Networking (Highest Leverage)

This is the most important hour of your week.

Remember: 73% of consulting exits happen through relationships, not applications. The people who land roles fastest spend most of their time on direct outreach.

In hour one, you should:

30 minutes: Send 5-8 personalized outreach messages

Not 30 messages. Not 50 messages. Just 5-8 really good ones.

You should already have a target list (we'll talk about building this later). Pick 5-8 people from that list and send them personalized messages.

Use the frameworks from the networking article. Be specific. Make it easy to say yes. Show you did research.

At a 40% response rate, 5-8 messages per week means 2-3 calls per week. That's the right volume.

30 minutes: Follow up with pending conversations

You had a networking call last week. Send a follow up note.

Someone introduced you to a contact. Thank them and update them on the outcome.

You talked to someone two months ago. You saw an article related to your conversation. Share it.

This is relationship maintenance. It compounds over time.

Hour 2: Strategic Applications (Medium Leverage)

Now you can apply to jobs. But you're going to be smart about it.

40 minutes: Apply to 3-5 targeted roles

Not 20 roles. Just 3-5 roles that are actually good fits.

Your criteria:

• Role matches your target (PM, strategy, operations, whatever you've decided)

• Level is appropriate (don't apply to roles 3 levels too senior because the description sounds cool)

• Company is somewhere you'd actually want to work

• Ideally, you have some connection to the company (even loose)

For each role, spend 8-10 minutes:

• 2 minutes: Scan description, confirm it's actually a fit

• 3 minutes: Check if anyone in your network works there or has a connection

• 5 minutes: Customize the top third of your resume and write a 3-sentence cover letter

• Submit

That's it. No 500-word cover letters. No completely rewriting your resume for each role.

The goal is volume of good enough applications, not perfection on one application.

20 minutes: Apply to 2-3 stretch roles

These are roles that are slightly above your level, or at companies that are hard to get into, or in areas you're less sure about.

You're probably not going to get these. But applying forces you to think about how you'd position yourself for more senior roles. And occasionally you get surprised.

Spend less time on these. 5 minutes each.

Hour 3: System Maintenance and Research (Lower Leverage but Necessary)

This is the boring infrastructure work that keeps your search organized.

20 minutes: Update your tracking system

You need a simple spreadsheet to track:

• Companies you're interested in

• People you've reached out to and their status

• Applications you've submitted

• Interviews scheduled

• Follow ups needed

This takes 20 minutes per week. Not more.

Don't build an elaborate Notion database with 47 fields. Just a simple spreadsheet that tells you what you need to do next week.

20 minutes: Research target companies

Look at 3-4 companies you're interested in but haven't applied to yet.

What you're researching:

• What do they actually do (in simple terms)

• Who do you know there or who could introduce you

• What roles are they hiring for that might fit

• Anything notable about their culture or strategy

Add them to your target list if they're interesting.

20 minutes: Refine your positioning

Read the job descriptions from roles you applied to. Look at the patterns.

What skills do they keep asking for that you need to emphasize more?

What parts of your consulting experience are they most excited about?

What questions did you struggle to answer in interviews this week?

Use this time to tighten your story. Update your resume if needed. Prepare better answers.

Hour 4: Interview Prep (When Relevant)

Once you start getting interviews, hour 4 becomes interview prep.

If you don't have interviews scheduled, skip this and end after hour 3. You just got your Friday back at 5pm. Go enjoy it.

But when you do have interviews:

30 minutes: Research the specific role and team

Not the company. You already did that. Research:

• The person you're interviewing with (what's their background, what do they care about)

• The specific team or product you'd be working on

• Recent news or launches related to the role

• Questions you want to ask

30 minutes: Prepare your examples

Consultants over-prepare for interviews. You don't need 47 examples. You need 5-7 really good stories that show different skills.

Write out:

• The situation/challenge

• What you did specifically

• The measurable outcome

Practice saying them out loud. Time yourself. Aim for 60-90 seconds per story.

That's it. You don't need to memorize 50 behavioral questions. You need a few great examples and the ability to adapt them.

The Friday Afternoon Ritual: How to Actually Protect This Time

Knowing you need four hours is different from actually protecting four hours.

Here's how to make it happen:

Thursday Evening: Set Up Friday

Thursday after your last call (usually 6-7pm), spend 15 minutes planning Friday's four hours.

Don't wait until Friday to figure out what you're doing. That's how you waste 45 minutes "getting started."

Write down:

• 5-8 specific people you're reaching out to (with their names and why)

• 3-5 specific roles you're applying to (with the links)

• Any follow ups you need to send

• Any interviews you're prepping for

Put it in a Google Doc or note. Make it brain-dead simple to execute.

Friday afternoon, you just follow the list. No thinking required.

Friday Morning: Block Your Calendar

Put "Focus Time" on your calendar from 2-6pm Friday.

Not "job search." Not "personal time." Just "Focus Time."

If someone tries to book over it, you're busy. You're working on something important. Because you are - you're working on your future.

Most clients don't schedule late Friday calls anyway. If they do, push back gently: "I have something scheduled then, could we do Thursday instead?"

You've earned the right to protect Friday afternoon.

Friday 2pm: Close Everything Except What Matters

When 2pm hits:

• Close Slack

• Close your email

• Close all client work

• Put your phone face down

• Open your job search doc and your tracking spreadsheet

You have four hours. No distractions.

The first time you do this, it'll feel weird. You'll want to check Slack. You'll worry someone needs you.

They don't. Your team survived before you joined. They'll survive Friday afternoon without you.

Friday 6pm: Hard Stop

When your four hours are up, you're done.

Close all the job search tabs. Close the spreadsheet. Close LinkedIn.

You're not going to "just finish this one application." You're not going to "quickly check one more company."

Hard stop at 6pm.

This is crucial. If you let job search bleed into the rest of your week, you'll burn out. You'll start to hate it. You'll get sloppy.

Four focused hours beats 10 distracted hours every time.

The Batch Processing System: How to Do More in Less Time

Consultants are good at efficiency. Use those skills for your job search.

The key principle: batch similar activities together to minimize context switching.

Batch 1: Research and List Building (Monthly)

Once a month, spend 90 minutes building/updating your target list.

Don't do this weekly. It's too frequent and you'll waste time.

Once a month:

• Add 20-30 new people to your outreach list

• Add 10-15 new companies to your target list

• Update the status of everyone you've already contacted

• Remove people who ghosted or companies you're no longer interested in

Now you have a list you can work from for the next month. No more "who should I reach out to?" paralysis.

Batch 2: Resume Updates (Bi-Weekly)

Every two weeks, spend 30 minutes updating your resume based on feedback.

Don't update it after every single application. You'll drive yourself crazy and waste time.

Every two weeks:

• Look at the patterns in roles you're applying to

• Update your bullet points to emphasize relevant experience

• Add any new accomplishments from work

• Fix any wording that felt awkward in interviews

Save it. Now you have an updated baseline for the next two weeks.

Batch 3: LinkedIn Optimization (Quarterly)

Once every three months, spend an hour on LinkedIn:

• Update your headline based on your evolving search

• Refresh your summary

• Add recent accomplishments

• Review and endorse connections who've helped you

That's it. Don't check LinkedIn daily. Don't obsess over your profile. Quarterly is fine.

The 30-Minute Emergency Protocol: When You Don't Have Four Hours

Some weeks you really can't protect four hours. The client is melting down. You're in the middle of a diligence sprint. Your team lead is watching your utilization like a hawk.

Here's the emergency protocol for weeks when you only have 30 minutes:

Option 1: Pure Outreach (10 minutes)

Send 2-3 really good networking messages. That's it.

Don't apply to jobs. Don't do research. Just outreach.

Those 2-3 messages might turn into conversations next week when you have more time.

Option 2: Interview Prep (30 minutes)

If you have an interview scheduled, spend all 30 minutes prepping.

Nothing else matters if you're not ready for the interview.

Option 3: Follow Ups (15 minutes)

Send follow ups to 3-5 people you've already talked to.

Thank yous. Check ins. Article shares. Quick updates.

This maintains momentum even when you can't do new outreach.

What you DON'T do: try to cram everything into 30 minutes. You'll do it all badly and feel frustrated.

Pick one thing. Do it well. Move on.

The Calendar Hacks That Actually Work

Here are some specific tactics consultants use to find time:

The Tuesday/Thursday 7am Block

If you're a morning person, block 7-8am Tuesday and Thursday for job search stuff.

The client isn't awake yet. Your team isn't Slacking you yet. You have an hour of peace.

Two hours a week isn't enough for a full job search, but it's great for:

• Quick applications to roles that just posted

• Following up on hot leads

• Prepping for an interview happening that day

The Flight Time Hack

You're flying back from the client site. You have 2-3 hours.

Don't watch Netflix. Use that time.

Download everything you need before the flight (job descriptions, company research, your tracking doc). Work offline.

Most flights have WiFi now, but even if they don't, you can:

• Draft outreach messages to send later

• Update your resume

• Prep for interviews

• Organize your tracking system

Some of the best job search work happens at 35,000 feet.

The Sunday Strategy Session

Sunday afternoon, 2-4pm, do your strategic thinking.

This isn't grinding through applications. This is higher level stuff:

• What's working and what's not?

• Should you pivot your target role or industry?

• Do you need to change your positioning?

• Who should you be talking to that you're not?

This is the time to step back and make sure you're not just working hard, but working on the right things.

Then use your Friday four hours for execution.

The Between Meetings Micro-Tasks

You have 15 minutes between calls. Not enough time for real work.

Perfect for job search micro-tasks:

• Apply to one job (if you've already researched it)

• Send one follow up message

• Check if anyone responded to your outreach

• Add two people to your target list

• Endorse someone on LinkedIn who helped you

These tiny blocks add up. But only if you have a list of micro-tasks ready to go.

The Utilization Balance: How to Search Without Tanking Your Performance

Here's the thing nobody tells you: if your performance drops significantly while you're job searching, you'll get managed out before you can exit.

You need to maintain your utilization and your output quality. At least 80% of your normal level.

How to do this:

Don't Job Search During the Week

I know this sounds obvious, but consultants try to sneak in job search stuff during the workday.

They're on a client call but also checking LinkedIn. They're supposed to be building a model but they're actually researching companies. They're in a working session but they're thinking about their resume.

This doesn't save time. It just makes you slower at everything.

Keep work and job search completely separate. You'll be more efficient at both.

Front-Load Your Client Work

Most client work has flexible timing within the week. Very little needs to happen on a specific day.

So front-load your work into Monday-Thursday. Get ahead. Build buffers.

Then Friday afternoon, you're not scrambling. You're just protecting time you've already earned.

Be Strategic About Projects

When you're job searching, don't volunteer for the craziest projects.

Don't take the project that requires traveling every week to a different city. Don't take the fire drill project with impossible deadlines. Don't take the project with the micromanaging partner.

Take the steady project with reasonable hours and a hands-off manager.

Your team might wonder why you're suddenly less ambitious. That's fine. You'll be gone in 6 months anyway.

Use Your Job Search as Motivation

This is counterintuitive, but many consultants say their performance actually improved while job searching.

Why? Because you have an end date now. You're not aimlessly grinding anymore. You're grinding with purpose.

Every good week of utilization is one week closer to leaving. Every successful client presentation proves you can still deliver while planning your exit.

The finish line makes everything more tolerable.

What Success Actually Looks Like

After 8-12 weeks of four-hour Fridays, here's what you should have:

• 40-60 networking messages sent (5-8 per week)

• 15-25 meaningful conversations with people in target roles or companies

• 25-40 applications submitted to relevant roles

• 3-8 first round interviews

• 1-3 final round interviews or ongoing processes

• A clear sense of what roles are realistic and what companies are interested

This isn't a fast process. But it's a steady one.

And the beauty of the four-hour Friday framework: you can sustain it.

You won't burn out. You won't tank your performance. You won't hate your life.

You'll just consistently move forward, four hours at a time, until you have an offer.

The Three Month Mark: When to Intensify

The four-hour framework works for the first 3-4 months of your search.

But at some point, you might need to intensify.

Signs it's time to ramp up:

• You're getting interviews but not progressing

• You've been searching for 4+ months without meaningful traction

• You found a specific opportunity that's time-sensitive

• You're financially ready to quit and search full-time

At that point, the calculus changes. You might need to:

• Take a week of PTO and dedicate it to job search

• Reduce your utilization (accept being at 70% instead of 100%)

• Say no to new projects and coast on your current one

• Have a more direct conversation with your career manager about timing

But don't start there. Start with four-hour Fridays.

Most consultants can land a good role with 4-6 hours per week if those hours are focused and strategic.

The Final Reality Check

Here's what I tell every consultant who's stressed about finding time to job search:

You're not going to find time. You're going to make time.

There will always be client work. There will always be deliverables. There will always be reasons to push your search to "next week."

The consultants who leave are the ones who decide Friday afternoon is non-negotiable. Even when the deck isn't perfect. Even when the model could use one more sensitivity. Even when the partner wants just one more revision.

Friday afternoon is yours.

Four hours.

Every week.

No exceptions.

That's how you exit without burning out.

Key Takeaways

• You don't need 20 hours per week for an effective job search, you need 4 focused hours consistently every week (Friday afternoon is ideal)

• Don't waste time on low-leverage activities like spending two hours on one application, aimlessly browsing job boards, or over-optimizing your LinkedIn profile

• Use the Four-Hour Framework: Hour 1 for direct outreach/networking (highest leverage), Hour 2 for strategic applications (3-5 roles), Hour 3 for system maintenance and research, Hour 4 for interview prep when needed

• Protect your time by planning Thursday night, blocking your calendar Friday morning, closing all distractions at 2pm, and doing a hard stop at 6pm

• Batch similar activities: research and list building monthly, resume updates bi-weekly, LinkedIn optimization quarterly

• In emergency weeks with only 30 minutes, pick one thing (pure outreach, interview prep, or follow ups) and do it well instead of trying to do everything badly

• Use calendar hacks: Tuesday/Thursday 7am blocks, flight time for offline work, Sunday afternoon for strategic thinking, between meeting micro-tasks

• Maintain 80% of your normal consulting performance by keeping work and job search completely separate, front-loading client work, being strategic about projects

• After 8-12 weeks you should have 40-60 messages sent, 15-25 conversations, 25-40 applications, and several interviews in progress

• Don't try to find time, make time. Friday afternoon is non-negotiable, that's how you exit without burning out.