The following scenario happens more often than I’d like to admit… I start tackling an item on my to-do list for the day and then boom… all of the sudden I’m reading an email, have gone through 50 tweets, have 8 new tabs open, and finished reading 3 articles. Just me?
This information overload is not easy to combat, especially when working from home. There are so many interesting things to read and absorb, but the middle of a productive moment is simply not the right time.
I came across the Pocket app a few weeks ago which is helping me start to break this bad habit. It’s a free app which lives on my iPad, iPhone, and Desktop and allows me to find great articles, but then save them for later.
When people are often texting, tweeting, and emailing me interesting things throughout the day, this definitely helps me fight the urge to read it on the spot, and helps me stay productive.
Adding to things Pocket is pretty easy. One click of the bookmarklet does the trick if I want to save something from the computer. If I’m on one of my devices I can either email the article to my designated Pocket email address or hit a button if I’m saving from one of the many apps they partner with (Twitter and Feedly to name two that I use often).
The one immediate benefit is that I don’t need to go scrolling back through my Twitter or Facebook feed, emails, or internet history tabs to find what I wanted to read. Any articles I’ve marked will just be in pocket waiting for me on any of my devices since it syncs automatically. 
The other amazing thing about the app is that it allows you to view any of the articles you’ve saved offline. That means that I can use my time on the subway, plane rides, and other internet-free scenarios to catch up on any news and articles I’ve been hoping to read.
This free app has been extremely helpful for me so far on a day to day basis but I can also see it coming in handy in the job search. I’ve said this before, but doing research on the company before an interview is one of the most important things you can do to prep.
Reading any recent or relevant news is an integral part of that research and Pocket would be a great way to easily gather a few articles in one place and then read them when it’s most convenient.
Hope you enjoy Pocket as much as I have… and it helps you land your next gig or be a bit more productive during your day.
