How to Get and Stay Organized During Your Job Search
There are a lot of logistics that go into looking for a new job. You have to keep track of not only all the jobs you applied for and which materials you sent in, but also which companies have gotten back to you, which have scheduled interviews, where and when those interviews are, what you need to prepare, when to follow up... It’s a lot to manage. And if you don’t want to drop the ball (or feel totally overwhelmed!), you’ve got to be organized. But how, exactly, do you do that? Here’s some practical advice to help you get and stay organized during your job search (so you can focus on landing your dream gig!)
Pick a Tracking System That Works for You
Most people, when they're looking for a new job can get bogged down with all the different things that are going on with no system to organize it. There are a lot of details to stay on top of when you’re looking for a new job, so putting an overall system in place is a great place to start. But which system? Everyone’s different, so you’ll have to find the one that makes sense to you. You could use:
One method is a Spreadsheet
If you’re looking to get all your job search details organized in one place, you might want to start with a spreadsheet—it will keep your job prospects organized. For every application you send, add a row [to] track the company’s name, date of application, job applied for, a link to the job if one is available, and a link to the website. You can also copy the job description and paste it into your spreadsheet; that way, if the company takes it down for some reason, you still have it on hand (and can tailor your application and interview responses accordingly).
As you move through the hiring process, you can use additional columns to track details including:
Hiring manager’s name
Hiring manager’s contact information (email and/or phone)
Interview dates/times
Thank you note sent
Date to follow up
Outcome (hired/not hired)
Interview notes (if you have multiple interviews, having notes can be helpful so you can remind yourself of what was discussed in each interview—and what you need to reference in any upcoming interviews)
Having a place to store and track all this information will help you juggle multiple interviews, applications, and job-related conversations and networking—and will ensure that no important details fall through the cracks.