How to Organize Your Job Search
How to Organize Your Job Search
How to Organize Your Job Search
By Mike Winters
November 18, 2020
Summary
Searching for a new gig is a job itself-except you don't get paid for doing it, there are no benefits, and it's impossible to know if you're doing it wrong.
Applying for jobs can be a long, lonely struggle against self-doubt, and to stay resilient, you need to be organized and have a plan.
With that in mind, here are some tips to structure your job search and position yourself for success.
Declutter your workspace Studies reveal that cluttered workspaces are distracting and can cut into your productivity.
So create a distraction-free workspace that's comfortable enough to work in for a few hours each day, and treat it like the office from which you'll be carrying out your job of job-finding.
Organize your files On your computer, create a "Job search" umbrella folder, and within that add more folders for your various cover letter and resume drafts and your work samples.
You'll also want to create templates for resumes and cover letters by job type; once you have a template you can further customize it to fit a particular job listing.
You'll also want to track your job applications as you submit them.
A simple spreadsheet will do, and you don't have to overthink it: have a separate column for company name, role, date applied, the job posting link, status, and some notes, which can include a description or follow-up contact information.
Some sites recommend adding even more fields, but that can lead to a lot of busy work, especially if the majority of your applications are rejected.
Reference
Winters, M. (2020, November 18). How to Keep Your Job Search Organized. Retrieved November 19, 2020, from https://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-to-keep-your-job-search-organized-1845707981