Prevent Job Search Embarrassment – Organize Your Job Search!

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Looking for a job is a full-time job”. While many people find themselves in the position of searching for a new job while still employed at their current one, that doesn’t change the fact that you need to handle your job search process as professionally as you would handle the new job if you were to get it. Organization is really the key to being an outstanding candidate.

This week, someone e-mailed me and requested that we get together to discuss her job search. This was a woman I had met at a networking event, and she began her message by saying, “This is Jane Doe, I either met you at this event or this one.” While I know that Jane Doe has been in the job market for quite some time and attends numerous networking functions, the opening of her message was off-putting. If you’re not really sure how you know me, why are you contacting me for assistance?

If networking is a big part of your job process (and it should be!), be sure to organize your contacts in a way that prevents these types of situations from occurring. If you’re not a rock star with remembering names, make notes for yourself on the back of someone’s business card, or when you enter their information into your e-mail address book. Whatever organizational system works for you, the important thing is to have one.

The majority of job seekers apply for multiple jobs, sometimes hundreds, while they’re actively looking for a job. I highly encourage you to keep a spreadsheet like excel or some other sort of tracking system to organize your applications, particularly if you apply to more than one position within a company. Some job application sites leave their job descriptions online indefinitely, while others remove theirs as soon as the posting closes. There’s nothing worse than having someone call to interview you for a job that you can’t remember anything about. Don’t rely on anyone else when it comes to staying organized during your job search; keep anything you think you might need in the future. Looking for a job may not actually be your full-time job, but it requires just as much dedication!