Who? What? Where?

Collective wisdom states that when you’re out of a job, your full time job is looking for one.  We’ve all been in this position at one time or another – some of us during the era of scouring newspaper ads and snail-mailing resumes!  With the internet and the proliferation of job search websites, it’s easier than ever to submit applications for dozens of jobs any given day.  Because of this, it’s also easy to forget all the different positions for which you applied.  A recruiter might call a few days after seeing a resume posted online and catch you off guard. Many times we’ve called applicants and you could actually hear the deer-in-the-headlights look over the phone – no idea what job we were calling about!

Therefore, it’s a good idea to devise some sort of tracking system to keep your job search organized.  Whether you use a spreadsheet or some type of app, it should be quickly accessible and include:

Company
Position
Date applied
Documents sent (resume, cover letter, references, etc.)
Any actions with the date and outcome (spoke with recruiter; received email from HR, etc.)
Last but not least, interview dates and locations – even for phone interviews. This should go in every calendar you consult on a daily basis.

Life is busy, and no one can predict how long a hiring process will take.  Sometimes there are multiple phone calls or interviews.  The last thing you want to have happen is to miss an important appointment.  Maintaining a structure can greatly help your job search process.