3 ways to retain vital information throughout the job search
Organization is essential during a job search, particularly if you're holding out for the ideal position and may be searching for months. When applying for every appropriate job ad you find, it's easy to lose track of key information regarding job posts. This may come back to bother you when it's time to prepare for an interview.
Fortunately, we have a few basic tips to help you arrange your job hunt. Here is a list of the information you need to keep track of, as well as tips for maintaining a minimalist organizational style:
Let’s get digital
If you are not using job search applications and digital forms as the usual, you should brush up on your computer abilities. The simplest strategy to streamline your job search details is to investigate and learn new technologies.
A simple spreadsheet can be used to define categories and track critical dates. Or, you might invest in a user-friendly app to enhance your job hunt. A further advantage of going digital is the opportunity to link directly to important documents you may need to access, relevant external connections, and even your calendar.
Include the following in your job search tracking:
● Company
● Role
● Starting salary
● Benefits
● Location
● Hours
● Values/Mission
● Notes about what you like/why you applied
● Could come from branding on social media, the website, referrals from friends/network, you’re a customer, etc.
● Date application was submitted
● Date resume was submitted
● Interview dates
● Recruiter/HR contact information
● Job offered/accepted
Keeping job search information in a single location allows you to determine if you've applied multiple times to the same company (and forgotten), and if key features about one position stand out more than others (such as starting pay or the commute). You will not only be more successful in your job search, but you will also be in a better position to make decisions when you begin to interview and receive employment offers.
Move it to the cloud
You do not store socks in the cheese drawer. Okay, it's a stretch, but what I'm trying to say is that all of your job search documents need a clearly defined home. When a recruiter contacts you for an initial screening interview, you need immediate access to pertinent information. And because documents can be kept in the cloud rather than on your desktop, you can access these folders at any time and from any location.
This is especially simple in a specialized job search tool like CareerShift. You may easily organize information for each job application by creating folders. As you revise your resume for a particular position, you should add a copy to the associated folder. Do the same with copies of your applications and any other essential documents the interviewing business requires. You never know if something will fall through the gaps and require resubmission.
When you have concluded your job search (or begin the next), reviewing these folders can provide insight into how your resume has evolved and what was most helpful in attracting the attention of recruiters during each job search. Keep a document including application and interview process notes in each folder! At some point during the hiring process, you could provide constructive input for improving the candidate experience, demonstrating your value to any team.
Clean up your workspace to clear your mind
This may involve either emptying your real desk or organizing your digital desktop. Anything that clutters your life also clutters your thinking. Now is the time to scan those documents and put them to your cloud storage. Then place them in a filing box or, if possible, recycle them (remember, you have a cloud copy).
Having a clean workstation and completing your to-do list guarantees that nothing is neglected during the process of being organized. Imagine receiving a phone call from a recruiter, opening your folder for a fast confirmation of your references, and coming up empty. Now you recall. The document you placed on the shelf above your desk two weeks ago is still there, buried beneath an empty coffee cup and a book you've been attempting to finish since September.
The cycle of procrastination followed by anxiety over unfinished activities is common for some individuals. But the strain can build up to the point where something must give, and in the meantime, you lose critical information as your brain attempts to protect itself. Simply having your job search paperwork and information structured will avoid you from freezing up or burning out when it's time to present your qualifications to recruiters.
