6 tips for organizing your job search
I started my job search, a couple of weeks went by, and it just spiraled out of control, and my head started spinning. At a point, there were 10 different versions of my resume, multiple interview times, and difficulty in keeping track of the follow-ups and thank you notes, managing my 9–5 with the job search. This rings a bell, isn’t it?
Here are 6 tips that helped me organize my job search. Make this organization a priority to avoid overwhelming and burnout situations.
List down your target companies
Trust me; you don’t need to apply to every position you find. Make a list of those 20 to 25 organizations you consider and start by researching their culture, work, and employee feedback. Read the blogs of these organizations and the interview experiences for the positions you are targeting at these companies.
Leverage your network
Alert your existing network and reach out to them to help you get started with this process. Start building your network from the list of targeted companies you made, invite them for a coffee chat to know their journey with the specific companies, and understand their working culture. Please don’t send a cold message for a referral — build meaningful connections that will serve you and the other person longer.
Avoid the clutter by using cloud
Use cloud-based storage like google drive or dropbox to organize your documents like resume versions, cover letters, targeted companies list, job application tracker.
Use Simple Spreadsheets
Use a simple spreadsheet to track the list of jobs you’ve applied for, the status (like applied, interview phase, offer extended, rejected — it feels hard to write this but, remember that it is all part of the process, follow up), position details, links to job posting, cloud links to resume/cover letter used to apply.
Make LinkedIn your superpower
Did you know that I got 7 interview opportunities from my dream companies through LinkedIn? Just complete your LinkedIn profile and fill out every detail relevant to your job search and your experience. Find organizations, build connections and respond to recruiters promptly.
Digitize your schedule and your todo list
Use as simple as a google calendar to track your interviews, follow-ups to avoid any overlaps and confusion with your discussions. Plan your day and track your todos to prevent burnout from the job search.
I hope this helps you in your job search journey. Don’t wait to be perfect with the above steps; it will be an evolving process. Take it one step at a time.
