Organize Your Job Search, Ditch The Job Search Spreadsheet

I started out with a job search spreadsheet. I had to ditch it after a short period of time. It simply did not work with the amount of data/information I was collecting.

And then I got the idea for JibberJobber to organize my job search. I still used my job search spreadsheet because it took a while to make JibberJobber, but once I had it, I ditched the spreadsheet.

And I haven’t looked back.

I’ve talked to career coaches, resume writers and outplacement professionals, and they have said JibberJobber, as a job search organizer, is the missing piece for job seekers. Here are two quotes I recently read about organization in a job search:

Forbes article: Another common obstacle is clutter. She says a disorganized physical workspace or job-search system can produce mental clutter that interferes with productivity.

A cluttered job search system definitely interferes with productivity. It makes you feel out-of-control. It will most likely lead to missed appointments and missed opportunities. It will waste your time, as you try and make sense out of it. As you network more, and apply to more jobs, and interview more, a disorganized job search system will frustrate you.

All Business list of ten effective job search strategies: 9. Keep Careful Records Keeping track of the progress of your job search is important. Maintain a detailed record of all the jobs you have applied to, including communications, interviews, referrals, and follow-up actions. This will help you build a network of valuable contacts both for your current job search and for any future ones.

Everything in #9 can be done inside of JibberJobber. But I want to focus on the last few words: and for any future ones.

I don’t want to pour salt on an open wound, but it’s not secret that this job search will not definitely be your last one. The US Federal Gov’t wouldn’t lie to us, would they? I don’t have time to find a reference for this but I read a few years ago that they say we will be in transition EVERY two to five years.

EVERY TWO TO FIVE YEARS!

Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

It’s no secret that no matter how the economy is going, you have NO job security. In a bad economy you might get laid off and be in a long job search. In an awesome economy you might be wanted by other companies (who will pay you more). Either way, you will change jobs regularly.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could be in more control of these transitions? What if you had a nurtured network that was ready to help you in your next transition? Clearly, LinkedIn is not the answer to that. You need something like a CRM… you need a career management tool like JibberJobber.

JibberJobber is not your silver bullet for job search or career management or networking, but it should be an indispensable tool. Empower yourself, and get serious about this stuff! I didn’t, for various dumb reasons, and my job search was long and painful.

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