The use of a log entry is so important in organizing and tracking!
We say that JibberJobber helps you “organize and track….”
What are we organizing, and what are we tracking?
Various things, including contact information, company information, etc. One of the most important things we are tracking is lumped into what we call Log Entries. Imagine any of the following scenarios:
- You have an important phone call with someone and talk about amazing things.
- You called someone and left a voice mail.
- You had lunch with someone for the fourth time, and your conversation has gone deeper this time.
- You applied for a job by sending an email to someone with version of a specific resume.
Each of these are what I would call [networking] touch points. You did something with someone, and in every case, something happened that you might want to refer back to later.
Imagine doing these types of things multiple times each day. That is what an active job seeker does. Passive job seekers don’t have things much easier, though. They might not do these types of things as often, but trying to remember what you did three weeks ago, while you have been busy at your day job, can be a mess.
In JibberJobber, you track the data surrounding each of these touch points in a Log Entry. The most basic components of a Log Entry are:
- The date (when it happened). I like to know the exact day, and most of the time don’t care about the time, but I can track the time, too.
- What the touch point was. You put this in the Log Entry title.
- Details about the touch point. Trust me on this: the more you log, the more grateful you’ll be in a month, or a year, or six years.
Contrast these two Log Entries:
Bad Log Entry
Date: 4/14/2016
Title: Had lunch with Bob.
Details: Went to Sizzler with Bob. We talked about the job he is hiring for. He said I was overqualified, but that I should talk to his colleague who he will introduce me to.
Good Log Entry
Date: 4/14/2016
Title: Had lunch with Bob (Home Depot Corporate)
Details: Went to Sizzler. I paid for both. Talked about the Product Manager job (ID: 25342345). He said I was more suited for a different role, and this was not the right fit for me. Suggested I talk to Sally Smith, who he works with. He will follow-up with an email introduction.
Said that if I don’t hear back from him by Monday then call him. Of note, I learned that he has 2 kids, one in college, one getting married this summer. He went to the Naval Academy, and has been at Home Depot for 6 years. Said the culture is awesome, and there is lots of opportunity to make a difference, and for personal growth.
He also said he would introduce me to some contacts at the Product Management Association chapter that I really need to talk to. Didn’t have names, but follow-up on week of 4/18.
See the difference? Tomorrow you will not have forgotten the highlights of the lunch, but in two months from now, if you are like me, you will have forgotten that you even had lunch with a guy named Bob!
Log Entries are in place to help you “organize and track.” They take this to a level beyond what you typically do with your phone or Outlook (name, email address, phone, employer) and… get this: PUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP INTO PERSPECTIVE.
That is, instead of having just a name and number, you can know how often you have communicated with someone, what those communications were, where opportunities lie (or, what you said you would follow-up on), etc.
Bob + phone number is much different than Bob + phone number + 10 Log Entries giving you a map of your relationship, from when it started to where you are now.
That is the power of Log Entries. The power comes from you adding Log Entries, and adding more (rather than less) details.
How do you create a Log Entry? There are a bunch of places to do it: from any page (Logs, Add Log Entry), from the Contact, Company, or Job Detail Page, from any of those List Panels, and my favorite, from YOUR EMAIL (using Email2Log).
What more should I know? I want you to know about associations. That is, when you create the Log Entry about Bob, you can associate the company (Home Depot) to the Log Entry. You can even associate the specific Job record to that Log Entry. From one Log Entry you can associate multiple Contacts (let’s say his colleague was at lunch too), multiple Companies (in this case, perhaps Home Depot and the recruiting agency who introduced you), and multiple Jobs.
What about follow-up? I’ll blog about that tomorrow!
Anything else? There is always more… here are some past blog posts:
What Good Is A Log Entry in JibberJobber?
Organize Your Job Search: Action Item vs Log Entry
How To: New Log Entries and Action Items Report (or, getting Log Entries out of the system)
How to create a log entry without going into JibberJobber (video)
Email to Log Entry Just Got BETTER!!
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