By Frank Zeccola LCD Graduate Fellow
As I met with my counselor this week for a career appointment, he suggested I create a networking spreadsheet to brainstorm all the contacts I could reach out to, and then include additional fields in the spreadsheet for dates of outreach, notes of topics discussed with each contact, and next steps to take in further developing these relationships. This had never occurred to me and is a level of organization I’ve never achieved in any of my previous job searches.
Now that I think back on it, my prior job searches have mostly been edge-of-the-seat expeditions where I was in reactive mode—reacting to job posts, reacting to job fairs or other networking functions, reacting to leads from friends. I feel like I have never been in the driver’s seat in my own job search—and achieving a level of organization through this networking spreadsheet is an empowering idea.
As it turns out, a networking spreadsheet is not a new idea, and in fact is recommended by experts. Talent acquisition firm WinterWyman, for example, explains that such a spreadsheet “will keep your job prospects organized—and it’s a great way to keep your Excel skills sharp, too.” The company recommends that for every application you send out, for example, “add a row that tracks the company’s name, date of application, job applied for, a link to the job if one is available and a link to the website.” Additionally: “Be sure to use this to track any correspondence you’ve had with the company.”
If nothing else, this will tightly track your job search progress, and seeing a nice, long list of names on the spreadsheet makes you feel productive. Further, this level of organization is key in taking a proactive approach to your job search—rather than being in reactive mode all the time.
WinterWyman offers these additional tips for staying organized during your job search:
1. Make “Job Search” Folders within Your Email. “Create a job search folder to keep all correspondence and information on your active jobs,” the firm recommends. “Anytime you send an application, BCC yourself and file it in your job search folder.” Further: “If you are applying online, send yourself pertinent links or screen shots of the important information, including the job description.”
2. Go Old School and Print out All Relevant Documents. I am not an Excel person and I have to admit I was dubious about trying out the networking spreadsheet. However, once I tried it out, I found it extremely helpful.
But if you are really opposed to using Excel, WinterWyman suggests, “you can always keep track of your applications with printed hard copies.” To do this, “[p]rint out each application, including the job description, cover letter and specific resume you sent and keep these in alphabetical order.” In addition: “Be sure to include any company contact information such as the contact person, phone number, email and the web address. Going back and trying to find the job you applied for can be near impossible—especially if it is through Monster or CareerBuilder.” Finally: “If you’re printing these out, it might make sense to keep an index at the top of this folder with the company name, job applied for and the date you applied.”
3. Keep Your Materials on Hand and Be Ready for the Call Back. Once you are all organized and are making progress in your job search, you are sure to be getting call backs for interviews. To that end, “wherever you are, be armed with information when the phone rings,” the firm advises. For example: “Keep fresh copies of your tracking sheet with you at all times—and remember, if a prospective employer is calling and you are not in a good place to talk, it's okay to ask if you can call back.” To that end: “Find out what time later in the day they will be available and make sure you call at exactly that time.”
