Managing Your Job Search: How to Stay Organized
When you’re looking for a job, it’s important to know not only how to write a resume but also how to manage the search process. Regarding the resume part, if you hire a professional resume writer, that’s a piece of cake. Managing the job search process, on the other hand, may seem simple, but when combined with all your other responsibilities, it may start feeling like an impossible task. It’s not, though. Check out these tips on how to make your job search way easier.
Plan your time
To plan your time, use a calendar (paper or electronic) to keep track of your daily to-dos. Unless you’re up to speed on your commitments, you risk missing an important meeting or an interview with a potential employer, especially if you’re juggling multiple job applications. To take your organization to the next level, separate your time (personal, family, work, etc.) using different colors or tabs. This will help you allocate time to work on your resume and cover letter.
If your day doesn’t go according to schedule, that’s fine—life is complicated and unpredictable. Just don’t give up. If this is a frequent occurrence, you may need to re-evaluate the feasibility of your schedule—an unrealistic, overly ambitious one will only stress you out more.
Think outside the box
Thinking outside the box means finding ways to spruce up your job search. Instead of using a boring resume template, consider designing your own. This will give you a stronger sense of accomplishment, but be careful: If you’re not a savvy graphic designer, this could easily backfire. You want a crisp, clean, professional-looking resume that doesn’t scream for attention—this isn’t the time to show off your creative side.
Another idea is not to settle for emailing your resume to hiring managers. Create a LinkedIn profile to get your name and information out to hundreds of hiring managers while also sharing details that may not be on your resume. Thinking outside the box can save you time and increase your chances of getting a new job.
Be tech-savvy
In this day and age, technology is essential. Even if you’re not technologically inclined, mastering the basics will take you far in your job search. Learning how to sync your daily schedule, contacts, email, and reminders on all your devices will help you stay better organized. You may not be able to carry around your laptop, but when you have that same information on your phone, you have what you need, and you can work on your job search from anywhere.
Also, you can store your resume and cover letter in the cloud, meaning they will always be with you. If a great job opportunity pops up and you need to get your application in ASAP, you’ll be able to do so.
Stay up to date
Staying on top of developments in your industry is crucial for your career advancement. The best way to keep up to date is to read the latest articles and books in the field. Podcasts are also valuable learning resources. Depending on your professional niche, engaging in projects on the side—whether volunteer work or your own initiatives—can also help you keep your skills sharp. This is particularly useful for programmers or graphic designers. The more you know about your field, the more valuable you will be as an employee.
There are many resources you can tap to stay up to date. Google your field and explore your options. Schedule time to read and learn. The best employees are those who never stop learning, and you may open yourself up to opportunities you never even dreamed of.
The key to managing your job search is to stay organized. Once you start planning your time wisely, thinking outside the box, getting comfortable with technology, and staying up to date on the developments in your field, your job search will go much more smoothly. A good first step is to work with a resume expert to transform your resume into the best version of itself.
