On track for success
You have probably heard it said that looking for a new job is as time-consuming as working full-time. This can absolutely be the case, so in the same way as you schedule out your tasks at work, you should keep track of your activities while searching for a new job.
Tracking is an important part of the job seeking process. It helps you to keep a log of who you have spoken to, at which companies. It also helps you identify any actions that need to be taken, whether interviews need to be arranged, informal conversations undertaken and if your follow-up calls have been made. Confusion can arise about the name of the person you are meeting, or the company they represent, when you are dealing with a number of job opportunities simultaneously. Worse, you might miss a golden opportunity with a prospective employer if you don’t keep a note of everything you have done – or have said you will do. In addition to a diarised log, a tracker can also be used to keep note of upcoming networking and business events that could prove useful to you as a way of making positive business connections.
As part of the job search process, your tracker can also act as an aide memoire, as it can be used to track things such as the type of questions you have been asked in your interviews and how you have responded to them. This can lead you to formulate suggestions of other ways that you could have answered. In this way you are able to prepare for future interviews, honing your responses and making you sound more confident in yourself and your capabilities.
Developing a useful tracker doesn’t have to involve anything fancy – it could be a simple as a notepad and pen. However, you might find it useful to develop a Word document table, or an Excel spreadsheet. Alternatively, there are lots of apps out there that enable you to track your activity on your mobile or tablet. Find the format that works best for you and rigorously keep a note of everything you do, as your attention to detail will prove helpful in your job search in the long run.
