How to Conduct an Organized Job Search

So, you’re searching for a new job? Perhaps you’re making a voluntary career transition. Maybe you’ve been laid off, or worse, fired. Regardless of the reason for your job search, one fact remains true: if you’re conducting a job search, it’s vital that you take an organized approach. 

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ~ Thomas Edison 

Managing your job search is just like managing any other major project. You must create an infrastructure that allows you to operate in an efficient and productive manner. A successful job search requires forethought and action. Here are some tips for conducting an organized job search. 

Declutter and Pre-Purge

If you’re embarking on a job search, it will be difficult to do so if your physical space is covered in clutter with piles of papers everywhere. Take some time to declutter. Purge any unnecessary items, file papers that you need to keep, recycle junk mail and get some order back into that space! It will be easier for you to concentrate on your job search without all that chaos and clutter around you. Just be careful that you don’t spend too much time decluttering that you start using it as an excuse to procrastinate about your job search. A few days should suffice.

Create a Job Search Schedule

Let’s face it – searching for a job is hard work! If you’re still employed while you’re conducting your new job search, be prepared to have an extremely busy schedule. If you’re currently unemployed, realize that you do, indeed, have a job – conducting a job search! 

Create a job search schedule that gives you ample time for all the activities you need to focus on to succeed: resume and cover letter preparation, researching organizations and jobs, networking, interviewing, follow-up, etc. Block out time in your calendar for job search activities and treat that time as you would any traditional work commitment. Be consistent in the amount of time you spend on job search activities so that you keep your momentum going, and don’t lose focus and miss valuable opportunities. 

Get Your Gear in Order 

Update your resume, cover letter, references, writing sample (if applicable) and LinkedIn profile. Ask for recommendations and testimonials from previous or current supervisors, co-workers and professional colleagues. 

Create a Job Search Center 

Set aside space at home (or wherever you’ll be conducting your job search activities) and make it job search central. Keep all your job-search related supplies in that location, which will make it easy for you to find them when you need them. This will also help you to get into job search mode when you’re in that space. 

You will also be acquiring a lot of digital content in your job search: emails, research, samples, resources, etc. Be sure to create an email folder and either a folder on your computer or in an online app like Dropbox or Google Drive to store it all and access it easily. 

Plan and Track Job Search Activities 

Plan out job search activities daily, such as phone calls to make, resumes to send, online applications to fill out, informational interviews to conduct, etc. Write down your job search activities as calendar items, to-dos or tasks so that you take them seriously and treat them as measurable goals. Be realistic about what you can reasonably accomplish in one day, but also challenge yourself!

Organizing your job search also involves keeping track of all information and communications. Keep a record of where you sent your resume and when, whom you’ve spoken to, when interviews took place, etc. This information will prove vital when deciding when to follow-up with leads. You can track all this information using a calendar such as Outlook or Google, or a productivity app like Asana or Trello. Whatever tools you use, it’s important that you be able to track the status of your job search. 

Manage Job Search Email 

In today’s world, much of your job search will likely be conducted online and by email. Therefore, before you even start your search, whittle down the amount of email in your inbox so that you can hyper-focus on your job search emails, which will add up quickly. Create folders within your email system using categories that make sense to you, such as Companies Applied To, Contacts Submitted Resumes To, etc. 

Polish Your Online Profiles

If you’re conducting a job search in today’s market, you would be remiss not to develop an online presence on social media sites, especially LinkedIn, which is the most professional of the social media sites and can essentially serve as your online resume. But also consider other sites like Indeed. The opportunities are endless for employers and contacts to find you online. You may even have your own website, e-zine or blog. Maybe you post articles online or serve as a guest blogger on other blogs. If you maintain profiles on any social media sites, or have any type of online presence, be sure to polish your profiles so that they promote the image you want potential employers and contacts to see.

Update Your Outgoing Messages

Change the message that greets callers for any phone number that you plan to use for your job search so that it sounds professional and conveys the information you want callers to hear. Be prepared, not embarrassed! Ditto about the email address you use. If your personal email address is inappropriate for a job search, create a new email address solely for the job search that is purely professional. 

Stay Positive

The longer a job search takes, the more chance you have of becoming negative about it. Try to maintain a positive attitude to the extent you can by monitoring your progress and staying active in your search. When the going gets rough during a job search, many people take a back seat and give up, which is counterproductive. Try to stay focused and make valuable contacts that are likely to lead to a job. However, don’t be all consumed by your search for a job! Maintaining some balance in your life at this time will serve you well. Get adequate sleep, eat well, see family and friends for pleasure, and make time for exercise. 

Organization is one of the single most important things you can do to keep your job search manageable. Just like being organized helps you improve any other area of your life, home or work, it will also help move along your job search in quick and efficient fashion and with less stress. It may even wind up being the key to finding that dream job you always wanted. Good luck!

A previous version of this article was published in Lisa Montanaro's blog.

About the Author

Lisa Montanaro is a productivity consultant, executive and career coach, organizational development strategist, speaker and author who helps people live successful and passionate lives and enjoy productive and satisfying careers. She is the author of The Ultimate Life Organizer: An Interactive Guide to a Simpler, Less Stressful & More Organized Life. Through her work, Lisa helps people deal with the issues that block personal and professional change and growth.

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