Introduction
Over the next few weeks, your task will be to work full time to find a job. Your efforts to become more organized will make your job search easier and more effective.
Your temporary workstation
Below are the minimum requirements for a temporary workstation:
- A place in your home that is dedicated to you and where you can work every day:Even if your "office" is simply a card table in the corner of a room, it will always be there when you are ready to work
- A computer
- An answering machine or an automated answering service : Your message should be short, simple and professional. Here is an example: You have reached Suzanne Lalonde. Please leave your name and phone number and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you
- A phone
- An agenda (daily or weekly): will help you keep track of appointments, phone calls, letters to write, and "other things to do."
- Office supplies: stationery, envelopes, postage stamps, file folders, rubber bands, paper clips, pencils and a stapler
- A contact system:in which you will find the names of your contacts, clues, dates, and locations during your job search: either of these two methods is much more effective and reliable than a drawer full of notes and scraps of paper (you will find contact system forms in the chapter on job search strategies)
Suggested system for better organization
Here is a suggestion on how you might organize your job search materials. Either in a directory on your computer or by using a three-ring binder, this system will help you organize the information you have accumulated and find it quickly.
Continuous update
All correspondence and notes related to opportunities for which you are an active candidate
- Call list: current, updated list of contacts to call; an Excel spreadsheet is very useful
- Alphabetical list: a separate sheet, card or file for each person you contacted (a database in alphabetical order) containing complete data on each person
- Copies of all ads you have responded to
- Copies of all cover letters
- All other correspondence sent to or received from the company
- Notes (company research, follow-up, etc.)
- Contact list (name, address, phone number, etc.)
- Copies of all correspondence
- Notes from meetings, leads, follow-ups, etc.
- Contact list (name, address, phone number, etc.)
- Copies of all correspondence
- Notes on company research, meetings, follow-up, etc.
- Sorted by date; gathered from previous tabs
- Maintain a separate file containing blocked jobs and all correspondence related to denials
Exercise: Create Your Public Statement
An exercise to write your public statement to explain why you no longer work for the company
Exercise: Job Seeker's Checklist
This exercise will help you better understand what you need to do to prepare for a job search.
This exercise will allow you to review how the research is proceeding and discuss with your loved ones the best ways to better support you.