Before Seeking a New Job, Organize Your Space – Part 2 of 3

In part 1, we looked at setting up your “physical space.” Part 2 covers some basic set-up issues on the tech side. 

Part 2 - Cyberspace – Give Yourself a Virtual Advantage

The amount of job-related material on the internet is overwhelming; however, the good news is (1) there is no need to master all of it and (2) there is no need to even worry about most of it. Setting up a few basic tools is all you need to turn the latest technology to your advantage in the vast universe of job seekers.

As raw materials, you simply need a few items you likely already have: a cell phone, a computer, connectivity, and the typical integrated office software package (word processing, email, contacts, calendar, spreadsheet). You may also want to dedicate a special phone number and email account just for your job search as well as set up professional greetings or replies in each.

Next, you will want make your work station as “virtual” as possible. This means shredding just about everything in the supply closet: paper, pads, sticky notes, white boards, file folders, filing cabinets, etc. This stuff clutters your work area, reduces your mobility, and is generally much less efficient when compared to its cyber alternatives.

Instead, create a virtual filing system for your digital material using the file folder directories in your software suite. You can arrange your directories in whatever manner makes sense to you (contacts, companies, industries, locations, document type). But however you do it, make sure you can find what you need in no more than a click or two. You do not want to have to go on a scavenger hunt through your system when time is of the essence. Also, be sure all your devices automatically sync with one another so you are certain you always have the most up-to-date versions of everything at your fingertips.

Next, set up a task management system to keep you on track (things to do, people to call, companies to research, emails to send, goals to achieve, planets to conquer). It is your system, so use the combination of software you prefer (tables, spreadsheets, databases), but design it so you can easily categorize and prioritize the items, set deadlines, track progress, make adjustments, and mark completions. If you want help with this, there is plenty of advice online on how to do it as well as a few pre-packaged apps that have done it for you. If you set this system up well and stick to it, it can be the primary engine that propels you to job search success.

Last, we move to the internet. As already stated, there is way too much information out there to surf from site to site with no reward. So, as part of your set-up, spend some quality “down time” researching and defining what is most likely to work for you online. Then try to limit your online activities (both what you search for and what you post) to those things that move you closer to your intended target employers. Yes, you should Google yourself at the start. Yes, you should set up and take advantage of LinkedIn. Yes, you will want to visit a major job search engine on occasion, not so much to apply to openings, but to gain valuable intel about companies, locations, or positions. Yes, you need to be aware of how HR applicant tracking systems work. And yes, you will want to pick a handful of other online resources you know are consistently useful for your specific search strategies. But once you establish your key online destinations, make your rounds as necessary and then log off. Most jobs are still landed through people not the internet.

After designing your new state-of-the-art job search platform, you will definitely not want to design it all over again, especially after it is populated with stacks of hard-earned data. Back up everything all the time. Use flash drives, clouds, back-up services, or whatever works, but make sure everything is automatic, easily retrievable, and not dependent on the continued existence of any single device or drive.

There is a lot more to say about the technology “space” once the job search starts, but we've run out of memory at this point, which segues nicely into our next and last installment – Part 3 – The Space between Your Ears.

Guest Blogger: Terry Watterson
Bio: Terry is the President of Reployment and a Career Coach with ePropelr. He has a Bachelor’s degree from Rollins College and a law degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As an attorney and entrepreneur, he specializes in products and services that help job seekers successfully navigate the career transition process.