Keeping yourself organized while searching for jobs and internships is extremely important, and can help save you a great deal of time and effort in the future. Here are the types of information you want to keep organized:
- Companies of interest, along with their contact information, any contacts or potential contacts you have there, notes about the company
- Jobs you have applied to along with dates of application, follow-up, and contacts
- Professional contacts that you already have, names of people you would like to be in touch with; including contact info and notes/dates regarding interactions when possible
- Professional references with contact information
While there are various ways to stay organized, one of the easiest is by creating a spreadsheet with a page for each type of content listed above:
- Companies
- Job applications
- Professional Contacts
- References
On each page, include columns for:
- Name of company/person
- Contact information
- Date of last contact
- Notes
As you start your job search, customize your spreadsheet by adding additional columns or criteria as needed. This spreadsheet is something that will be helpful to you in the future, as it will keep the contact information for all of your professional contacts in one place, and you’ll know how long it’s been since you’ve been in touch, helping to inform you as to whether it’s time to reach out again!
