I remember when I learned about the tools recruiters and HR have to manage the job applications and candidates. ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System… this is what you go into (what you might call the “resume black hole”). CRM stands for Customer Relationship Manager, which is how they keep track of conversations with all their relationships (not just candidates / job seekers).
Why, then, do job seekers still use homemade spreadsheets, sticky notes, yellow legal pads?
I know why – (a) because you think your job search will end soon, and (b) you won’t need any of the data (or, I like to call it “intelligence”) you collect in your job search, once you land.
That’s why I didn’t want a real, industrial-strength system.
We are essentially putting ourselves in a position of weakness, though. Not being organized, not remembering where we applied, or which version of which resume we used, makes us look like we don’t care. We look like we’re disinterested in the position. The disorganization makes us look like we’re a mess.
It’s kind of like going into a gun fight with a knife… unprepared and ready to lose.
Get serious about what you are doing…
Yes, I’m biased, I created a web-based job search organizer (JibberJobber). And I have used it for almost six years as my business CRM. But the real reason I’m biased is because I’ve seen some of my users who have used it when in transition, and when they had a job, and during multiple transitions.
These people are EMPOWERED.
What are your serious tools, that empower you, and help you be more prepared in your job search?
