I know that this is a question I have been asking myself for years now. Even more so, we have a good 40 million Americans who have fallen out of work over the past few months during the Coronavirus pandemic. Now, there is much to consider in the recovery of businesses and jobs.

So, what will you be able to do when re-entering the job market? Do you know what to expect from your employer…whether you will be brought back or if it will involve a complete re-start?

It seems that no matter what offer you receive, the only things that open up are “contract to hire” positions that in turn eventually end early. There never seems to be a solid length to a contract and the employer has the power to just toss you out the door when they can “no longer afford you.”

So, is there something better to search for? A better method to the job search? Any reason to use a resume writing service or a job recruiter? I have tried all of these and none of them really seem to help. This may sound the ranting and raving of a pessimist, but there always seems to be such a large flock of candidates that I make it right there to the last mile, with only a few remaining and get nudged off the list.

So, I looked around a little for some tips and tricks and there appears to be something to “organization” in the search and application for a new job:

1. Create a spreadsheet in Excel or a table in Word that contains all of the information on the jobs and employers with whom you have applied. All of the details of the job that help with the rankings and ratings on your potential for getting the job, along with the start date, application deadline and more, can be included to help manage the time you spend applying for new positions.
2. Another program to use for this same method would be Google Sheets and Calendar combined, to help manage all of the dates that are involved in the application process (those deadlines, start dates, communication with the employer, etc.)
3. Use job search websites (i.e. Monster or CareerBuilder) or apps (usually if you are on your phone more than your computer). While there are several of these, it is important to make sure that you keep up with all of the websites on which you are registered for their job search tools, so that you do not apply for the same job multiple times from different sites. That can make you look disorganized in the eyes of the employer. With many affordable or free job search sites, you can keep track of all the jobs and applications.
4. There is the simple, old-school option of a pen and notebook form of recording the notes on positions and applications that you have already made. Even though the world is moving ahead at the speed of light with technology, there is always the ability to keep things simpler. You can have a small notebook with you at all times and simply write down a note when you hear something on the radio or from someone else and you can look it up online when you are back in front of your computer.

While these are definitely not ALL of the options you have to help keep track of your job application process, they are definitely some helpful tips! The best thing you can do is keep a constant eye out for new opportunities and apply ASAP. I know that I still like the “early bird gets the worm theory,” and it can help to keep that resume up to date and stay on top of your application process regularly.