As you begin your military transition, you are going to have a lot on your plate. It is crucial to stay organized and keep track of your job applications and interviews. Having a file folder on your computer or phone may not be enough. In today’s competitive job market, one effective tool that can simplify your job search is the spreadsheet. While there may be other apps out there, a simple spreadsheet is cheap and simple to use. After all, the goal is getting the job – not investing in a long-term job search.
5 Benefits to Using a Tool to Track Job Applications
We all used spreadsheets in the military, and it will allow you to record vital information about each job you apply for, stay on top of deadlines, and easily analyze and track your progress during the interview process. Let’s look at the benefits of using a spreadsheet to track this crucial time in your life and how it can help your career pursuits.
1. Easy Organization
If you are applying for a great many jobs in your related field, keeping track of the applications can become overwhelming, especially when applying to multiple positions simultaneously. A spreadsheet is a simple and effective way to maintain organization. By creating columns for various categories, such as company name, position applied for, application status, and contact information, you can quickly locate and update details. You can annotate whether you liked each person, how you liked the environment, and if you thought you would like to work there. Additionally, spreadsheets enable you to sort and filter data, making it far easier to prioritize applications or identify trends in your job search.
2. Deadline Management
When applying for numerous jobs, it is crucial to manage deadlines effectively. A spreadsheet helps you track application due dates and set reminders. Features like color-coding or conditional formatting can be used to highlight approaching deadlines, ensuring timely submission of applications. By regularly checking your spreadsheet, you can plan your workload efficiently and reduce the risk of missing crucial opportunities.
3. Efficient Progress Tracking
Tracking progress is essential to evaluate the effectiveness of job searching strategies. Spreadsheets enable you to record details such as the date of application submission, responses received, and interview invitations. Using this information, you can analyze your success rate, identify areas that need improvement, and adjust your approach as needed. Visualizing your progress using a spreadsheet or associated graph can also provide motivation to keep going, while celebrating milestones.
4. Follow Up
You need to make sure you create columns for your contacts (HR, hiring official, potential supervisor), their phone numbers and any other information you have gained about them during the interview process. Perhaps the most important field to capture is who and when you followed up with the contact at the organization. You don’t want to contact them too often, but you want to be able to look back and see the last time you inquired about the position, selection process, etc. You can track what clothes you wore for each subsequent or follow-on interview with the same organization, if that is important to you.
5. Customization and Adaptability
Another advantage of using a spreadsheet to track job applications is the ability to customize. During your transition, you can personalize the spreadsheet to match your specific needs and preferences. For example, you can tailor or add columns, experiment with different layouts, tabs, or sheets, for interview preparation or networking contacts. Additionally, as requirements and priorities change, a spreadsheet can be easily adapted or modified to suit new circumstances, ensuring flexibility throughout the job application process. You will often be asked questions about your experience, and you will want to know what you have said. You can customize the fields to be reflective of your answers.
Staying Organized
Having a tracking tool during your transition is essential to remain organized during this critical time. Through spreadsheet organization, effective management of your information, you will have created a way to stay on top of your job search and increase your chances of success. By employing such an approach, veterans not only demonstrate their professionalism and ability to pay attention to detail, you also be able to make the most informed decisions for your next career.
