It’s not funny
Of course being ticklish has no place in a job search, but a tickler file can be enormously beneficial.
If you’ve been job searching for any length of time undoubtedly you’ve have someone suggest that you get back to them at a later day. Whether it’s next week or next month, it is to the job seekers benefit to follow through on the those suggestions – if for no other reason that to demonstrate that you’re responsible, professional and true to your word.
The real challenge is keeping track of all those suggestions and responses, Who to call? When to call? It’s easy to get your wires crossed.
If you’re familiar at all with Mircosoft Excel, you most likely realize that, in addition to being a superb spreadsheet, it also can function as a database. And, as a database, it can help you keep track of all those contacts and commitments.
Call Contact A on Monday. Email Contact B at the end of next week. Call Contact C on the first of the month.
By using Excel to create a spreadsheet, no, database, to manage your contacts can save your behind and impress your contacts. Create columns for first name and last name (separating the two can be useful when trying to sort by last name). You can have other columns for company name; source of the contact (i.e. referral, networking event, etc.) and contact information (phone, email, etc.) Whatever you feel is important and will help you down the road.
An important tip is to have entries for the type of follow up (i.e. phone call or email) and when that follow is scheduled to happen. With that information, when you sit down on Monday morning (or Sunday night) to plan your week, go to your contacts database and sort by date with the newest first. Then you’ll see at a glance what your obligations are for the short term.
It’s also an excellent way to brush up (or expand) your skill set with Excel.
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