GTD and Job Search 2024 - Overkill

 I am a huge fan of David Allen’s Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity. The process has been widely diagrammed, so I will spare the time and jump straight to the point.

For the 2024 Job Search the GTD process is heavy handed.

My Tips:

Treat your inbox like your physical mailbox.

Once a day go get your mail. 

Make a single decision: Is this job alert email actionable? 

If NO - Put it in the trash immediately. Don't put it on the counter (in a folder) to check later. The second touch is a waste of time. 

If YES - Apply for the role immediately (unless you are using time-blocking to schedule your applications). 

.

You may find the trash bin catching many of the inbound messages.  

Do you have a quick criterion of the roles that would be good targets? Are you considering: Company, Work Location, Role, Career Level, Pay and other requirements? If the email message doesn’t fit when you do the first review, it will not change when you review it again later.

My recent "trash" examples include roles for programming or development (not my skill set), on-site roles in distant places (Austin is great, WFH is better), roles for government or educational entities (pay is too low).  

Are you throwing away nearly every email message?

·     Review your Alerts to make sure you are getting quality input.

·      Add new Alerts to expand your options.

·      Review your criteria to make sure you are not searching for a Unicorn (perfect job, perfect location, perfect pay, perfect everything). 

Good Luck on your search. 

~Xolo

Dashlane for Job Search

How I use a Password Manager for My Job Search

If you're like me, job hunting in 2024 can feel like a marathon, with hundreds of applications and countless logins to track. But I quickly discovered that a password manager like Dashlane could be a game-changer, not just for staying organized but also for protecting my personal information.

During the first half of 2024 I applied for nearly 700 jobs. I did not expect Dashlane to be so critical during the search process. Dashlane can be added to most browsers as an extension. Do not take the shortcut of using the same credentials at every site. This is a simple step to protect yourself and speed up your job search.

Here are my key takeaways:

Dashlane, or your preferred password manager, will help organize your logins across multiple sites. Many companies do not mark or differentiate their Applicant Tracking System URLs – they simply show up as Workday or ICIMS. Image the search results if all these items were not set up with company names.

Dashlane allows you to edit the Item Name to clearly identify the company name. This quickly allows you to pick the correct login when you return to a site with a “generic” URL for Workday, or ICIMS, etc. 

The Dashlane Generator function will have your Cybersecurity friends smiling.

Dashlane can create a unique password for every site, customized for length and complexity, all stored securely in the cloud. Hackers may argue that the password “E9H83R6?f@hj” is not un-hackable. If you have concerns, bump the length up to as many as 40 characters.

Here are the steps to follow:

a.      When applying for a role, when you are asked to Create an Account, add your preferred email address

b.     Let Dashlane generate a secure password

c.      Submit your account creation request

d.     On the Dashlane extension, Click to Save the new password, and don’t forget to click EDIT to change the Item Name.

Once you add a password manager to your job search workflow you will be more secure, you will save time when revisiting sites (Dashlane will prompt you to select a password to login), and when you get the email that “XYZ-Co” was hacked, or that the posting for a “package relay position… in your area” was bogus,  you can remain calm.

Good Luck with your job search.  

Mastering Your To Do List: Practical Tips for Success

Practical Tips: 

A well-organized To-Do list can be your secret weapon for productivity. Here’s how to make the most out of it:

Determine the top 2-3 tasks that will have the biggest impact on your goals for the day. Focus on completing these first.

Separate Work and Personal Tasks: Keep different lists for work and personal life. For long-term projects, such as planning a trip, maintain a dedicated list to track progress.

Daily Tasks on Paper: Simple daily tasks can stay on a paper list. It’s satisfying to physically check them off as you complete them.

Minimum Viable Details (MVD): Ensure each task has enough detail to trigger action without being overwhelming.

Actionable Items with Verbs: Each task should begin with an action verb, making it clear what needs to be done. Consider sorting tasks by these verbs to prioritize effectively.

• Email: "Email John about project updates" instead of just "John - project updates."
• Review: "Review Q3 financial report" instead of "Q3 report."
• Organize: "Organize the team meeting agenda" instead of "Team meeting agenda."
• Draft: "Draft the introduction for the marketing proposal" instead of "Marketing proposal introduction."
• Research: "Research new software tools for project management" instead of "New software tools."

Avoid Using To-Do Lists as Calendars: Your To-Do list is a trigger or reminder, not a scheduling tool. Keep appointments and meetings in a separate calendaring tool. 

Break Tasks into Manageable Chunks: Identify what can be done in 5, 10, or 30 minutes. For tasks that require more than 30 minutes, block out time on your calendar.

Link Resources: If a task requires outside resources (people, files, email messages, etc.), link them directly to the To-Do item.

Review Incomplete Tasks: If a task remains undone, ask why. Break it down further, reprioritize, or decide if it should be moved to “tomorrow” or discarded.

Stay flexible and regularly refine your list to maintain focus and productivity.

~Xolo

2024 Job Search - Excel Tracker

 2024 Job Search

In the dynamic landscape of job searching in 2024, staying organized and focused is key to landing your next opportunity. This book is designed to equip you with a practical system that transforms your job application process from overwhelming to manageable, ensuring every application counts towards your career goals.

The table is basic with just a few formatted data elements, but it helps with: 

• Organization: Keeping track helps you stay organized. You will know which positions you have applied for, the status of each application, and any follow-up actions required.
• Follow-Up: It enables you to follow up effectively. If you have not heard back in a reasonable time, you can send a polite follow-up email or make a call to check on the status of your application.
• Mental Clarity (Sanity): It reduces stress by providing a clear overview of your job search efforts. You will have a sense of progress and control, which can be motivating.

OneNote Tags Summary - Priority Workaround

Microsoft OneNote’s Tags Summary provides an overview of all your tagged notes, making it easier to organize and find information. When you create tags within your notes, they automatically appear in the summary. However, there’s a common issue: checked items (completed tasks) tend to dominate the list, pushing other tags down.

Business Continuity for WFH

Working from home has been my reality since February 2020, and it's mostly been a smooth experience. However, multiple power outages on the same day (Because: Texas) has presented unique challenges.

Despite having a whole house battery backup, (from Base Power - https://lnkd.in/en9sfzXf) certain devices still reboot or restart, impacting productivity and workflow.