Focused Job Search
- Charles Castro
- Jun 23
- 13 min read
A Systematic Job Search Approach Equals Significant Advantage
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.
Effective Job Application Tracking
In January of 2024 I became one of thousands of IT professionals laid off. My team was completing multiple deployments in EMEA when the company decided to make the cuts. A quick phone call, “thanks a lot, we’re mailing a box to return your company laptop” and I was cut (along with several others in my group).
LinkedIn has more than a few posts about the challenging job search. As I project manager, I needed a systematic process to search for roles and track applications.
Why Tracking is Crucial
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.
Tailoring Applications: Tracking helps you remember which version of your resume or cover letter you sent to each employer. This allows you to tailor future applications more effectively and avoid duplication of effort. I am not advocating a different version of your resume for each application. More details later.
Networking: Knowing where you have applied can help you leverage your network. You can reach out to contacts within companies you have applied to for insights or referrals.
Interview Preparation: Keeping a record of where you have applied helps you prepare for interviews. You can review your application details and any notes on the company beforehand.
Time Management: Tracking helps manage your job search time more efficiently. You can track the time it takes to complete an application and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Analyzing Trends: Over time, you can analyze which types of positions or companies are responding to your applications and adjust your job search strategy based on this data.
Personal Note: While this sounds like a good reason, the lack of company and recruiter follow-up really does not provide enough actional feedback to create or analyze a trend. The feedback loop for job searches in 2024 is severely broken.
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.
I will not make an argument that a job search is just a numbers game. But I will argue that you need to have a realistic picture that you are making progress. The goal is an accepted job offer, but tracking the steps to the goal can provide mental clarity.
Systematic Approach Equals Significant Advantage
Creating a daily schedule for job search activities ensures consistent effort and prevents burnout. I do not recommend an 8-hour daily search, I do recommend an 8-hour productive day. Some days you will get into the flow – flow with it. Once you start making mistakes, consider a break.
Plan to search, apply, and follow up on potential positions – build your target metrics, then plan to do something different. Take a break to do household chores, take a walk, meet a friend for coffee, walk the dog, mow the lawn…
Using a spreadsheet to track applications, follow-ups, and deadlines helps in managing multiple applications effectively and proves that you are making progress. My tracker does not have fancy formulas, does not have reminder triggers, and does not require advanced skills to setup. It is in a table format with basic CountA and CountIf functions.
Here are the basics, with a few tips listed after the table. Build your own and iterate as needed once you have experimented with your work style.
Tracker Basics
Column | Data Type | Data / Formulas |
Company | Text (Hyperlink) | If you insert a hyperlink to the company Career page Excel will provide a quick link to return for follow-up. Linking to the specific job description often fails are jobs are removed. |
Role | Text | What job title did you apply for? |
Contact 1 | Date | What was the date of first contact? |
Contact 2 | Date | What was date of second contact? |
Contact… x | Date | …it takes five contacts to close a Sales call… add columns as needed. |
Applied | Text (Yes/No) | Did you apply? Yes/No makes this sortable. |
Rejected | Text (Yes/No) | Did you get a rejection notice? |
Close | Text (Yes/No) | This Yes/No column lets you see “open” items quickly. |
Notes | Text | Room for a few short notes. |
Job Search Metrics:
Companies reviewed: You will spend a lot of time reviewing positions that may not be a perfect fit. Keeping track of the companies and keeping count of the roles that you review document your efforts and provide a truthful log of your work.
Applications and Rejections: The goal is to land a job, and the applications and rejections counts may escalate. The applications to job ratio have been distorted in this market – searching is tough, landing an interview is tough, landing a job is tougher.
Learning from Rejections: Rejections are better than being ignored (or ghosted). Do your skills and qualifications match the role? What key requirements or keywords have you omitted from your resume?
Personal note: My search in the first quarter of 2024 had the following “ratio”:
· Companies Evaluated– 639
· Applications Submitted – 450
· Rejections Received – 193
Optimizing Your Application Strategy
Everyone on the internet has a different opinion on how to conduct a job search – experts usually have two! My old position was to create a cover letter and resume for every individual role. Not anymore.
Reminder - Networking works. Leverage your professional network to get introduced to someone within the company. Personal connections can often open doors, even if there is not a formal job posting. There is no shame in adding the Open to Work indicator on LinkedIn. A short post explaining your situation and asking for help is important. Reach out and ask for help – you will be surprised.
Crafting Tailored Resumes and Cover Letters.
Strategies for efficiently customizing job submissions applications without sacrificing quality.
Focus on a single, standard resume: Make sure your resume has no spelling or grammar errors, keep the layout clean and simple, employ appropriate keywords, and keep it short. Talent acquisition teams will filter the inbound resumes before relaying them to a hiring manager.
The hiring manager may still have to review a considerable number – especially for a critical role. When I had that task the third (and fourth) page of a resume were ignored.
Update (fine-tune) your resume over time to better match keywords and to highlight roles and responsibilities that point to your experience and to potential employer needs in their future. Your COBOL skills may be expert level, but your three-month AI project is a better highlight.
LinkedIn Profile: You LinkedIn profile and resume should be extensive. Add more details to all roles including the responsibilities and any unusual tasks or projects that may not fit under your job title. Your resume on LinkedIn should match the resume you are submitting to employers.
As you adjust your resume, make sure to update the LinkedIn version. The link to make the update is here: https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/application-settings/
Cover Letters and Supporting Details: If you have a specific experience that matches a requirement in a job description – call it out in a Cover Letter. Again, brevity is encouraged “This position requires experience in creating Azure Development environments. I created several… while working at XYZ.” Speak to the requirement and point to your resume.
Some companies ask for a lot of supporting details. If these details are part of their standard application process, you should consider responding. Most resume dates are the month and year (MM/YYYY) and asking for the day of the week seems overkill – as does asking for G.P.A. for someone that graduated more than a few years ago.
Build a small file to collect the following information so you can add the details to their application tracking system if needed, or if needed to respond to email.
Job start / end dates – Month, Day (if available), and Year
Company Street Address and Telephone number
Manager Name, Title, and Contact Information
School start dates, graduation dates, and G.P.A.
Personal note: I formed a single member LLC to apply for a Corp-to-Corp role. They asked for a collection of documents to prove that the LLC was real including: a copy of the registration from the Secretary of State, confirmation of liability insurance, and confirmation of a business checking account. I finally created a folder with this information after the third company made a similar request.
Talent Acquisition & HR Application Tracking Systems (ATS)
Application Tracking Systems are the first screen for your application. The efficient application method is to upload a copy of your resume, allow the ATS to parse the data, make cosmetic adjustments, then complete the application process. These ATS platforms are designed to streamline the hiring process, improve candidate experience, and provide HR teams with tools for managing and tracking applicants efficiently.
ATS as Coach: If you frequently make cosmetic adjustments or edits, review your resume to see if a formatting error is causing the parsing engine to misread your information. A resume that parses well into Taleo, Workday and iCIMS will save you time.
Major ATS Systems:
Oracle Taleo is a widely used ATS that offers solutions for recruiting, onboarding, and performance management.
Workday is a cloud-based suite that includes ATS functionalities along with other HR management features like payroll and talent management.
iCIMS is known for its scalable and configurable ATS that supports various aspects of recruiting, including candidate sourcing, screening, and applicant tracking.
The following are minor players: Greenhouse, Jobvite, Bamboo HR, ADP Workforce Now.
Submitting Multiple applications to the same company: My recommendation Is to submit for roles that you have the most chance to be hired. Posting above or below your skills and qualifications can lead to frustration. Large companies with multiple postings may have multiple recruiters in the screening process. If you match a role do not hesitate to apply. If a role has a job posting ID or other tracking number, add it to the Notes column in your spreadsheet.
Cover Letters: Use customized cover letters to explain your interest. Mention why you are a strong candidate for each role and how your diverse skills and experiences make you a good fit for the company. Point to specifics in your resume.
Leveraging Job Boards
Using job boards effectively can enhance your job search by providing access to a wide range of job listings. By leveraging these platforms, you can increase your chances of finding a job that matches your skills, interests, and career goals.
Variety of Opportunities: Job boards aggregate listings from a wide range of industries, companies, and locations, giving you access to a diverse array of opportunities. This breadth allows you to explore distinct roles and find the ones that best match your skills and career goals.
Updated Listings: Many job boards update their listings frequently, ensuring that you have access to the latest job openings. This can increase your chances of finding and applying for positions before they are filled.
Job Alerts: Many job boards offer job alert features that notify you when new jobs matching your criteria are posted. This proactive approach ensures you do not miss out on potential opportunities and allows you to apply promptly.
LinkedIn limits the number of alerts that you can create – so adjust them frequently to get the notifications that match your profile. Work From Home has become less desirable for employers – Hybrid is preferred, so consider filters for region and location.
Filtering Options: Job boards typically offer advanced search and filtering options, enabling you to narrow down your search by criteria such as location, industry, job title, salary range, and more. This can save you time and help you focus on the most relevant opportunities.
Career Resources: Many job boards provide additional resources to help you in your job search, such as resume builders, cover letter templates, interview tips, and career advice articles. These tools can enhance your application materials and improve your job search strategy. Many of these services have additional costs.
Company Insights: Job boards often offer insights into companies, including reviews, ratings, and detailed profiles. This information can help you research potential employers, understand their culture, and determine if they are a good fit for you.
Networking Opportunities: Some job boards include features for networking with other professionals, joining industry-specific groups, or participating in forums. These opportunities can help you expand your professional network and learn about job openings that might not be publicly advertised.
Here are the top job boards that should be on your activity list:
LinkedIn is one of the largest professional networking platforms reporting over 810 million members in more than two hundred countries and territories. LinkedIn is known for its professional networking capabilities, job postings, and industry insights. Job openings are here and so is your competition.
Indeed has over 250 million unique visitors per month and is available in more than sixty countries and twenty-eight languages. Indeed aggregates (you may see duplicates from other boards) job listings from various sources, including company career pages, job boards, and staffing firms. You may see duplicates.
CareerBuilder is mostly US based, reaches over eighty million job seekers per month, and serves thousands of employers.
Other well know boards include Monster, Glassdoor, and Dice.
Centralized Applications: Job boards streamline the application process by allowing you to apply to multiple jobs from a single platform. This centralization can save you time and effort compared to applying through individual company websites.
Important Suggestions:
Where possible, go directly to the Employer career site to apply for positions. This avoids the problem of applying for positions that were posted and never removed (essentially “stale” listings), and you can extend your search on the company site. Using the LinkedIn Easy Apply feature may seem fast and easy, but you lose control of the application process.
Ignore the LinkedIn banner “100+ Applications Submitted”. Some candidates are applying up (above their skillset), some down, apply at correct career level and to roles that match the requirements.
Specialty Boards and Less Tradition Search
Some industries and occupations have specialty job boards. For technology: Stack Overflow Jobs, Dice, AngelList, ZipRecruiter. For the healthcare professional look into: Health eCareers, Nurse.Com, Medzilla. Education, Finance and Accounting, Engineering, Legal, and Government and Private Sector boards all provide specialized listings.
Freelance and Remote Work: Several sites provide listings in this category, including Upwork, Fiverr, Toptal, SimplyHired. Gig work can provide personal satisfaction and may fill the gaps if your search takes a long time. This area is rapidly expanding with new companies launching frequently.
Online lists: If the job boards are not satisfactory, consider your own list. I found the Deloitte 500, Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work, Inc.’s Best Workplaces, Diversity Inc.’s Top 50 Companies, and many others. Excel skills to collect, clean up and store data will speed up the process to acquire a list and start your search.
Blind Resumes: Sending a blind resume requires a clearly worded cover message and careful attention to your call to action (“Call me!”). By effectively showcasing your skills and demonstrating genuine interest in the company, you can increase your chances of making a positive impression and potentially securing opportunities that aren't publicly advertised. Results may not justify the time invested in contacting a large list, so target your most desired employers.
Managing Follow-Ups and Responses
The spreadsheet design (above) can be modified to add columns to track follow up dates. Your calendar tool or To Do tool can keep track as well.
Tracking the full job description (optional):
The sample tables (below) show a screen clip from summary page on an employer career site. It points to an optional item for your workflow. You may want to keep a copy of each job description. If you are contacted by this employee about your application, you want to respond to the specific role. The job titles are the same, but the job descriptions may be vastly different due to the department, or the job level. Microsoft OneNote makes it easy to capture the details.
For simplicity, choose one place to track all your follow-up activities – the spreadsheet can be modified as needed. Some sites may have a summary page, where your application status can be reviewed, but this is not an efficient place to track your follow up items as you would have to visit multiple sites on a frequent basis.
Prepare for Potential Opportunities: Even if a company does not have openings now, they may keep promising resumes on file or reach out when new positions become available. Stay prepared and responsive to any communication from them.
The Staffing Agency
Your profile should generate in-bound messages from recruiters and staffing agencies. This introduces a new step in the search process. The Agency may have a questionnaire – so of them lengthy, and some may ask for the right to represent you to a client. When a job posting opens you may get multiple contacts from different vendors pitching the same opening. It is often possible to determine which client has the position open.
Typical right to represent message: “As per our conversation, please authorize us to represent your profile for “Position” with “client XYZ” and confirm the Pay rate at $xxx.xx per hour on W2. Send me your most recent resume along with the details below so we can send your details over and can schedule the next call with our account manager.”
If you return and “right to represent” does it guarantee that you will be presented to the client. What happens if they do not present you to the client? My suggestion is to agree to their request but add a specific time limit – “for the next seven days.” If you apply directly to the company and receive a role after that time has elapsed, you are not committed to the recruiter.
Analyzing and Adjusting Your Approach
Should you leverage the data from your tracker to analyze your application success rate, or the application submission rate? Applying for 450 positions led me to a dozen preliminary screening calls with potential employers. I do not count recruiting or staffing agency screens. Second interviews were rare, and the goal was to get a single good offer.
Choosing your definition of success – the goal – is simple, choosing the metrics to track your progress to the goal takes some introspection. Do you want to measure time spent, applications sent, postings reviewed, rejections received?
Metrics offer the opportunity to learn, the opportunity to document your action and activity, and (unfortunately) metrics may offer the opportunity to get discouraged. Most people cannot jump up off the couch and run a marathon – you must build up to the event. The 2024 Job Search is a marathon.
Company Communities and Email Subscriptions: Yes, you should enroll for alerts and join company communities for your target employers. Watch the content for a while, then cull sharply. After applying for a position at an automobile manufacturer as a Technology PM, more of the following alerts were for auto manufacturing roles. Manage your time and mental bandwidth by dropping alerts that are not relevant.
Final Thoughts
Searching is stressful. I have not been unemployed since high school but applied for and received unemployment for a few months this year. It was truly a crappy, emotional experience. The most important tip I can relay:
Do not spend every waking hour (and probably a few nightmarish sleeping hours) applying for jobs. Do something else every day, preferably with somebody else, to stay grounded.
Ping me on LinkedIn if you would like to chat - or if you want a copy of the Job Tracker spreadsheet. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xolotech-consulting-llc
~ Xolo
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