Hunting for a job can turn into a long and exhaustive grind. You have numerous applications to track, resumes to update, applications to send, interviews to juggle, and recruiters to convince. It takes dedication, determination, and patience before you can finally land the job you want. Although it’s common to encounter ups and downs before your job finding efforts get rewarded, it doesn’t mean the process has to be frustrating and stressful. Trello, a popular project management application, can be deployed to streamline the job-hunting process.
At its core, Trello is a cloud-based list-making tool inspired by the kanban scheduling system. It offers users a simple way to visualize, organize, prioritize, and track work items. It’s open to interpretation, and it can be whatever you want it to be. Trello posses minimal barriers to entry, and anyone can use it to manage personal or professional tasks. However, Trello, in itself, isn’t a complete tool. To unleash its full potential, you can combine it with other tools like Bridge24 for Trello to export the information you want and get new perspectives with advanced reports.
The Typical Process of a Job Search
Whether you just graduated and you are looking to dive into the professional world, or you are an experienced employee looking for a better opportunity, it’s common to encounter some challenges when looking for a job. You have to scout for companies that align with your career interests, tweak your resume each time to meet each recruiter’s expectations, send multiple applications, and wait for feedback anxiously.
When the responses finally start to roll in, you are excited, but what lies ahead can overwhelm you. Some companies want to set up a phone call to learn whether you are the right fit for the position, others give you assignments to assess your skills, while others request for in-person interviews. It’s hard to juggle all this, and it’s easy to forget the companies you’ve spoken to in the past, the interviews you need to attend, the documents each recruiter requested, and the new application deadlines you must meet. Here’s how Trello can bring some sanity to the chaos.
Create a Trello Template for Your Job Hunt
To stay focused and keep track of every detail of your job search, use a Trello board to create a job application workflow. It should cover the entire process from initial interest to agreeing to a job offer. Below is the template you should follow.
Start by creating a new board. You can name it ‘Job Hunt’. On the board, add lists like ‘Preparation’, ‘Interesting Positions’, ‘Application in Progress’, ‘Applied’, ‘Plan Interview’, ‘Negotiation Offer’, and ‘Offer Accepted’. The following is a brief explanation of each list.
Preparation
This list hosts all the things you need to do before launching your job hunt. Activities may include updating your LinkedIn information, updating your resume, meeting people who may offer help, reviewing your social media accounts, and preparing resources that may be useful. Each activity should be housed in an individual card. You can also create checklists within the cards to remind you of the tiny details that are easy to forget, e.g., create resume copies, delete unhelpful social media posts, and update office wear.
Interesting Positions
This list contains all the appealing vacancies that you come across in job listings. To place a job position here, make sure you have carefully examined the job description, read about the company, and researched the role. Make a card for each listing with the company name and role as the title. Prioritize the cards based on the application closing date and the companies you prefer to work for. Make sure you frequently check the positions to learn whether any vacancy was filled or requirements were updated.
Application in Progress
This column contains all actions that need to be performed before sending a resume. The activities may include researching the company’s work approach, market, and goals, personalizing your resume and cover letter based on the research you have conducted and printing the necessary documents if you have been requested to deliver the application personally. For every job application you prepare, add any research or important information you find on the card using attachments and comments. Finally, send the application.
Applied
This phase contains the cards of all the sent applications. If two weeks elapse without getting a response, you can send the company an email to ask the status of your application or when to expect a reply. When you follow up on a company, use the comment section of the card to document the activity. Note down how many times you sent a reminder email, who replied, and the feedback you got.
Plan Interview
When you are invited for an interview, move the vacancy to this swimlane. If you have multiple invitations, arrange the cards starting with the most urgent interview and the one that appeals most. On each card, make sure you also indicate the time and date of the interview and the documents you are required to bring. You should start preparing by conducting extra research on the company, rehearsing the questions you are likely to ask, and finding important questions.
Negotiation Offer
After passing the interview, you can now negotiate the offer. This stage will determine whether to agree, further negotiate, or reject the offer. If you have received offers from several companies, do your research to determine what offer is more fulfilling.
Offer Accepted
After your hard work and patience, it’s time to celebrate. Move your new job to this column. You can also create other columns such as: ‘Application Rejected’, and ‘Unable to Reach Agreement’. The details in these two columns can help you figure out why you weren’t successful, and what you can do to improve your chances in the future.
Conclusion
Trello is a great tool with loads of features that can help you stay on top of your job search. With it, you don’t have to worry about keeping track of all the different vacancies or forgetting to send an application on time. Its layout lets you view all positions at a glance and learn where you’re at with each opportunity. If you want to make Trello work smarter for you, consider combining it with other efficient tools.
One Power-Up that works smoothly with Trello is Bridge24 for Trello. It’s an amazing integration that offers advanced reporting and exporting features for Trello tasks in convenient formats like Excel and CSV. It allows users to view and interact with information on their Trello Board instantaneously from a new perspective that allows greater efficiency.
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