Organizing Your Job Search: HappyJob Search
I ran into a tool today that could be helpful in a job search. The tool, HappyJobSearch, allows a job seeker to create an online account to track their job search activity.
What I like about this tool is how it organizes your job search. It is very easy in a job search to forget where you have sent resumes. In my job searches earlier in my career, I organized organized everything with lots of paper. I printed each job description, information from the company's website and news on the company, and kept it all in a file folder with notes. This was effective, but tedious.
Using an online database should make the process more efficient. Additionally, the tracking system at Happy Job Search allows you to set the next action for each opportunity. The display of the opportunity is sorted by the next action, so it's very easy to go to your top priorities.
The website does have some limitations. For example, it doesn't allow any type of scheduling. Knowing your next action is helpful, it's also important to know when to complete this action. Additionally, the database stores the link to the job description – not the actual posting. Many job descriptions are only posted for a specific time – typically 30 days. After this, the link won't work. Printing or saving the description is important if you want to ensure you can go back to it.
I'm interested in how useful this is for an active job seeker. If you decide to try this out, let me know your experience with it.

Haven’t seen this one yet – the site I do know about that is all about organizing your job search and is highly rated is JibberJobber. You might want to check it out too:
http://www.jibberjobber.com
It was created by Jason Alba (who also wrote “I’m on LinkedIn, Now What and I’m on Facebook, Now What”
Anyway, thanks for the new info. always good to know what is out there.
Robin Ogden
http://www.firedupcareers.com
Robin,
Thanks for the suggestion. JibberJobber is a good site. I need to spend some time looking at it closely. It’s much more comprehensive than the site I wrote about. I’ll try to get a review on it posted in the future. I’ve also read Jason’s LinkedIn book. I didn’t know about the one on Facebook and need to take a look at that. Thanks for tips.
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thanks for reviewing my site! Your feedback was very helpful. Users can now add a date for their next actions, and subscribe to these using iCal or Entourage. Also, there’s now a field for the listing text.
Thanks again!
Daniel Higginbotham
If you are looking for Job Search Software to organize your search, please also look at our product, PerfectJob, at http://www.PerfectJobSoftware.com
If you’ve ever fumbled to find an important website that you saw last week, called someone and forgot an important follow-up item, or don’t remember which resume you sent to a company, PerfectJob will help.
We focused on putting all job search information into context. So while we have a calendar, and to-dos, and the ability to pull in job listings from popular sites, and to capture webpages, we also relate it all together.
PerfectJobSoftware.com and PerfectJobSoftware.net Use either the online or desktop version!
Steve
President, PerfectJobSoftware.com