I’ve been to the JibberJobber site a number of times – the blog has some great job search articles. Despite this, I never really understood how useful JibberJobber is to a job seeker. Last week, I decided to do some research… I created an account and tried it out. I was very impressed.
How It Works
JibberJobber is a contact management system for job seekers. It provides a systematic approach for organizing and working your search. The core of the system is the contact database. You can add companies, recruiting firms and job boards, and you can add specific contacts at each organization. I like the flexibility database offers. There is a field for categories that allows you to create specific groupings for your companies. This is helpful if you are pursuing opportunities in multiple industries. The system also allows the attachment of documents – resumes and cover letters submitted, job descriptions, research on the company and any other files you want to tie to the company.
Once a company is entered, you can add contacts, events and jobs. Adding an event is easy and allows you to create past events or schedule future appointments.
Why It’s Effective
In a job search, staying organized is essential. You may apply for a position but not hear from the company for several weeks. It is likely you will forget some details by that point. Having a database that tracks the information will make you more effective.
The system can also help you in your networking. You have the ability to add contacts for each opportunity. A little research online, with social media sites, LinkedIn and other tools, will help you identify people within a company you can contact to learn about the opportunity and employer. It is likely that your contacts will know someone at each of your target companies. Contact these individuals and try to learn about the culture of the company, the types of qualities the organization prioritizes when hiring, and details of the position. Even if the person you speak with doesn’t know anything about the position you want, they will be able to help you understand the culture and hiring priorities.
By building a relationship with someone in the company, there is a chance that individual will offer to refer you to the hiring manager. The odds of getting an interview from an employee referral are dramatically higher than from an internet application.
Maintaining a tracking system for the contacts you develop will help you leverage each contact effectively.
Problems with JibberJobber
JibberJobber is a data management system. This requires entering information each time you do something with your search. Many people will find this a great strength of the system. The challenge for some will be maintaining consistency. If you don’t stick with it, it won’t help. This really isn’t a problem or limitation of the system. More of a caution that discipline is require… of course, if your job search isn’t organized and disciplined, you may have bigger problems than using JibberJobber ineffectively.
My only real reservation about the system is that getting started is a little confusing. The system is great, but there are so many features it is a little overwhelming. JibberJobber could use a lot more tooltip popups and a clearer roadmap for how to use the system. Much of the benefit of JibberJobber is organizing your job search so that you are efficient and effective. This requires knowing what information you need to log and what information is optional. If you don’t get off to a good start, the system will be less efficient. Hopefully, the team at JibberJobber will add more instructions, tutorials and tips to make it easier to get started.
Bottom Line: JibberJobber effectively organizes a job search. If you commit to using it, it will help you. The free version is great and provides significant value. The premium version is even better, adding a number of useful features.