Aaaand we're back in the spring semester! What does that mean? Well, among other things, it means that undergrads may be (should be?) looking for internships this summer. As a graduating master's candidate, I will be job hunting. How to begin the organization of such a search becomes an issue both undergrads and graduating students of all stripes can appreciate.
I start with tables, always with tables. I'll use Word, Excel, it really doesn't matter. Google Docs can be an interesting choice if sharing of the file is something of importance. My partner and I like to ask questions of one another's work and we live indifferent states at the moment, so this type of document suits us fine.
So we'll start with the Google Doc...what exactly do I put in there? How do I organize it? It is my belief that "organization" is relative and what works for one individual may be unappealingly confusing to another, so please take my thoughts with several grains of salt.
Generally, I put the position title in a cell on the left vertical column, with the organization/company in italics, directly below it (same cell). Then, I use the running top cells along the horizontal line to indicate several categories "contact #1", "contact address/e-mail/phone", "notes from contact", all with dates indicated and reminders if I said I would follow up highlighted in yellow. I also indicate which files I have sent or need to send and by what dates. For me, this is the only way to organize such a job hunt, and often, I will do this with 10-20 positions at a time. It is important to be specific about who to share this with, as it is a small world out there...and you never know who knows who, or how gmail might accidentally allow someone to view the table. This is why I am very clear about my security settings, and generally only allow my partner and myself access.
