Holy grail of Personal CRM Tools

(Photo credit @stilclassics)

#careertip

One of the biggest challenges I see for my clients in their job searches is staying organized, when you have multiple applications out, you’re networking with all types of people, and then juggling interview prep + offer timelines. Most people are job searching while still working a full-time job & doing all sorts of other personal projects. And job searching in tech & startups is already a non-linear process – so adding structure on your side will help you feel more in control & help reduce stress. 

When you look for a tool(s) to support you in keeping organized, there are 4 important steps to keep in mind: 

1. Track everything: You will need to keep track of (a) all of your job applications and (b) all of the people you engage with (whether during networking or the application process). Then you can use that data to identify your conversion ratios (from application to 1st interview, from 1st interview to 2nd interview, from cold email to networking call, etc). 

2. Develop your process steps + cadence: Most jobseekers send out a flurry of applications or networking emails & then wait for…ever. You should plan to stay proactive wherever possible, and make sure to outline a specific process whereby you keep these tools updated and you have a cadence for follow-ups. 

3. Build in time for analysis + reflection weekly:  If you’ve done the first two things, you’ll have some good data to analyze your job search process. What has worked well? What hasn’t worked well? Try to stay objective here – I have had multiple clients who immediately assume that no response means no interest. Stepping back, it’s easier to observe that the company just got a round of funding and might be overwhelmed with processing the flood of applications. Then, you can decide how to strategically raise your profile to a recruiter, via a referral or a direct InMail or some other option. 

4. Ask for objective counsel: We all stress during a job search. Am I a good fit? Will this be the right next move? Did I apply to too many places? Or not enough?? This is where a coach or a networking contact can be helpful. A networking contact can help give you insider information about the company you are applying to or in process with (for example, the recruiting team is overwhelmed or there is a hiring freeze, etc). A coach can help you stay objective while processing that new information & help you evaluate your best next steps. We can also help you assess your overall process, so you can stop worrying & rely on the strategies & processes you’ve built. 

Now, let’s look at some specific suggestions on tools you can use to stay organized, depending on your level of time and investment. 

• Simple

  • Best: Google Sheets

    • We all have gmail accounts & Google Sheets make it very easy to have 1 tab for tracking applications, 1 tab for tracking people, and 1 tab for tracking your stats. It’s also accessible on any device to make updates on the go.  And it’s free.

  • Runner-up: Paper or Excel

    • For some, just using 3 simple pieces of paper will help you get started without getting lost in trying to build out the best-ever job search application tracker. And for some unknown reason, others like to use Excel (ugh). 

• Intermediate

  • Best: Notion or Todoist

    • I love how clean Notion looks and how easy it is to add various kinds of objects to a page (like a database on the same page as a bulleted list). It’s also free. You can find job search and CRM templates in their Template Gallery. My only drawback is that it has limited integrations, so you will need to visit it daily to view tasks (vs having them appear in your Google calendar). Todoist is a great, clean task manager. It has multiple integrations to other tools/platforms to help keep you in sync. 

  • Runners-up: Coda, Airtable, Trello

    • I’ve used all of these at some point. Coda has online docs but seems more geared towards teams/enterprise these days. Airtable has always felt just a bit too complicated to build upon. And Trello drove me nuts with only having the one view of my work (the kanban) vs offering the ability to toggle between multiple views.  

• Deluxe

  • Best: Dex + Clickup

    • I have found the holy grail of personal CRM tools after a long & arduous search of the entire Internet. Dex is an incredibly simple, powerful & affordable personal CRM platform. It is a YC19 graduate & the founder is very responsive to product feedback. I use Dex to track my people engagement and Clickup as my project tracker. I love how flexible Clickup is. And while it can be overwhelming at first to navigate all the features, I’m happy to share a job search template if you’re interested. 

    • Note: I highly recommend both of these tools because of the features they offer, not so that I can make any $ via my referral links. But if you like them as much as I do, it can’t hurt to share a hat tip for the info. 

  • Runners-up: Relatable 

    • With the shutdown of my former CRM Contactually, I was invited to join Relatable’s beta. While I enjoyed the intros feature and the focus on building a personal (not business) CRM, I wasn’t a fan of how it displayed your follow-up tasks. Others are raving about it so I wanted to share (tip: mention you used Contactually and you’ll get off the waitlist quickly).

• Others to consider

  • Project Trackers: Asana, Monday, Smartsheet

  • Free CRMs: Hubspot, Zoho CRM

Why job seekers should consider a tech company's growth arc

(Photo credit @matcfelipe)

March has certainly entered like a lion. And no pithy statement will ameliorate the fact that a sovereign European nation has been invaded by its neighbor & former colonizer, and its citizens are fighting for their right to stay independent. Sadly, Ukraine joins a too-long list of countries engaged in conflict and/or suffering the aftermath (Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, among too many others). 

If the old adage is true, more peaceful times are coming at the end of this month…but like the weather, people are mercurial & do unexpected things. Thank you, as always, for being here. I send good wishes & hopes for the health & safety of your family & friends, wherever they may be. And now on to other thoughts related to tech & job searching. 

#techsoundbite

I was listening to a bonus Pivot podcast episode this morning with guest speaker NYU professor Aswath Damodaran, and I was fascinated to hear someone else use the analogy of understanding company growth by comparing it to growing humans. I’ve also used this analogy in my coaching to help job seekers try to understand why a startup or tech company might have a very non-linear job application process. Those who are pivoting from other industries often expect job searches to progress along an organized & straight timeline. I shake my head & then start to describe this ‘growing humans’ analogy.  

Essentially, you should look at the age of a company, and remember what it was like to be a human at that age. Just because a company has a well-known brand doesn’t mean that the company’s recruiting operations are all figured out (let alone other operational processes). Doordash was founded in 2013, so it’s 8 years old, in 3rd grade, and at the cusp of great academic growth. Airbnb was founded in 2008, so it’s 13 & going thru lots of major life changes. Google was founded in 1998, is now 23, and still not legal to drive a rental car. 

I find this is a really helpful analogy for stressed-out job seekers for 3 reasons:

1. brand recognition is not a useful measure of how smooth a tech company’s recruiting operation will be;

2. the analogy often demonstrates clearly that ‘it’s not you, it’s them;’

3. it also shows what actual day-to-day work and career progression at the company will be like (always changing, not static, etc). If you are angered by the chaotic nature of the job search process, you may want to consider if you’ll be equally frustrated working in a role at a tech company. 

I recommend this podcast episode as it was a great listen on how to think about the ‘life story’ of a company, both in terms of its financials and its position in the marketplace. Prof Damodaran also added another interesting twist for the arc of tech companies. He factors in dog years into a tech company’s timeline (thereby accelerating the demise of a software company) - whereas manufacturing companies are measured in regular years. He used GM and Yahoo as great examples of this. He also alluded to a certain company’s name change as a big signal that it’s on the decline. It’s an overall great framework to help you think about your long-term career options, direction, and stability at a specific company. 

Tips for staying motivated during a career pivot

(Photo credit @kellysikkema)

#ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. I’ve kicked off the Pivoting into Tech Workshop Series, happening on Fridays between 12-1pm ET. Sessions 1 & 2 are already over, but you are welcome to join me for Sessions 3-5!

   Session 1 was ‘Understanding the Tech Industry’ - click here to check out the video replay.
   👉Upcoming Sessions:
   💥Tech Resume Revamp: Jan 28

   💥Develop your 30-Second Tech Networking Pitch: Feb 4

   💥Finding the Right Tech Contacts: Feb 11

2. You can register for any of these workshops here: lu.ma/lizarnold AND newsletter subscribers get a discount, so subscribe to my newsletter HERE to take advantage for future workshops!

3. You are welcome to share this public link with anyone who you think could benefit from these workshops!

#careertip - Motivation

The Pivot Post-it! 

I shared this tip with someone recently & it was super helpful to keep her motivated. Making a career pivot is often hard. And when you’re currently in a bad or boring work situation, it can make it even harder. So here is a mini-motivation step you can take right now that serves as an in-the-moment reminder of your goals! 

1. Set a date for your departure & write it on a Post-it. Aim for a date that is motivating to you but realistic so you don’t get discouraged (say, 3 months from today).

2. Write down 3-4 companies you want to pursue. It’s ok to put down the dream ones - this is to help keep you motivated!

3. Add other words or visuals of encouragement. This is for you - so if it helps to add things like ‘You go girl!’ or ‘You can handle whatever comes your way!’ or silly stickers, go for it!

4. Stick your Pivot Post-it to monitor or desk & look at it whenever you are bored, frustrated, or otherwise dissatisfied with your current work situation. You might be surprised by how a simple piece of paper can help you keep your energy directed towards your future goals, and not wasted on the situation you’ll be leaving soon.

Try it out and let me know how it worked! 

Another thing I’ve admitted to myself in working from home: it’s ok to admit that you’re only about 40-50% as productive as normal. Here’s some advice on how to recover: 

• The Guilt-Free Guide to Getting Back on Track After a Completely Unproductive Day

Still struggling to get motivated? It happens to all of us!

• One approach is to remind yourself why you were a great hire in the first place! How to Find Your Job Search Value Proposition