Ask Matt: Why is it important to organize a job hunt?

Dear Matt: I'm a career coach and one of the biggest mistakes I see job seekers make is failure to organize their job search. Can you elaborate on this and why it's important?

Matt says: Let's introduce Andrew. Like many job seekers, Andrew had a lot of activity going on. He was sending out résumés, hunting down job opportunities, attending networking events and much more. But when an internal recruiter from one of his target companies called six weeks after he applied and asked if he could talk about his application, he had no idea what job he had applied for or even who they were.

The call came and Andrew blew it. Why? He did not have all his notes, documents and research in one place — anywhere. Not on his computer, in a binder or in a shoe box.

That's why all job seekers at any age and for any type of job need to get organized first, before submitting that very first application, says Dana Manciagli, a global career expert and author of "Cut the Crap, Get a Job!" (DanaManciagli.com), which includes the documents and tools you need to manage an organized job search.

"In today's highly competitive era, it takes massive attention to detail, brilliant follow-up and quality networking to secure your next career move," says Manciagli. "Whether you are searching for your next role within your company or you are looking outside, you need to 'project manage' your job search effort."

Create your personal job search tracker, says Manciagli. Will you be using a computer or tablet? Your mobile device? Maybe you are more comfortable with the old-fashioned ring binder and handwritten pages? Whatever works for you is key. You decide — just do something. Why? Because there is a direct correlation between the speed at which people get employed and the disciplined process they are using, says Manciagli. There is no way you can remember everything about every position you apply to. The search can go on for weeks and months and employers are often slow in hiring, which means it can take time for them to contact you. You'll need all those notes and documents to stay on track.

For example, Andrew networked with a prior boss who asked him, "Who is the hiring manager at Boeing for that job you want? I've got some friends over there." What could Andrew say? He didn't remember, but if he had had his job search tracker with him, he would have had the name at his fingertips. And during a final round of interviews, as Susan interviewed Andrew, she asked him whom he had interviewed with two weeks before during an earlier round. He couldn't remember and had no documents in front of him with the names. Why? He never wrote it down.

"If you don't have good organization tools," says Manciagli, "you are not committed to your job search."

Contact Matt at jobslink@startribune.com.