TIP #1: Create a job search journal

The first lesson I learned at the beginning my job search was to write down everything. You'll be talking to a lot of people and (hopefully) discussing all the new opportunities. Documenting these conversations will help provide context for future interactions and define next steps. 

There are hundreds of ways to take notes. I use a hybrid approach of pen & paper and Microsoft OneNote Online. 

Writing with pen and paper during the conversation helps to quickly jot down ideas, key discussion points and to-dos. Later, I consolidate notes into a OneNote notebook, so I can easily look back at the history of my interactions. 

My Story

The first thing I did after I found out about my the now fluid nature of my position, was to start hitting up the recruiters that had found me on LinkedIn.  I started by messaging the some of the most recent connections and worked backwards. Soon I was scheduling phone calls and meeting for coffee and generally feeling pretty good about myself. 

But there were a couple mistakes here:

1. I wasn't prepared to have a discussion on what I wanted from my next position (Full Time, Contract, Agency, etc). 
2. I didn't understand what the recruiters could do to help.
3. I still wasn't firm on my timeline. (How much do I really want severance?)
4. I didn't write down anything. 

Three weeks later, I'm sifting through emails, reviewing LinkedIn chat and recounting conversations from conferences and trying to remember exactly what I said to who and when. 

Documenting these conversations will help to fill in gaps for yourself, and for the people you are connecting.