After all, job hunting is a full-time job in itself. Start with these tips and take the stress out of your job search by using a Trello board to make all these steps less overwhelming.

As part of your job search, there will be job boards to scour, email threads and LinkedIn messages to keep on top of, calendar appointments to schedule, and virtual interview software to get to grips with. But before you wade in, it’s essential to do your prep work so you’re presenting as a candidate that any employer would love to hire.

Avoid the spray and pray approach to job applications. This is where candidates wildly apply to every position they come across, regardless of whether it’s a good fit. Instead, take your time to:

Perfect your resume Gather professional references Design a series of cover letter templates Update the About section of your LinkedIn profile Let your network know you’re available for hire

Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re ready to set up Trello to organize your job search.

Trello is the ultimate task management tool with plenty of creative applications and what better task to organize than your job search?

Keeping track of every stage of the job hunt will give you a great overview of what’s working and what’s not. Perhaps you used the same cover letter on two applications, and they both landed you an interview? Trello will make it easy for you to monitor this success.

Your board will make sure you never miss a deadline or forget to respond to a recruiter on time. It will also help you decide whether to follow up on an opportunity or if it’s time to move on.

How to Copy the Job Hunt Trello Template

Luckily, there’s no need to start creating a job hunt board from scratch, as Trello has a handy template for you to customize. Once you’re logged into Trello, it’s straightforward to copy the Job Hunt board into your workspace.

Select Create board from template and then fill in the Title box to name your board. You can choose which Trello Workspace your board will belong to and decide whether to keep the current template cards. Select Create to populate the board.

Top Tips to Maximize Your Trello Job Hunt Board

Now it’s time to customize your Trello board and use it to track your job search progress.

1. Create a Card for Each Employment Opportunity

In the left-hand “Applied” column, you’ll see a list of cards, and each has been assigned a company name. You can start by changing the card’s name to a company you’re applying to. Then click on the card to open up the details. Here you can add notes to the Description.

You may also add attachments, such as a version of your resume or cover letter if you use several.

2. Move the Cards Across Each Job Stage List

By default, your board comes with the following lists, arranged in a vertical layout. You can rename these as needed:

Applied Responded Recruiter Screen Take-Home Assignment First Round Interview Second Round Interview Final Interview Offers!

You can move the company card to the corresponding list as you hear back from a recruiter.

Example: You apply for a job and receive an email back from the hiring administrator requesting you provide your references. You send these off, then update your card and move it from the “Applied” list to the “Responded” list so you can keep track of the progress.

To move the card, drag and drop the card from one list to the next.

3. Add Due Dates and Custom Fields to Your Cards

The recruitment process typically has a strict timeline you need to follow, so setting due dates is crucial if you don’t want to miss a deadline. From application and interview dates to offers and take-home assignments, your head will be spinning with dates if you don’t stay organized.

Trello allows you to set both Due Dates and Custom Due Date Reminders so you’ll never miss a beat.

You can also add Custom Fields Power-Ups to keep track of contact details for each recruitment team. This is useful if you’d like to follow up and send a thank you message or request a status update at any point.

4. Use Trello Power-Ups to Sync With Your Calendar

Some of the handiest Trello Power-Ups to use on your job hunt board are:

Calendar: gain a quick view of your week with the Calendar Power-Up. Choose whether to view your Week or Month at a glance. By default, any cards you’ve added dates to will appear in your calendar, or you can manually create new cards here too.

Email: link your Gmail or Outlook inbox to Trello with ease. Then, turn any job-related email into a relevant card on your board. Automate by Zapier: there are countless ways to automate your job hunt admin. For example, you can link your calendar with Trello, so calendar invites for interviews will automatically create a relevant card on your board.

5. Sync With Google Drive to Track Interview Assignments

When the information you need to store goes beyond the scope of your Trello board, it’s simple to authorize the sync between your board and Google Drive. If you need to link to interview questions, take-home assignments, or presentation decks, you can attach single files or entire folders if you need to.

Finding a new job doesn’t often happen overnight. A FlexJobs Career Coach reveals:

Start by preparing your resume, references, and cover letters, then copy the Trello job hunt template into your workspace and start monitoring your progress. It won’t be long until you’ve moved several cards into your ‘Offers’ list!