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Cover image for Update: I built a tool to help me manage my job search
Michael Messerli
Michael Messerli

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Update: I built a tool to help me manage my job search

In December of last year I posted about an open-source job tracking app I built.

I got great feedback here on DEV and from a couple other sources. Since then, I decided to try and build a real product around the idea and expand on some features.

Why I built it (What I tried before)

I've tried a lot of ways to stay organized while I'm applying for jobs across multiple job sites. Something always falls through the cracks.

Trello or Spreadsheets

Trello is great for a big picture overview to see what status a given job application is in (application sent, interviewing, etc), but it requires doing a lot of formatting to keep information easy to read.

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Notes

Usually, what I do when I send a new application is create a note (I like to use Bear) that holds all relevant info that might be useful later.

  • If the application has a questionnaire I jot down the question/answers. This is useful as a reference while writing a cover letter, or to take snippets from when other applications have similar questions.
  • Prepare questions I want to ask during the interview
  • Link to job posting to review (again for cover letter or interview prep)
  • Any other relevant data: salary, location, contract-type, etc.

Having the notes is super useful, but they lack the general overview of seeing what status each application is in.

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So that's what I built

I wanted to marry the two strategies that worked for me in an application that does both. Plus, I wanted to add a couple features that go beyond the Kanban board and note taking:

  • Email Discovery: Let JobHuntBuddy help you find email addresses at the company you're applying to. It helps to know who's reviewing your application
  • Document storage: Upload your resumes and cover letters to a central place and always have access to them.

Thank you DEV

I want to thank the community here for the great feedback, criticisms, and ideas I've received from DEV.

I know a lot of readers here are looking for their first dev job and others who have been affected by current world events and that's why I created a free plan to help people get started.

And as a special thank you to DEV.to I want to offer a coupon code for those that decide upgrade to a premium plan: DEV-2

You can check it out here 👉 JobHuntBuddy.co


The original JobHuntBuddy will remain free and open source and can be found here:

Follow me on Twitter @michaelmesserli to connect and see my ramblings about tech, travel, and gaming.

Top comments (1)

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amlana24 profile image
amlan

This is awesome...