Comments on: Not Just A Job Search Tracker – Why Professionals Need JibberJobber

By: Richard Baum

Richard Baum — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 02:10:28 +0000

One of the best models I have seen for career planning is choosing each new job to prepare for the second job out. Use it as a training opportunity for the step that will get you to the next step. In order to do that you have to have an end goal in mind (ala Stephen Covey). If you have planned your career backwards then you have all the steps you need to take and it simplifies the process. There really is no transition in this model because you already know the incremental job adjustments you need to make.

It is like planning a college degree program. Once you know your major you can study the catalog for upper division courses and their prerequisites. Each quarter, or semester, paves the way for classes offered the next period and the following period. You may miss a class because it is full but you can look elsewhere for an equivalent to keep on track. Keeping on top of catalog changes is essential. That aline can help avoid nasty surprises in your senior year. e.g. missing credits you will have to wait two quarters to take!

Likewise you want to keep up on the changes in your career field to be sure you are positioning yourself for the next step. JibberJobber looks like a very useful tool for orchestrating and chronicling the journey.

By: Julie Walraven

Julie Walraven — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:00:51 +0000

Jason, Your ability to capture the essence of a topic and make it fun to read always amazes me… Pretty soon I am going to need a binder for the Jason Alba and JibberJobber handouts I give my clients! And thank you for propelling me into the world of blogging! Of course that means that I now have even less time!

By: Sophie Lagacé

Sophie Lagacé — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 21:28:34 +0000

I think there is actually more steps towards integration from “job search” to “career planning” to “career.” I agree that it’s necessary to move away from the mental image of little segments of business-as-usual punctuated by frantic job searches, and towards planning and integrating the process into one’s work habits. But this still has that feel of discontinuity: you’re either in transition or preparing for the next transition.

I was already in that career planning paradigm, more or less, when I recently had to look for a new job. Now a little bit further than that, I’ve grown to think that I need tools that help me do my work very well, because that IS my career. I’m an engineer who happens to work for company A, B or C at any given time; but what I *do*, the type and quality of my work, that’s my own. That’s my career.

So I collect tools that help me accomplish my work; some of these tools can ALSO be put to use when I’m in one of those transitions. For example, a good network is not just something to build for the day I need to look for a job; it’s something that helps me do my job too. JJ’s tools are useful to me to keep track of clients, projects, leads, business relationships, etc.; not just so I can be ready for the next move.

Yes, there are other professional programs dedicated to some of these tasks, but I don’t know any right now that does all the things JibberJobber does in as convenient, personalized and accessible a form.

By: Heather Gardner

Heather Gardner — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:04:58 +0000

EXCELLENT post Jason! The only thing constant is change is the best realization for all of us to have – nothing stays the same, in good times or bad times … my favorite book on this concept is “Who Moved My Cheese?”

Again, you ROCK my friend with all your wisdom and advice. I’m listening!

By: Pat Sansing

Pat Sansing — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:12:04 +0000

I like the Job Journal feature because when you are employed, the only person responsible for your performance evaluation is you. Your boss is probably supposed to be keeping track of your performance each month/quarter and making notes about how you are doing. The thought is that then the annual performance review is a snap. Guess what? He/she probably isn’t doing it – they are to busy with their own overflowing work schedule! Use the Job Journal to do it yourself -then be able to provide accomplishments to your boss when they are in review writing season. That way, the annual performance review won’t look like a review of what happened over the last 60 days. And your boss will probably really appreciate the information and your initiative. It may even impress them that you are serious enough about your career to take a few minutes each week and jot down your accomplishments, or at least progress toward accomplishments. That may land you in the next leadership training class, or get that extra 0.25% discretionary raise (I’m not kidding, that’s all some managers have) or make them remember you when they are stack ranking their employees from 1 to 50 so they can lay off the bottom 10. And you are serious about your career, right?