Step 4: Reach out · topic 5 of 5
Keep a simple outreach tracker
The short answer
Keep one simple table with a row for every person you contact. Record who they are, the company, the channel, the date you wrote, the date to follow up, and the outcome. Look at it at the start of each work session, and use it to see how much you've done as well as what has come back.
Once you're writing to a few people a day, you'll lose track within a couple of weeks unless you write it down. A tracker keeps your follow-ups on time, and it gives you something else that matters in a long search: proof that you're doing the work, even when replies are slow.
The columns I suggest
A spreadsheet works. So does a notebook. Use whatever you'll open every day.
| Name | Role and company | How you know them | Channel | Date sent | Follow up on | Outcome | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A. Patel | Head of operations, a health network | 2nd degree via a former colleague | Introduction | Nov 3 | Nov 11 | Replied, call booked | Call on Nov 14 |
| J. Moreno | Recruiter, a software company | Applied, then messaged | Nov 4 | Nov 12 | No reply yet | Follow up with portal idea | |
| R. Osei | Team lead, a logistics firm | Alumni | Connection note | Nov 5 | Nov 13 | Said no roles now, offered intro | Thank, ask for intro |
The channel column (email, connection note, LinkedIn message, InMail, introduction) is worth the extra space. After a month, your Friday review can show which route gets replies for you. Add a column for the role you applied to if you're pairing outreach with applications.
How to use it
- Start each work session by sorting on "Follow up on". Send anything that's due before you write anything new.
- Fill in the row as soon as you send a message, including the follow-up date.
- At the end of each week, count three things: messages sent, conversations held and applications made.
Plans with a specific "when and where" tend to get done. A review of 94 tests in published studies found that "if-then" plans, such as "when I sit down at 9 a.m., I'll first send any follow-ups that are due", had a medium-to-large effect on reaching goals [1]. A tracker is a simple way to build those plans into your day.
Count your effort as well as your results
Replies are partly outside your control. Effort isn't. A 2001 review of job search research found that more job search effort was linked to finding a job, though the links were modest [2]. And a study that followed job seekers day by day found their mood and confidence went up and down with how much progress they felt they'd made that day [3].
So give yourself a visible way to see progress. "Sent 8 messages, had 2 conversations" is a good week, even if no one has offered you a job yet.
Questions to ask yourself
Take five minutes with a notebook. There are no right answers here, only useful ones.
- Where do you keep track of your search today, and does it help or add to the stress?
- What would you like to be able to see at the end of each week?
- Who could you share your weekly numbers with for accountability?