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Personal Systems / ToolingInternal2026

Job Search System

A private system for tracking and structuring an active job search.

ToolingData

What it is

A private, structured system for running an active job search, tracking applications, conversations, and state so the search stays a process instead of a spiral of scattered tabs and forgotten follow-ups.

Why I built it

Because searching for work is a system, not a panic. When the search is structured, you can see what’s actually moving, what’s stalled, and where to spend the next hour. Building the tool is also, itself, a way to think clearly about the search.

What problem it solves

Unstructured job search fails silently: you forget to follow up, lose the context of a conversation, and can’t tell whether the funnel is healthy. This system makes the funnel visible to the one person who needs to see it: you.

Stack

  • Lightweight data model (applications, stages, contacts, notes)
  • Personal-only, no multi-user, no cloud sync cruft
  • Tooling-first: optimized for the person running the search

Current status

Internal. A personal-tooling project; not a public product.

What I learned

  • A funnel mental model keeps you from over-investing in any one lead.
  • The act of structuring the search is half the value; the tool is the other half.
  • Tools you build for your own life get used differently than tools you build for “users”.

What I would improve next

  • Weekly funnel-review view (entered, advanced, stalled, closed).
  • Resume/tailoring notes per application, linked from the same record.
  • A “next action” queue so the system tells you what to do, not just what exists.
  • Private project. Mentioned here as part of my personal systems.