Hello there!

Today I’d like to talk about something that I think is very important yet very uncommon in employees. So here goes… JOB LOG!

What? 
If you are like the many people that I’ve discussed this with, you probably have no idea what a job log is. Well, in simple words, it is a way to log your job. Simple enough? Basically, it is a document, online or handwritten, that contains your experiences, tasks, lessons learned, etc. while you were on a job.

Why? 
When we start a new job, everything is new. Even if you are in the same industry/career path, company policies and procedures and company environments can vary a whole lot. After the first few stages of learning, most people get very comfortable in their daily tasks and start doing things on ‘auto-pilot’. Lesser and lesser things become challenging. This is a good thing, maybe. The thing I fear the most is that when I get too comfortable I start undermining my own challenges. Nothing seems quite so extraordinary to mention on my cover letter or even in an interview.

Of course, things weren’t always as easy as they seem now but I’ve forgotten that. A job log will help you to remember different stressful situations and acts like a reference for your actions and their outcomes.

How?
Since this is just a quick reference, it does not need to be very complicated. In fact, if you really want it to be helpful, it mustn’t be. Here are the column headings that I’ve added to my job log:

~ Volunteer/Assigned
~ Situation
~ Action (+ reason for action)
~ Result (+ lessons learned)

The way I maintain my job log is entirely based on the tasks. If I encounter a situation that I think I absolutely must remember, I add it. However, it might be rewarding to commit to a schedule. For example you might commit to updating it every work night, or once a week. That way or that, remember to log your job.

Tip: At the end of your job (work term or a project) organize all your entries. Make them as legible as possible. Keep it consice but keep it detailed. By this I mean that don’t make it wordy, you’re not handing in an essay. But this is a log. So no detail is too little.

If you encounter some issues or helpful tips through your logging experience, share them with fellow readers by commenting below.

Good luck!

Sources:

• Image1: http://images6.fanpop.com/image/photos/34600000/I-write-my-heart-on-a-paper-writing-34664951-1600-1200.jpg
• Image2: http://www.curediabetesblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Success-image.jpg