Well, maybe not a book. But you should certainly create your very own job search binder. I've found that there are two types of clients: the ones who create a binder to keep track of all their networking, interviewing, career documents, lists, and contacts in one place — and the ones who don't. Guess which group tends to make more progress, get more interviews, land great jobs more quickly, negotiate better deals, and are much happier once they've landed. Guess which group has much more success in the job market, even when no one's hiring. You guessed it — the binder people.

Think of it as command central for your entire job search campaign. After all, you need to take your career transition as seriously as any real job you're ever going to have. Treat it like an actual work project.

People who create and use their job search binder find themselves taking it everywhere they go. They take it to the library, they take it to coffee shops, they take it to networking meetings. Sometimes, they even take it on interviews. It's wise to set up this system early — before you need it. Before you're drowning in handwritten scraps of paper, notes to yourself on the backs of envelopes, loose business cards of people you've met, and stray Post-it® notes.

Go to your favorite office supply store and get a two-inch, heavy-duty, D-ring binder. Buy a three-hole punch and several sets of colored divider tabs. The following is a suggested list of labels for your tab dividers, as well as a structure with which to organize your job search binder. Adapt it as you see fit:

Once you've built your job search binder, keep reorganizing it as you make progress and as new opportunities arise. This will serve as your three-dimensional database and job search pipeline, so you'll always know where you stand and what should come next with any prospective opportunity.