Job Search Toolbox for Windows

They say that looking for a job is a full-time job in itself. If you're putting that much effort into your job search, it makes sense to have a tool to help you organize all those cover letters, resumes, and dream positions. Job Search Toolbox does exactly that. It's not perfect, but if you're having trouble keeping track of what you need to send, what you've already sent, and to whom, it can help.

The program's interface is not particularly intuitive, and new users will definitely have to consult the built-in Help file. A Quick Start guide leads you through the process of configuring the program, which includes setting up its e-mail capabilities and organizing your various cover letters and resumes. (You are targeting your cover letters and resumes to the different positions you're applying for, right?) The program contains a sort of browser that has Monster, CareerBuilder, Beyond, and HotJobs (now defunct and merged with Monster) set as favorites. You can add other location-specific Web sites to your favorites as well. Once you find a job you're interested in, the program can automatically (with varying degrees of success) extract the details of the job listing, including the company, position, and contact information, and save it. You can then e-mail the hiring manager directly from Job Search Toolbox, attaching the appropriate versions of your cover letter and resume. For each job opening, you can make note of the date your application was submitted, your interview date, and more. It took us a while to feel like we had really gotten the hang of the program, but once we got used to it, it wasn't horribly difficult to use. It can be a little slow, and at almost 299MB it's not a lightweight download. But if you need a way to keep track of your job applications, it could be a valuable tool.

Job Search Toolbox comes as a ZIP file. It installs a desktop icon without asking and leaves a folder behind upon removal.