Career Advice: Keep a Journal

When I interviewed for my current job, it was incredibly difficult to remember everything I had done before.  We all know how much we can potentially learn during the development process; if a project has been finished for months or years, it can be really hard to remember every obstacle bypassed, every challenge met.

About a year ago, I was walking through a Staples and found one of those grid-ruled college compositions books.  I grabbed it and ever since I've been using it not only to keep notes on projects, but also keep copies (taped onto the pages) of important blog entries and articles I've found.  It has been immensely helpful to remember vital solutions to recurring problems, and proved itself when I had to redo my resume for my latest job search.

Of course, then came Microsoft Office OneNote 2007.  Same concept here, but in a convenient digital form.

If only I could afford that nifty Dell tablet...