Since I began working as a public relations intern with Communiqué PR about three months ago, I have found my work requires a lot of organization, attention to detail and an ability to track and meet deadlines. As such, I’ve had the opportunity to hone my digital organizational skills and thought it would be helpful to share some of my best practices.

Below are a few of my top tips:

• Plan your digital organization. I found Melanie Pinola’s article, “How to Organize your Digital Files” in Wirecutter, to be especially helpful. She writes, “Make a plan. Before you start attacking your files, take stock of what you must organize, and visualize what an organized file system looks like to you.” Her piece helped me realize that planning is often the first step to success in digital organization.
• Create a folder structure. According to a productivity blog by Microsoft, it’s best to organize your files by name, date, project or department. I categorize my projects by client. This method helps me easily keep track of my files, and OneNote automatically arranges files by date.
• Decide on a file naming convention. When saving your digital files, it’s best to have a consistent naming convention so that you can easily find your files. Again, according to Microsoft’s productivity experts, it’s helpful to use more specific file names. For instance, when I name a file “Blog-Digital-Organization-January2022,” it is specific to the project and date and contains keywords, which will make it easier to find in the future.
• Delete and archive email first. When your inbox fills up with messages, be proactive about managing them. If you’ve already responded to an email, and it isn’t something you’ll need in the future, consider deleting or moving it to an “Archive” folder. Check out more tips for email management here. 
• Tag your files. Pinola’s article also featured a tip on using tags. A tag is a label attached to documents and other files that you can use to locate content. By tagging documents, you can identify content that is related to each other or pertaining to the same project. For instance, if I add “blog” and “2021” to select files, then when I do a search, it will be easier for me to locate them. To add a tag, right-click on the file, select properties, choose details, and add keywords.
• Pin your folders for quick access. In a Lifewire article, “How to Use Windows 10 Quick Access,” Jerri Ledford discusses the advantages of pinning items to your Quick Access folder. In File Explorer, a pin allows you to save frequently used documents and folders more easily and quickly. It is a good idea to pin frequently used files.

Taking the time to get organized is essential, but it will also help you be more efficient in the long run. I would love to hear any of your best tips for digital organization.