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How to track your job applications (and why a spreadsheet fails)
A job search tracker tells you where every application stands and what to do next. What to record, a simple template, and how to keep it up to date.
· 4 min read
A job search tracker is a single list of every role you have applied to, where each one stands, and what you need to do next. It needs seven columns and five minutes a day. Its real job is not record-keeping. It is to tell you, each morning, which three things to do.
Why you need one sooner than you think
In the first week you can hold everything in your head. By the third, you cannot:
- A recruiter calls and you cannot remember which role this is.
- You apply to the same job twice from two sources.
- A promising application goes quiet and you never follow up.
- You cannot tell whether your approach is working.
All four are tracking problems, not job-search problems.
What to record
| Column | Why |
|---|---|
| Company | Who |
| Role | Which job, with a reference if there is one |
| Where you found it | So you learn which sources are worth your time |
| Link | To the posting. Save the text too, because postings disappear |
| Date applied | Starts the follow-up clock |
| Status | Where it stands now |
| Next action and date | The most important column |
Add a contact column when you have spoken to a person, and notes for anything you learned: the salary range, the interviewer's name, what they asked.
The stages
Keep the stages few and clear.
Saved → Applied → Interviewing → Offer, or Rejected or Withdrawn.
- Saved: you want to apply and have not yet.
- Applied: sent, with the date.
- Interviewing: any conversation has happened.
- Offer: in hand.
- Rejected / Withdrawn: closed, and worth keeping for the patterns.
Record the date of each move. Dates are what make the tracker useful later.
A template
| Company | Role | Source | Applied | Status | Next action | By |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acme Books | Backend Engineer | Careers page | 4 Nov | Interviewing | Prepare system design | 12 Nov |
| Northwind | Platform Engineer | Referral | 6 Nov | Applied | Follow up | 13 Nov |
| Globex | SRE | Job board | – | Saved | Tailor CV, apply | 10 Nov |
Copy it into any spreadsheet. That is enough to start today.
The five-minute daily routine
- Sort by next action date. Do what is due.
- Add anything new you applied to or saved.
- Update statuses for replies you received.
- Check the follow-ups: anything applied to more than a week ago with no reply.
Follow-ups come from the tracker
Without a tracker, follow-ups do not happen. With one, they are a filter: applied more than seven days ago, status still "Applied".
One short, polite follow-up is reasonable. Then leave it. Wording is in how to follow up after a job application.
Save the posting
Postings are taken down, often just before your interview. Paste the full text into your notes, or save the page, when you apply. You will want the exact requirements in front of you when you prepare.
Learn from it
After a few weeks the tracker answers questions you could only guess at before.
- Which sources lead to interviews? Spend more time there.
- What share of applications get a reply? If it is very low, the CV or the targeting needs work, not the volume.
- Where do you stall? No replies points to the application. Interviews without offers points to interviewing.
- How long do companies take? It calms the waiting.
See how many jobs should you apply to each day for what to do with those numbers.
Why spreadsheets fail
A spreadsheet is the right place to begin. It usually fails for one reason: it depends on you entering everything by hand, perfectly, on the days you have the least energy.
The signs:
- You applied to something and forgot to add it.
- Statuses are a week out of date.
- You have stopped opening it.
A tracker that is not current is worse than none, because you trust it.
A tracker that fills itself
The fix is a tracker connected to the applying.
In Job Scout, every application you send is already in the tracker, with its date. Roles you save from your matches appear as Saved. You mark the ones you apply to on a company's own site, so the list covers the whole search. Each application moves through Saved, Applied, Interviewing and Offer, or Rejected or Withdrawn, with the date of each step.
Follow-ups take care of themselves. If an application has not moved seven days after you applied (you can make it 5, 10 or 14), a follow-up is ready: a short, polite note with the role, the company, the date you applied and your name. You copy it and send it yourself. Job Scout never sends a follow-up for you.
It also recognises a re-posted job, so you never apply to the same posting twice.
Whatever you use
The tool matters less than the habit. A notebook kept up to date beats software you do not open. Pick the simplest thing you will actually look at every morning.
Frequently asked questions
What should a job application tracker include?
The company, the role, where you found it, the date you applied, the current status, and the next action with a date. Add contact names and notes as conversations happen.
Should I track jobs I have not applied to yet?
Yes. A "Saved" stage for roles you intend to apply to stops good ones slipping away and lets you plan the week.
How long should I keep my tracker after I get a job?
Keep it. The contacts, the questions you were asked and the companies you liked are useful the next time you look, and for helping friends who are searching.