How to keep track of your job applications

Once you have applied for more than a handful of jobs, they start to blur. Which company called back? Which version of your resume did you send? Was that recruiter from the bank or the consultancy? A simple, consistent record answers those questions in seconds, and it shows you which parts of your search are working.

What to record for each job

Keep one entry per job, with the same fields every time:

• The role and the company, and a link to the ad. Ads are often taken down after the closing date, so save the description itself, not only the link.
• Where you found it, for example a job board, a referral or the company's own site.
• The stage it is at (see below), and the date it got there.
• What you sent: the resume and cover letter you used for this job. If you tailor each one, this matters when they call and quote a line back to you.
• Who you have spoken to, with names and how to reach them.
• Notes: salary mentioned, interview format, anything you want to remember.

Use a small set of stages

A handful of stages is enough to see the whole search at a glance:

1. Saved: interesting, not applied yet.
2. Applied: sent, waiting.
3. Viewed or in contact: someone has looked or replied.
4. Interviewing.
5. Offer.

And for the ones that end: Rejected, Withdrawn (you pulled out) or Closed (the role went away). Keep the ended ones rather than deleting them. They are your record of what you have already tried, and they stop you applying to the same role twice.

Decide when to follow up

Silence is normal, but it is easier to act on if you decide in advance:

• A week or two after applying with no reply, a short, polite note to the recruiter or hiring manager is reasonable, if you have a contact.
• After an interview, a thank-you the same or next day, and a follow-up if the timeline they gave has passed.
• After that, move on in your head even if the job is still officially open. Keep applying elsewhere until you have an offer you have accepted.

Record each follow-up with its date, so you do not chase the same person twice in a week.

Watch your numbers, gently

After twenty or thirty applications, your record starts to tell you things:

• Lots of applications, few replies: the resume may not be matching the jobs. Look at how closely you are tailoring it, and whether you are applying for roles that fit.
• Replies, but few interviews after a first call: practise how you describe your experience and your reasons for moving.
• Interviews, but no offers: prepare stories for the questions you keep being asked, and questions of your own for them.

You are not looking for precise rates. You are looking for the step where things stop, so you know what to work on.

Spreadsheet or app?

A spreadsheet works well for a small search: one row per job, one column per field above. It gets harder when you want to keep the documents with each job, filter by stage, or see what needs you today.

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Hello Job Tracker is built for this. Add a job from its link or by pasting the ad, and it keeps the description, the stage and its history, your notes, and the tailored resume and cover letter you made for it. The dashboard shows what closes soon, who has not replied, and which jobs still need a resume.