How to track your job applications

When you apply for many jobs, it's easy to lose track. You forget where you applied, you apply twice, and you miss the best time to follow up. A simple tracker fixes all three.

What to write down for every application

• The date you applied
• The company or client, and the job title
• Where you found it (Indeed, LinkedIn, a friend) and the link
• The status: applied, followed up, interview, test task, offer, rejected or no reply
• The date you plan to follow up
• A short note, for example what you sent or who you spoke to

When to follow up

A good rule is to wait four to seven days, then send one short, polite message. Say which job you applied for, repeat that you are interested, and ask if they need anything else from you. Don't follow up more than once. If there is still no reply, mark it "no reply" and move on.

Check your numbers every week

Once a week, count how many jobs you applied for and how many replied. If you apply a lot and nobody replies, the problem is usually your CV or your message, not bad luck. Try tailoring your CV to each job and mentioning something specific from the job post.

A free tool to do this

I built a free job application tracker that runs in your browser. It shows which applications are due for follow-up and your response rate. Your data stays on your own device. If you prefer a spreadsheet, you can download the Excel version.

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