How to track job applications so you know what to do next

Start with the questions you keep asking

Before choosing a tool, look at the moments when your search becomes difficult to manage. Perhaps you lose job descriptions, forget which version you submitted or reopen the same role several times.

Build the record around those problems. The following fields are a starting point, not a requirement to fill in every possible detail:

The stages above are an example for a personal spreadsheet. Use the stages available in your tool, or adapt them to the way you work.

Give each application one clear next action

“Follow up” is easy to postpone. “Reply to Morgan with my interview availability on Thursday” tells you what the work is.

For a role you have not applied to, the next action might be “confirm whether the roster fits my classes” or “finish the project example in my resume”. For an interview, it could be “prepare an example of resolving a customer complaint”.

Choose an action you can complete. “Get an interview” depends on someone else's decision. “Send the missing portfolio link” does not.

Some applications will have no immediate action. Record any timeline the employer has given you and choose when to review the record. You do not need to invent a task just to make the row look active.

Use dates to organise your week

Here is a small fictional snapshot:

The organisations and applications in this example are invented.

At the start of a work session, look at approaching dates before adding more roles. Finish an urgent reply, prepare for the next interview, then decide how much time remains for new applications.

This is a practical routine you can try. It does not require a fixed daily application target, and it leaves room for study, work and other commitments.

Keep the resume version with the role

“Resume-final-v3” does not tell you much two weeks later. A filename such as Name-Operations-Assistant-2026-09.pdf is easier to connect to a record.

Keep the actual file you submitted. If you edit your main resume tomorrow, you still need to know what this employer received yesterday.

Add brief notes about the examples you emphasised. For instance: “Delivery checks and supplier enquiries are the strongest examples for this role.” That gives you a useful starting point when preparing for an interview.

If you are still working on the document, the resume tailoring guide shows how to choose the experience worth emphasising.

Review patterns without guessing at the cause

After several applications, you may notice that some kinds of roles progress further than others. Look at the records before changing everything.

Are you comparing similar jobs? Were the required qualifications different? Did you apply before the deadline? Have the employers had similar amounts of time to respond?

A small group of applications cannot explain every hiring decision. Use the tracker to identify a useful question, such as whether your project examples are clearer for one role family. Then decide what to improve in the next application.

Keep employers' responses separate from your own interpretation. “Received a rejection email” is a fact. “Rejected because of my resume format” is a theory unless the employer said so.

Move to a dedicated tracker when the record becomes hard to maintain

A spreadsheet can work well when you update it consistently. A dedicated workspace becomes useful when documents, interview notes and application stages are scattered across several places.

OfferUnderway's job application tracker brings application stages, documents, interviews and notes into one workspace. You can explore it when you want the preparation and tracking to sit together.

Whichever tool you choose, keep the routine simple: update the record when something changes, then leave yourself a clear next step.

Questions about application tracking

Should I record jobs I decide not to apply for?

It can help if you keep finding the same listing. Add a brief reason such as “hours do not fit” so you do not repeat the research. Keep it separate from submitted applications when counting results.

When should I send a follow-up?

Use any timeline or contact instructions the employer provides. Where none are given, decide whether a short, relevant message would add value. This tracker does not assume one follow-up schedule fits every employer.

Can I use the template without OfferUnderway?

Yes. Download the example CSV and open it in your preferred spreadsheet tool. Replace the fictional rows and adjust the fields to suit your search.