What goes in a job search tracker?

Track a job search in a simple spreadsheet with one row per application: company, role, date applied, link, contact, status, next step and next date. Review it once a week, follow up on schedule, and note what worked. A tracker keeps you from missing a reply and shows which kinds of applications get responses.

At a glance

• One row per application. Keep it simple enough to update in a minute.
• Always record a next step and a date.
• Review weekly: follow-ups, new applications, patterns.
• Save a copy of each job posting. Postings are often removed.

Which columns do you need?

Company | Role | Link | Date applied | Source (board / referral / site) | Contact
Resume version used | Status | Next step | Next date | Notes | Result

Statuses to use: Saved, Applied, Screening call, Interview 1, Interview 2, Offer, Rejected, Withdrawn, No response.

How do you use it each week?

1. Monday (10 minutes): look at "Next date". Send follow-ups due this week using a follow-up email template.
2. Midweek: add new applications the same day you send them.
3. Friday (10 minutes): count applications, replies and interviews. Note what you would change.

When should you follow up?

A common approach is a polite note about a week after applying if there is no reply, and a thank-you note within a day of every interview. Adjust to the timeline stated in the posting. Do not follow up more than a few times.

What patterns should you look for?

• Which source gives replies: referrals, direct applications or boards.
• Which resume version works better.
• Stages where you stall: no screen call (resume), no second interview (answers).

Use the pattern to change one thing at a time. If replies are low, revisit your resume and your targeting using apply to fewer jobs.

What else should you store?

• The job posting text (copy or print it).
• Names of people you talked to.
• Your answers or questions from interviews.
• Offer details and deadlines.

How can you stay safe while tracking?

Record employer details you can verify. If a role asks for money or sends only chat messages, mark it "Scam?" and read how to spot a fake job posting.

How do you set up the sheet in ten minutes?

1. Make a new sheet and paste the column names from the layout above in row one.
2. Freeze the top row so the headings stay visible.
3. Add a drop-down list for Status using the nine statuses.
4. Add a rule that colors any row red when "Next date" is today or earlier.
5. Add a second tab named Networking with person, date, ask and next step.
6. Add a third tab named Summary with simple counts of applications, replies and interviews.

Example rows (made up)

These are placeholders, not real employers.

Mistakes that make a tracker useless

• Adding applications days later and forgetting details.
• Leaving "Next step" blank, so nothing prompts you to act.
• Tracking too many columns, so you stop updating.
• Not saving the posting text. When a posting is removed you may not remember the requirements.
• Never reviewing the data, so you repeat what is not working.

Spotting scams in the sheet

The FTC lists warning signs of job scams, including being asked to pay to get the job, large pay for little work, and being asked to deposit a check and send money back. A "Scam?" flag in your status column keeps you from replying to suspicious messages. If you have paid or sent money, the FTC advises contacting the company you used to send it immediately and reporting at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This is US guidance as accessed on 31 October 2026.

How LiveRec fits in

When you apply or save jobs, note them in your sheet too. LiveRec job alerts send one daily summary of new matches for a saved search, so you can add the ones you apply to. See job alerts.

Frequently asked questions

Spreadsheet or notebook? Whatever you will actually update.

How many rows is normal? It depends on the market and your target. Quality matters more than count.

Should I track networking too? Yes, on a second tab: person, date, ask, next step. See networking for a job search.

Next step: copy the columns above into a sheet and add today's applications.

By LiveRec Editorial. Read our editorial standards.