A photo of a person's lap with a laptop computer on their lap and tea next to them

The other day I read an article about the job market here in Colorado that shared a story of a woman who had applied to over 880 jobs in the past 14 months. She knew exactly how many jobs she had applied to because she was keeping track of them in a spreadsheet.

While I’ve never worked with a client who had to apply to that many jobs before landing one, I’ve often suggested that job seekers use a tracker spreadsheet in their searches. Not only can a spreadsheet show you at a glance how many jobs you’ve applied for, it can also help you in every stage of the hiring process if you keep track of the right information.

In this post, I’ll outline the key pieces of information everyone should keep track of in their job search spreadsheet, as well as share some creative ideas for using spreadsheets during your search.

What is a job search tracker spreadsheet?

The most basic job search tracker is a list of the jobs you have applied to and are planning to apply to. By listing them in a spreadsheet, you can keep them organized in a list and keep tabs on the status of each application as you hear back from recruiters and progress in the interview process for various jobs.

To set one up, open a blank spreadsheet, or download my job search tracker template. Put each job on its own row, and set up columns to track any information about the job that you want to be able to reference.

The most basic information that you want to include is:

  • The organization or company that you’re applying to work at
  • The title of the position you’re applying to
  • A link to the job application—but make sure you’re also saving a copy of the job description in case they remove it from the website after closing the application
  • The application deadline
  • The date you submitted your application
  • The status of your application, such as if you have not yet applied, if you submitted your application, if you’ve scheduled an interview, if you’re waiting on a follow-up from the recruiter, or if you were offered/not offered the job

When you’re applying to several jobs, it can be easy to forget the details about each one. By adding more columns to fill in notes about the process in more detail, to add reminders to yourself to follow-up with recruiters, and other information, your spreadsheet can become a one-stop dashboard for your job search.

If it’s helpful for you to get a little more granular, add columns to store information like:

  • The date you plan to follow up with the recruiter or hiring manager, especially if you have been in communication with them and if the process is taking several weeks
  • The date(s) of your interview(s)
  • If you have sent a thank you note or other follow-up communication after each interview
  • The login information for the job application—however, it is much more secure to use a password manager like 1Password or LastPass.
  • The keywords that you used to find this job, so that you can search for similar ones if needed

Creative ways to use a tracker spreadsheet

Some job seekers also use their tracking spreadsheet for additional information that’s useful for their job search. Consider adding tabs in your spreadsheet for things like:

  • A list of target companies
  • A list of job titles or other keywords you’re using to search job boards
  • Interview preparation notes
  • Offer negotiation notes

I also recommend using the data in your spreadsheet to inform your search as it progresses. For example, if you’re tracking the interview stages for each job in columns, consider color-coding each row by highlighting cells in green when you were still in the running and red for the stages you didn’t progress to. When I used this strategy in an early job search, I was able to see at a glance that there as a theme among the jobs that I was not offered a second interview for. I decided it was a better use of my time to stop applying for those types of jobs and focus my energy on the types of jobs that I was progressing into later interview stages.

The tracking spreadsheet is a useful tool for staying organized and on top of your job search. Using one can also help you feel less stressed and more confident by having a birds-eye view of your job search and knowing that all of the information you need is stored in one place. Download my job search tracker template today to start using one yourself.

Have you already been using a spreadsheet in your job search? I’d love to hear about how it’s been helpful, and if you have other creative ideas for how to use one to make your job search more efficient or strategic.