How to track your job applications

Why tracking matters

After 20 applications, it is easy to forget which resume you sent, who you talked to and when you said you would follow up. Postings also disappear. If a company takes a job ad down, you may lose the description right before the interview where you need it most.

Tracking fixes both problems. It also shows you what is working: which job sources lead to replies, and which version of your resume gets interviews.

What to record for each job

• Company and job title
• Link to the posting, plus a saved copy of the full job description
• Date applied
• Which resume and cover letter version you sent
• Where you found it: referral, job board or company site
• Contact name and email, if you have one
• Current stage
• Next step and its date
• Salary range, if the posting lists one
• Notes from every call
• Priority: high, medium or low

Use clear stages

Stages turn a long list into a pipeline you can read at a glance. A simple set:

• Wishlist: jobs you plan to apply for.
• Applied: sent, waiting to hear back.
• Screening: a recruiter call or an online test.
• Interview: any round with the hiring team.
• Offer: an offer you are considering.
• Accepted: the one you said yes to.
• Rejected: a no from the employer.
• Withdrawn: you stepped out.

Keep rejected and withdrawn jobs on the list. They tell you which roles and sources are a poor fit, and some companies come back months later with a different opening.

Move a job forward the day something changes, not at the end of the week. When a recruiter emails to book a call, move it to Screening and add the date. When you get an interview invite, move it to Interview and save the names of the people you will meet. If you hear nothing for a month, leave it in Applied but lower its priority, so your attention goes to the jobs that are still moving.

Follow-up timing that works

• After applying: if you have a contact and hear nothing in a week or two, send one short note.
• After an interview: send a thank-you email within 24 hours.
• After the decision date passes: if they gave a date and it has passed, send a polite check-in.

Set the reminder the moment you finish the call, not later. A short check-in can look like this:

A weekly review in 15 minutes

1. Update every stage.
2. Send any follow-ups that are due.
3. Count three numbers: applications sent, replies and interviews.
4. Look for patterns. Which source or resume version got replies? Which got nothing?
5. Set next week's plan. Ten tailored applications often beat 40 generic ones.
6. Put every upcoming interview in your calendar, with prep notes and the job description attached.

Spreadsheet or tracker app?

A spreadsheet in Excel or Google Sheets works fine. Make one column for each field above, filter by stage, and color overdue follow-ups red. It costs nothing and you control it.

The downside is that everything is manual: copying job descriptions, adding interviews to your calendar, remembering reminders. A dedicated tracker adds stages, reminders and calendar export. Choose the one you will actually keep up to date. An abandoned tracker is worse than none.

How OphyAI fits

OphyAI's Application Tracker is free and unlimited. It uses the eight stages above, stores the job description, link and notes for each role, and lets you search and filter by status and priority. You can set reminders (follow-up, deadline, interview prep or other), see totals for applications, interviews, offers and pending reminders, and export everything to Excel.

Interviews export as calendar files for Google Calendar, Outlook and Apple Calendar, with reminders 1 hour and 24 hours before, and you can start an Interview Practice session from a scheduled interview. On Pro and Premium, Job Search (2 credits per new search) saves jobs straight to the tracker. See the Application Tracker page, AI resume and cover letter help and the OphyAI profile.