Tips for keeping track of your job applications

Looking for a new job takes time, patience, and perseverance. Vicki Salemi reports in her Monster article titled "How long does it really take to get a job?" that on average, it takes applicants five months to land a new job. So it's not unusual to send out more than 10 applications before you're called in for just one interview. Of course, you need to keep track of all of the different opportunities so that if an employer responds, you have all the necessary information at your fingertips. Here are some practical tools to help you organize your job search.

Excel spreadsheet

If you have access to Microsoft 365, it's easy to create a spreadsheet to organize your applications. Include the following columns: company name, date applied, contact person, email address, application materials submitted, follow-up, interview date, and status.

Google Sheets 

The Muse offers an interactive, customizable job application tracker that's in Google Sheets. You can use it as is, or you can customize the columns to include additional information. Moreover, you can use it in conjunction with Google Calendar if you need to keep track of interview dates.

Word

As Alison Doyle points out in her article "10 Easy Ways to Organize Your Job Search" for The Balance Careers, you can also create a table in a Word document if you don't like using spreadsheets.

Job application management websites

There are several websites that offer tools to organize your job applications. JibberJobber allows you to track jobs - plus, it enables you to track companies and professional relationships. Similarly, 44score offers the same features, as well as a browser toolbar that helps you avoid labor-intensive data entry.

Job application tracker apps

You can also use an app to keep track of your jobs. JobCatcher is available for Android, and Huntr is available for both Android and iOS.

A notebook

If you're not into technology, you can also use a simple notebook and pen to list out the details of your job applications.

Folders

It's important to customize your cover letters to each specific job application. To know what you've sent to each company, keep a copy of your cover letters in a separate folder on your computer. For added efficiency, save each one with the name of the relevant company and the date of your application in the title.

Even if you're dedicated to finding a new job, it's important not to let your job search take up too much of your time. So leverage the job search management tool that works best for you - and streamline your job applications!

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