Why track your job applications
Job searches run on follow-ups. When you're applying to dozens of roles, a simple list with each stage and next step tells you who to chase, which interviews are coming, and whether your applications are turning into interviews.
A simple pipeline
- To apply: roles you've found but haven't applied to yet.
- Applied: sent. Add a follow-up date about a week out.
- Interviewing: any stage from recruiter screen to final round.
- Offer: compare offers side by side before you decide.
- Rejected or withdrawn: keep them; patterns in rejections are useful.
Make the numbers useful
The interview / offer share uses current stages: applications marked Interviewing or Offer divided by all applications outside To apply. Moving one to Rejected or Withdrawn lowers that share, so it is not a historical interview rate. Use your notes to keep track of completed interviews.