Job Application Tracker: Every Application in One Place

Save every job before you apply, note the CV version you sent, set a follow-up date and review your applications once a week. A job application tracker like Enhancv’s makes most of these steps easier, which is what keeps the habit going.

Consistency matters more than the method. A spreadsheet you update every day beats a polished tool you drop after a week. A dedicated tracker simply removes the friction that usually breaks the habit.

Enhancv’s Job Application Tracker is free, with no limit on the number of jobs you save. A Notion template or a well-kept spreadsheet also works, if you’re happy to update everything by hand.

The real differences are in the details: how much typing each tool needs and whether the free version caps your saved jobs. Check that second point before you commit, as that’s where some free tools set their limits.

Give each application a status, such as ‘Bookmarked’, ‘Applied’, ‘Interviewing’ or ‘Negotiating’, and update it as things change. Add a task with a due date for each follow-up, so you can see what’s due on every job.

Update the status when something happens, not at the end of the week when the details are already hazy. If the employer’s timeline has passed, take that as your cue to follow up.

A job tracker is a tool that keeps every job you’re applying for in one place, instead of across spreadsheets, browser tabs and email. It shows each job’s status, the CV you sent and what to do next.

Think of it as one record per job that changes as your search moves on, so nothing depends on memory alone.

Yes. You can track unlimited applications without a credit card. The tracker is included in every plan, while other Enhancv tools, such as premium CV templates, are part of the paid plans.

The detail matters because some trackers sold as free limit how many jobs you can save before they ask for a card. The Job Application Tracker has no such limit.

No, you can add a job by pasting its link. The extension scans the pages you open to spot job adverts, skipping social networks, email and shopping sites. When it detects an advert and you’re signed in, it sends the advert’s link and content to Enhancv.

Your data isn’t sold to third parties, and you can switch the extension off at any time.

You can start from the CV you already have. Upload it as a PDF or DOCX (up to 2MB) and Enhancv turns it into an editable CV, then scores it against the job.

The score reads the content, not the layout. A CV made elsewhere is scored the same way as one built in Enhancv.

Create a sheet with columns for company, role, status, CV version and follow-up date, then fill it in each time you apply. Or download Enhancv’s free template for Google Sheets or Excel, with the columns already set up.

For the status, use a fixed list (Bookmarked, Applied, Interviewing, Negotiating, Accepted, Rejected) instead of typing a slightly different word each time. Consistent statuses make the sheet easy to filter and sort, which is the whole point of tracking in a spreadsheet.

A spreadsheet does the job if you keep it up to date by hand. A tracker like Enhancv’s handles what people tend to let slide in a spreadsheet. It saves jobs in one click, links each CV to its job and keeps your tasks and due dates with the job.

It comes down to how disciplined you are. If you’ve kept a spreadsheet current through a whole job search without missing a follow-up, a tracker mostly saves you time. If you haven’t, it does part of the work for you.

As soon as several hiring processes are running at once. Enhancv data on 260,000 job seekers over one year shows that people tracking 6 to 15 active applications had the best application-to-interview rate.

If you’re only applying for two or three roles you really want, a tracker is overkill. It pays off once you’re running several processes side by side and need to keep every detail straight.

Yes. It works wherever you apply, whatever the country or job site.

The Chrome extension recognises adverts on LinkedIn, Indeed and Glassdoor. For a role on Reed, Totaljobs, NHS Jobs or IrishJobs.ie, paste the link if the extension doesn’t pick up the advert.

Yes. ‘Interviewing’, ‘Negotiating’ and ‘Accepted’ are all statuses in your tracker. You add interview notes and the salary directly on the job.

For the deadline to reply to an offer, add a task with a due date. If you’re weighing up two offers, everything you need sits in two entries side by side, not scattered across separate emails.

At least five things: the company and role, the date you applied, the CV version you sent, the status and your next step. Add your contact’s name and the link to the original advert when you have them.

A week to 10 days after you apply is a good rule of thumb, unless the advert gives a response time. In Enhancv data, the median wait from application to interview invitation is 10 days.

If the advert has a closing date, count from that instead, as many employers only start shortlisting once applications close. One follow-up per stage looks organised. Two or three in the same week send a different message.

Five minutes a week catches most of what slips through the cracks in a job search:

1. Go through every ‘Applied’ job. If there’s been no reply for more than two weeks, decide whether to follow up, change the status to ‘No Answer’ or archive it.
2. Check that upcoming interviews have their notes and prep tasks.
3. Update any status that has changed in real life but not yet in your tracker.
4. Compare how many jobs you saved this week with how many you applied for, and adjust your pace if the gap is growing.