How to keep track of your job applications

Once you're past a handful of applications, it gets hard to remember what you sent where. Which CV did that company get? When does the other one close? Did you ever hear back from the third? Keeping track saves you from missed deadlines, awkward interview moments and applying to the same place twice.

What to record for each application

• Where and what: the company or organisation, the role and a link to the advert. Adverts often disappear once they close, so save a copy of the description too.
• Key dates: when it closes, when you applied, and any interview or test dates.
• Stage: where it's up to, such as applied, online tests, interview, offer or rejected.
• What you sent: which version of your CV, any cover letter, and the answers you gave to their questions. This is the part people forget, and it's the one you'll need most before an interview.
• Contacts and notes: who you spoke to, salary, location and anything useful you learned.

Organise by stage, not by date

A list sorted by date tells you what you did. A board sorted by stage tells you what to do next. Lay your applications out in columns, such as Saved, Applied, Tests, Interview, Offer and Closed, and move each one along as you hear back. At a glance you can see what needs chasing and what's coming up.

Every industry has different stages. A design job might have a portfolio review; a grad scheme has online tests and an assessment centre. Set your stages up to match the jobs you're applying for.

Why spreadsheets stop working

Spreadsheets are where most people start, and they're fine for the first ten applications. Then they tend to fall behind, for a few reasons:

• updating rows is fiddly, especially on a phone, so it gets left until later
• they don't remind you about deadlines; you have to remember to look
• the answers you wrote end up in separate documents, so there's no link between an application and what you actually said
• it's hard to see at a glance what stage everything is at

Whatever you use, the best tracker is the one you'll actually keep up to date. Make updating it a two-second job, ideally right after you hit submit.

Before an interview, look back at what you sent

Interviewers often ask about the answers on your application form. If you've applied to 20 places, you won't remember what you told each one. The day before an interview, reread the version of your CV and the answers you sent that employer, so your stories match.

Set reminders for deadlines

Many graduate schemes and some jobs close early if they get enough applications, and others have fixed closing dates. Reminders a week before, a couple of days before and on the morning of each deadline give you time to finish properly instead of rushing at midnight.