Job Application Tracker: How to Track Your Job Applications (UK)

A simple job application tracker stops you losing track of who you've applied to, when to follow up and what's working. Here are the columns to keep, how to set one up in a spreadsheet, when to follow up, how to read the results and how to keep your details private.

By Tony Musso on Thu Oct 22 2026

When you're applying for lots of jobs, it's easy to lose track. Which version of your CV did you send? Did that agency put you forward for the same role you applied for directly? When did you say you'd follow up? And when a recruiter rings about "your application", which one do they mean?

A job application tracker solves all of that. It doesn't need to be clever: a simple spreadsheet, kept up to date, is enough. This guide explains the columns to keep, how to set one up in Excel or Google Sheets, when to follow up, how to use it to see what's working and how to keep your details private.

Why track your job applications

• You'll follow up at the right time, rather than forgetting or chasing too early.
• You'll be ready when an employer calls. A quick look tells you the role, the company and what you sent.
• You'll avoid duplicate applications, such as two agencies sending your CV for the same job.
• You'll have the job advert when you need it. Adverts are often taken down after the closing date, just when you need them to prepare for an interview.
• You'll see what's working. After a few weeks, patterns show up: which job sites lead to replies, which CV gets interviews.
• It keeps you going. Job hunting can feel like shouting into the void. A tracker shows the work you've put in.

The columns to keep

Start with these. You can add more later, but a tracker you actually keep up to date is better than a perfect one you abandon.

Useful extra columns

• Source: where you found the job (a job board, the company website, an agency, a referral, LinkedIn).
• Closing date: so you know when to expect news.
• CV and cover letter version: so you know exactly what you sent.
• Salary advertised: useful when you compare offers.
• Interview date and interviewers' names.
• Feedback: anything you were told, especially after a rejection.

Stages to use

Keep a short, fixed list so you can filter and count. For example: Saved, Applied, Acknowledged, Phone screen, Interview, Second interview, Offer, Rejected, Withdrew, No response.

How to set one up in a spreadsheet

These steps work in both Excel and Google Sheets.

1. Create the header row. Type the column names into row 1.
2. Freeze the header row (View, then Freeze) so the headings stay visible as the list grows.
3. Format the date columns as dates, so you can sort by them and use date formulas.
4. Add a drop-down for Stage. Select the Stage column, open Data validation from the Data menu and enter your list of stages. This keeps the spelling consistent, which matters when you count them later.
5. Set a default follow-up date. In the Follow-up date column, use a formula such as =A2+7, where A2 is the date applied. Change it by hand when you have better information, such as a closing date or an interview date.
6. Highlight what's due. Use conditional formatting on the Follow-up date column with a custom formula such as =AND($G2<>"",$G2<=TODAY()), assuming the follow-up dates are in column G. Due follow-ups will light up each time you open the sheet.
7. Turn on filters so you can show only live applications, or only those at interview stage.
8. Add a second tab for adverts and notes, or a folder with a saved copy of each job description (more on that below).

If you'd rather not use a spreadsheet, a notebook, a notes app or a simple board with columns for each stage all work. The method matters less than updating it every time something happens.

Our job search lets you save vacancies and mark each one as Saved, Preparing, Applied or Not applying, and prepare a CV and cover letter for a chosen job, so it can do some of this tracking for you.

When to follow up

Timing depends on the stage and on what the employer has told you. If the advert or the employer gives a timescale, follow that.

• After applying: wait until the closing date has passed. If there's no closing date, or no reply a week or two after it, a short, polite email to check your application was received is reasonable. Some adverts say that if you haven't heard by a certain date you've been unsuccessful; if so, don't chase.
• After applying through an agency: a call or email to the recruiter a few days after they've sent your CV is normal. Ask whether there's any feedback yet.
• After a speculative application: one follow-up after about a week is enough.
• After an interview: a thank-you email the same day or the next working day, then a polite chase if the decision date passes. Our guide to the follow-up email after an interview has four examples to adapt.
• After two chases with no reply: mark it "No response", set no further follow-up and move on. If they come back later, you'll still have the details.

How many applications is normal?

There's no right number. It depends on your sector, your level, where you live, how many roles are advertised and how much each application asks of you. Ten carefully tailored applications usually achieve more than fifty identical ones sent in an afternoon.

Rather than chasing a total, set a weekly goal you can sustain while still tailoring each application properly, and judge your progress by the replies you get, not the number you send.

Using your tracker to spot what's working

After three or four weeks, look at the patterns. Add a small summary area with formulas such as =COUNTIF(F:F,"Interview") to count how many applications reached each stage, or =COUNTIFS(J:J,"Job board",F:F,"Interview") to count interviews from one source (adjust the columns to match your sheet).

• Lots of applications, few replies? Your CV or your targeting may need work. Are you applying for roles that fit your experience? Does your CV show the skills in the advert near the top? CV Studio helps you tailor your CV to each job description.
• Replies from some sources, silence from others? Spend more time where you're getting responses, whether that's direct applications, agencies or referrals.
• Interviews but no offers? Focus on interview preparation. Our step-by-step guide on how to prepare for an interview is a good place to start, and feedback notes in your tracker will show you what to work on.
• Offers you don't want? Look at what those roles had in common and tighten your search.

Saving job adverts and keeping your details private

Save a copy of every advert. Adverts are often removed once the closing date passes, and you'll want the job description to prepare for an interview, check what you were told about pay and hours, or compare it with the contract you're offered. Save it as a PDF or copy the text into a document, and name the file with the date and company, for example "2026-10-06 Harbour Housing CS Adviser".

Keep your tracker private. It holds names, email addresses and phone numbers for recruiters and hiring managers, as well as notes about your own job search. If you use an online spreadsheet, check the sharing settings so it isn't open to "anyone with the link". Don't store passwords for job sites in it; use a password manager instead. If you're job hunting while employed, keep the tracker off your work computer and work accounts.

Know where your CV has gone. Your tracker shows which agencies and employers hold your details. Under UK data protection law you can ask an organisation for a copy of the personal data it holds about you, and you can ask an agency to delete your details when you're no longer looking.

Tidy up when you've found a job. Keep the adverts and notes for roles you might revisit, and delete contact details you no longer need.

For your next application, our free cover letter templates save time, and CV Studio keeps every tailored version of your CV in one place.

Build your CV in CV Studio

If you are weighing up options, our guide to choosing a career test explains what a good one tells you and what it cannot.