A job-search tracker that tells you what to do next
By Alice Huang, Chief of Staff and operator
Build a simple job-search tracker with a role link, stage, last contact and next action. Keep useful search notes separate from official reporting requirements.
A list of applications can tell you how busy you have been. A useful tracker tells you what needs attention next.
CareerOneStop recommends a job-search plan with tasks, goals and deadlines. Its layoff guidance also reminds readers to check their state's unemployment reporting requirements. The tracker below is a suggested working tool, not a substitute for an official reporting system.
Use one row per opportunity
Record the company, role, original job link, location, application date and current stage. Add the version of the resume you submitted and any contact whose identity you have checked. Keep the original description if you are allowed to retain it; listings can change.
Do not write "rejected" because you have not heard back. Use a factual stage such as "applied, no response" or "interview booked." A guess creates the wrong next action.
Add the fields that move the search
- Last contact: date and what actually happened.
- Next action: something you can do.
- Action date: when it belongs on your list.
- Open question: what you need to learn.
- Fit: why the role matches your needs.
For example, "check interview instructions" is an action. "Hope they call" is not. If the company gave you a timeline, use it when deciding whether to follow up. There is no universal interval that overrides their process.
Review the search, not just the count
At a regular review, look at roles with a next action due, interviews needing preparation and opportunities whose scope no longer fits. Then look for patterns. Are you getting conversations for one kind of role but not another? Does your evidence match the work being advertised?
A small sample cannot explain the whole hiring market. Use the pattern to choose a next test, not to declare that your career is over.
Keep the information safe
Store only what you need, and do not publish recruiter contact details or private interview notes. Check official reporting requirements separately if you receive benefits. The tool is there to reduce the work you have to remember, not create another daily performance score.