After twenty applications, memory stops being reliable. Candidates double-apply to the same role, miss follow-up windows, and forget which version of their resume they sent where. A simple tracker fixes all three problems. It does not need software: a spreadsheet with a few columns outperforms memory every time.
Columns that cover everything
- Company, role, and date applied, so duplicates are visible before they happen.
- Source of the listing, so you know which boards and referrals actually produce responses.
- Status and next step, updated after every contact, so nothing waits on a forgotten action.
- Version of the resume sent, since tailored applications differ and interviewers may quote them back.
Review the tracker once a week. Patterns in it, such as silence from one source, tell you where to change strategy.