Why you should keep track of your job search and some practical tips

When you are actively looking for a job it’s very common to apply for multiple jobs in a short amount of time. When doing this make sure you track your applications so you can remember where you’ve applied and it’s important to follow up with potential employers.

Too often we see it happening that people don’t remember they have already sent in an application and then apply for a second time for the same position (sometimes one direct application and one through an external recruiter like us). When this happens this doesn’t help your case. Hiring managers want to know that their position is THE ONE for you. And let’s face it, if you have forgotten you have applied there they probably think it’s not a position worth remembering for you. You are already one step behind in making it to the interview stage. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, I want to offer a few tips how you can easily keep track of your job search.

Focus on quality over quantity

There are many ways to keep track of your job search but there are also ways to cut down the (mental) load. Only apply for vacancies where you are truly qualified for and make sure your application stands out from the crowd. You can do this by personalizing each CV (https://www.treasurersearch.com/blogs/3/70c20p-looking-for-a-new-job-opportunity%3F-update-your-cv%21) and Cover letter based on the job description.

Create a spreadsheet

When you have simplified your job search you still need a way to keep track of the jobs you have applied for. One easy way to do this is to create a list of opportunities you’ve applied for along with the following information:

• Company name 
• Job title 
• Job URL AND print screen of the job description. Sometimes the job description gets pulled of the website when the company has received enough applications. As you will need the job description to prepare for the interview, you want to make sure you have saved the description properly. Tip: make a new map for this on your laptop/cloud station where you save all the job descriptions of jobs you have applied for.
• Application date
• Application Summary: overview of documents you submitted (a cover letter, CV, and any additional materials). Tip: save these in the map where you also saved the job descriptions.
• How you applied: Keep track of how you applied: through an external recruiter (don’t forget to write down which recruiter!), the employer’s website, via a job site, or in person.
• Contact: Your point of contact regarding this application; the person you sent your CV to.
• Contact details: The email and/or phone number of your point of contact
• Follow up: Always follow up with the employer (or external recruiter in case you didn’t apply directly) if you haven’t heard from them in two weeks or longer. This will make you top of mind with their hiring manager/recruiter and shows you are really interested.
• Interview: Date, time and place your interview is scheduled. If you know who your interview partners are going to be this is also worth writing down.
• Status: If you were rejected, asked in for a second interview, offered the job, etc.
• Notes: Here you can keep track of any special circumstances around any of your applications.

If you don’t like working in Excel you can also put this information in a Word document or even a notebook — whatever works for you! This simple spread sheet will help you stay on top of all your applications and ensure you do the necessary follow-up.

Save your documents!

You don’t want to put in all the work and then realize you didn’t save your documents properly. Of course, you can save your documents on your hard drive. But if you want the documents to be easily accessible wherever you are, Google is a great way to stay organized online. If you have a Gmail account, you can use Google Drive to create, save, and export documents like your spreadsheet, job descriptions, cover letter and CV all in one place.

For many of you, this blog might come across as stating the obvious. As recruiters we, on a regular basis, receive “double applications” and think this does not reflect well on the candidate. Furthermore, these covid-19 times caused a hard labour market situation for some of us. Finding a new job can be a numbers game, a marathon and not a sprint. Recording and planning your efforts can keep the process manageable, both mentally as well as practically. For all of you searching, good luck and we hope we will be able to support you,

Kim