Track your job applications
After ten applications it is easy to lose track. A short list tells you what is due, whom to follow up and where to change course.
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Contents
Step by step
Start the list before you apply
One row per application. Start it with the first one, not the tenth.
Note the basics
Company, job title, the date you applied, where you applied, and the advert itself or its link.
Keep what you sent
Save the CV and letter you sent with that row. In an interview you need to know which version they read.
Give each row a stage
Applied, in process, interview, offer, rejected or withdrawn. Change it on the day something happens.
Set a follow-up date
If the advert names a date, use it. If not, pick a day one or two weeks after you applied.
Read the list once a week
Look at where applications stop: before any contact, or after an interview. That shows where to work next.
Why keep a list at all
Applications run side by side and take weeks. Without a list, dates and versions blur.
A list tells you whom to follow up today, and which CV each employer has.
It also shows patterns that a single rejection cannot show.
In Germany, a list also helps with rules that depend on dates. Two of them are below.
What to note for each application
- Company and job title.
- The date you applied, and where: the company's form, a job board or email.
- The contact person, if the advert names one.
- The CV and letter you sent, as files.
- The stage, and the date it last changed.
- A follow-up date.
- Notes from each call: who you spoke to and what they asked.
Keep it short. A list you can update in a minute is a list you keep.
Following up without being a nuisance
Follow up once, politely, after the date you set. One short email to the contact in the advert is enough.
Say which job you applied for and when. Ask whether there is news, and offer anything they still need.
If you hear nothing after that, note it and move on. Silence is not always a no, but it is not worth more of your time.
What your list tells you
Many rejections before any contact point to the CV, or to the jobs you choose.
Rejections after interviews point to the interview, or to strong other candidates.
Look at a month, not a week. A few applications say little.
Change one thing at a time, so you can see what made the difference.
Dates that matter in Germany
If you receive unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld), the employment agency can ask you to prove your own efforts to find work.
If you were warned and do not prove the efforts it asked for, the benefit stops for two weeks (§ 159 SGB III).
Ask your adviser which form of proof they accept. A list with dates, companies and stages makes it easier to answer.
Think a rejection was discriminatory? A claim under the equal treatment law (AGG) must be made in writing within two months of receiving it.
Under the GDPR you may also ask an employer which data it holds about you. This is general information, not legal advice.
How cvscored helps
Every application keeps its stage, its score and every document you sent. You also see who received it and when they replied.
Set a follow-up date on an application. On the day, one email lists what is due: the company and the role, nothing more.
You get at most one such email a day, and you can turn them off in Settings.
The list counts rejections before contact and after an interview apart.
Interview prep keeps every answer you saved, grouped by application, with the questions you were really asked.
Tracking every application is part of the free plan.
Lena Hoffmann's list after three weeks
Lena Hoffmann is the made-up person in our examples. The companies and dates below are made up too.
| Company and job | Stage | Her next step |
|---|---|---|
| Northwind Logistics, Senior Backend Engineer | Interview | Prepares for the second interview on Thursday. |
| Vasara Analytics, Backend Engineer | Applied | Follows up on Monday, as set. |
| Halden Systems, Platform Engineer | In process | Sends the reference contacts they asked for. |
| Lumen Freight, Staff Engineer | Rejected | Notes it: rejected before any contact. |
| Brightwater Data, Platform Lead | Withdrawn | Withdrew: the team works in Dutch, which she does not speak. |
An invented example.
Good points
- You always know what is due.
- Patterns show where to change course.
Not so good
- It takes a minute after each step.
- A list cannot make anyone reply.
Checklist
- Every application has its own row.
- The date you applied is noted.
- The CV and letter you sent are saved with it.
- Each row has a stage.
- Each open row has a follow-up date.
- Each rejection notes when it came.
- You read the list once a week.
One honest limit
A list keeps you organised. It cannot change an employer's decision or make anyone reply sooner.
Sources
Checked on .
- German Social Code, Book III (SGB III), § 138: own efforts (in German): gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_3/__138.html
- German Social Code, Book III (SGB III), § 159: suspension of benefit (in German): gesetze-im-internet.de/sgb_3/__159.html
- German General Equal Treatment Act (AGG), § 15 (4) (in German): gesetze-im-internet.de/agg/__15.html
- EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Article 15: eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32016R0679
Key takeaways
- Start the list with your first application.
- Keep the exact CV and letter you sent.
- Follow up once, on the day you set.
- Look at where applications stop.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best way to track job applications?
- The one you keep up. A spreadsheet works, a notebook works, and so does a tool. What matters is the date, the stage and a follow-up day.
- How often should I follow up?
- Once, after the date you set. If you still hear nothing, note it and move on.
- Should I keep the CV I sent?
- Yes. If you adapt each CV, keep the exact version you sent. An interviewer will ask about what they read.
- Which stages should I use?
- Few and clear: applied, in process, interview, offer, rejected and withdrawn. Change the stage on the day something happens.
- Do I have to prove my applications to the employment agency?
- In Germany, if you receive unemployment benefit and the agency asks for proof, yes. Ask your adviser which form it accepts.
- Does cvscored send my applications or follow-ups?
- No. You send them yourself. cvscored keeps the stage, the dates and the documents, and one email reminds you of the follow-ups due.