The spreadsheet template
The download above gives you the exact template this tracker uses - one row per application with the columns that matter:
- Company and Role - one row per application, never per company.
- Status - saved, applied, interviewing, offer, rejected. Update it the day it changes.
- Date applied - drives your follow-up timing.
- Next follow-up - day 3 and day 7 after applying. After two silences, move on.
- Your way in - the person at that company who shares your school or a past employer. This is the column that changes outcomes: referred applicants are several times more likely to be hired than cold ones. Every row's link finds yours.
To use it in Google Sheets: download the CSV, then in Sheets choose File, Import, Upload, and "Replace spreadsheet". The referral links stay clickable.
Why the referral column beats every other column
Most application trackers measure activity - how many you sent, how long since you heard back. But the sharpest fact in hiring data is that a referred application is read differently from the moment it arrives: it skips the cold pile, gets a recruiter's eyes sooner, and converts to interviews at a multiple of the cold rate. Tracking fifty cold applications neatly is still fifty cold applications.
So this tracker treats "who do I know here?" as a first-class column. The Find warm intros link on each row searches people at that company who share your school or a past employer - the ones with an actual reason to reply - and drafts the message for you. It is free and needs no signup.
The follow-up cadence that works
- Day 0: apply, and the same day, message your warm contact so a referral can be attached while the application is fresh.
- Day 3: one short follow-up if you have heard nothing - to the contact first, the recruiter second.
- Day 7: one final nudge. Two silences means the energy belongs on the next row.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best way to track job applications?
- Five things per application: company, role, status, date applied, and the person who can refer you there. The referral column is the one that changes outcomes - the rest just record them.
- Is there a free job application tracker template?
- Yes - this page. Use it in your browser with no signup, or download the same layout as a CSV and import it into Google Sheets or Excel.
- What columns should a job application spreadsheet have?
- Company, role, status, date applied, next follow-up, and your warm contact at the company. Optional: salary range, posting source, recruiter name.
- When should I follow up on a job application?
- Day 3 and day 7 after applying, then move on. Better: get a referral attached on day 0 - that is what the "your way in" column is for.