Job Application Tracker Template: Free Excel and Google Sheets

What a good job application tracker template includes

Start with these 14 columns. Keep them in this order so the formulas below work.

How to set it up in Google Sheets

1. Create a new sheet and paste the 14 headers into row 1. Freeze the row with View, then Freeze, then 1 row.
2. Select column G (Status), choose Insert, then Dropdown, and add the six statuses. Give each a colour.
3. Select all rows and choose Data, then Create a filter, so you can show only "Interviewing" or only overdue follow-ups.
4. Highlight overdue follow-ups: select column K, open Format, then Conditional formatting, choose "Custom formula is" and enter =AND($K2<>"",$K2<=TODAY(),$G2="Applied"). Pick a red fill.
5. Keep the sheet in one place you will open daily, such as a pinned browser tab.

How to set it up in Excel

1. Paste the headers into row 1 and select them, then press Ctrl+T to turn the range into a table. New rows then copy formatting and formulas automatically.
2. Select column G, open Data, then Data Validation, choose List, and enter Saved,Applied,Interviewing,Offer,Rejected,Withdrawn.
3. Freeze the header with View, then Freeze Panes, then Freeze Top Row.
4. For overdue follow-ups, select column K, choose Home, then Conditional Formatting, then New Rule, then "Use a formula", and enter =AND($K2<>"",$K2<=TODAY(),$G2="Applied").

Three formulas worth adding

Put these on a second sheet called Summary. The examples assume your sheet is named Tracker and you will not pass 500 rows.

• Applications sent: =COUNT(Tracker!F2:F500) counts every row with an applied date.
• Reply rate: =IFERROR(COUNTIF(Tracker!N2:N500,"Y")/COUNT(Tracker!F2:F500),0) shows the share of applications that got any response. Format the cell as a percentage.
• Follow-ups due: =COUNTIFS(Tracker!K2:K500,"<="&TODAY(),Tracker!G2:G500,"Applied") counts applications whose follow-up date has arrived.

If your reply rate stays low across many applications, the fix is usually the resume or the targeting, not the volume. The Resume version column tells you which.

Four habits that make the template work

• Log a job the moment you save it. Two minutes now beats reconstructing it next week.
• Set a follow-up date every time you apply. A week later is a common choice.
• Name resume versions consistently, for example Backend-Go-v3.
• Review once a week for 15 minutes. Move statuses, clear overdue follow-ups, plan the next week.

When a spreadsheet stops being enough

Spreadsheets work well for the first 20 or so applications. They start to hurt when you copy details from each posting by hand, when recruiter conversations live in your inbox instead of the sheet, or when you notice a follow-up two weeks late.

That is the point where an app earns its place. Seekrly saves a job from the page with one click through its Chrome extension, fills in application forms from your saved details and resume (you check each form before you submit), keeps recruiters attached to the right job, and reminds you when to follow up. The free plan covers tracking, contacts and reminders. You can also add jobs by hand on the website if you prefer to skip the extension.

Not sure which to choose? Read job application tracker app vs spreadsheet. For the habits behind good tracking, see the guide to tracking job applications effectively.