# Job Search Tracker: [Your name], [Target role]

> A single working file for a job search: target criteria, the
> applications pipeline with stages and next actions, contacts and
> referrals, a follow-up log and a weekly review of the funnel. Based on
> common career-coaching practice. Replace every `[bracketed]` value and
> every row marked *Example*.

<!--
Guidance: How to use this template
- Fill section 1 before you apply anywhere: it stops you from sending
  applications that do not fit what you want.
- Give each application an ID (APP-NNN) and reuse it in the contacts
  table, the follow-up log, `career/interview-prep` and
  `career/offer-comparison`, so one search tells one story.
- Update the pipeline the day something happens. A tracker that is a
  week behind loses follow-up dates.
- Keep it private. It holds names and contact details of other people:
  store it on your own device and delete contact data you no longer
  need when the search ends.
- Worked example: the fictional Mei Tanaka, searching for a Senior
  Product Analyst role. All people, companies and figures are invented.
- Related templates: ATS-Friendly Resume (`career/ats-resume`), Cover
  Letter (`career/cover-letter`), STAR Story Bank
  (`career/star-story-bank`), LinkedIn Profile (`career/linkedin-profile`),
  Salary Negotiation Plan (`career/salary-negotiation-plan`).
-->

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Target role and level | [Senior Product Analyst] |
| Search started | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Target start date | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Weekly time budget | [8 hours] |
| Last updated | YYYY-MM-DD |

## 1. Search criteria

<!-- Guidance: Write your must-haves and deal-breakers before you see any posting. Pitfall: a list so wide that every posting fits, which turns the search into volume without focus. -->

| Criterion | Must have | Nice to have | Deal-breaker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Role and level | [Senior analyst, individual contributor] | [Path to lead] | [Pure reporting role] |
| Location and work mode | [Hybrid, max 2 office days] | [Remote within EU] | [Relocation] |
| Pay (gross per year) | [Minimum you would accept] | [Target] | [Below minimum] |
| Domain | [Consumer apps] | [Mobility, health] | [Gambling] |
| Team | [Experimentation culture] | [Analytics engineers on team] | [Analyst reports to sales] |

Target organisations (aim for 15 to 30): [Organisation, why it fits, how you heard of it].

## 2. Applications pipeline

<!-- Guidance: One row per application. "Next action" always has a date; a row with no next action is either closed or forgotten. Stages: Saved, Applied, Screen, Interview, Final, Offer, Accepted, Rejected, Withdrawn. -->

```mermaid
stateDiagram-v2
    [*] --> Saved
    Saved --> Applied
    Applied --> Screen
    Applied --> Rejected
    Screen --> Interview
    Screen --> Rejected
    Interview --> Final
    Interview --> Rejected
    Final --> Offer
    Final --> Rejected
    Offer --> Accepted
    Offer --> Withdrawn
    Applied --> Withdrawn
    Accepted --> [*]
    Rejected --> [*]
    Withdrawn --> [*]
```

| ID | Organisation | Role | Source | Applied | Stage | Next action | Due | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [APP-NNN] | [Organisation] | [Role] | [Careers page / referral / recruiter / job board] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Stage] | [Action] | YYYY-MM-DD | [CON-NNN] |
| APP-018 *(Example)* | Larkspur Analytics | Product Analyst II | Job board | 2026-09-14 | Rejected | Ask for feedback | 2026-10-05 | none |
| APP-021 *(Example)* | Quillmont Freight | Senior Data Analyst | Recruiter | 2026-09-22 | Offer | Reply to written offer | 2026-10-30 | CON-004 |
| APP-022 *(Example)* | Brightwater Mobility | Senior Product Analyst | Referral | 2026-09-25 | Offer | Negotiate (see `career/salary-negotiation-plan`) | 2026-10-27 | CON-002 |
| APP-024 *(Example)* | Tallowfield Health | Analytics Lead | Careers page | 2026-10-01 | Applied | Follow up with recruiter | 2026-10-28 | CON-006 |

Keep a copy of every posting you apply to (PDF or text): postings are often removed, and you need the exact wording before each interview and when you compare pay.

## 3. Contacts and referrals

<!-- Guidance: Record how you know each person and what you asked them for. Ask for advice or information first; ask for a referral only when the role fits. -->

| ID | Name | Organisation and role | How we know each other | Last contact | Asked for | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [CON-NNN] | [Name] | [Organisation, role] | [Former colleague / alumni / event] | YYYY-MM-DD | [Advice / referral / introduction] | [Result] |
| CON-002 *(Example)* | Jonas Weber | Brightwater Mobility, Analytics Manager | Former colleague | 2026-09-24 | Referral for APP-022 | Referral submitted |
| CON-004 *(Example)* | Ana Ruiz | Recruiter for Quillmont Freight | Contacted me | 2026-10-08 | Interview schedule | Two interviews booked |

## 4. Follow-up log

<!-- Guidance: Log every message you send or receive about an application. A polite follow-up after 7 to 10 working days of silence is common practice; one or two follow-ups are enough. -->

| Date | ID | Channel | Summary | Follow up on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YYYY-MM-DD | [APP-NNN] | [Email / phone / portal] | [What was said] | YYYY-MM-DD |
| 2026-10-06 *(Example)* | APP-022 | Email | Thank-you note after second interview | none |
| 2026-10-15 *(Example)* | APP-024 | Email | Asked recruiter about timeline | 2026-10-28 |
| 2026-10-19 *(Example)* | APP-022 | Email | Written offer received, deadline 2026-10-27 | 2026-10-23 |

## 5. Weekly review

<!-- Guidance: Fifteen minutes each week. Look at where applications stop moving and change one thing at that stage. Few screens after many applications points at the resume or the targeting; few offers after many interviews points at interview preparation. -->

| Stage reached (cumulative) | Count | Conversion from previous stage |
|---|---|---|
| Applied | [N] | n/a |
| Screen | [N] | [%] |
| Interview | [N] | [%] |
| Final | [N] | [%] |
| Offer | [N] | [%] |
| *Example:* Applied | 24 | n/a |
| *Example:* Screen | 9 | 37.5% |
| *Example:* Interview | 5 | 55.6% |
| *Example:* Final | 3 | 60.0% |
| *Example:* Offer | 2 | 66.7% |

In the example (snapshot of 2026-10-26), 2 offers from 24 applications is about 8.3% overall. The
largest drop is from Applied to Screen, so the next week focuses on
referrals and on matching the resume to each posting.

- What worked this week: [one line]
- What I will change next week: [one line]
- Energy and wellbeing check: [one line; a search is a marathon]

## 6. Closing the search

- [ ] Offer accepted in writing, start date confirmed
- [ ] Other open applications withdrawn politely
- [ ] Thank-you messages sent to contacts who helped
- [ ] Contact details of people you no longer need removed from this file

## Standard and licence note

Based on common career-coaching practice for tracking a job search.
Original text written for this collection; people, organisations and
figures are fictional. Template licence: MIT.