You search for a "job application tracker template," download a file, and find a column called "candidate score out of 20." You've landed on a template built for the recruiter.
The trap of "free" templates
Many Excel templates online are for scoring candidates, not tracking your applications: they start from the other side of the table. On Notion, the good templates are often paid. Either way, you have to adapt them.
Columns for a job seeker's template
Keep these six columns, and no more:
| Column | Why |
|---|---|
| Company, Role | The exact title from the posting |
| Date sent | It triggers your follow-ups |
| Status | To apply, sent, in process, closed |
| Contact | A name, not a generic address |
| Next action | What you must do, and by when |
| Posting link | It will be taken down |
The reasoning behind these is in how to track your job applications.
Excel, Notion or an app?
- Excel / Google Sheets: perfect up to about twenty rows. No alerts: you have to remember to open it.
- Notion: more flexible (views, filters), but you build and maintain the database yourself.
- Dedicated app: useful when several processes run in parallel, to see at a glance what needs doing.
Prepint is free with no limit for tracking: applications, statuses, contacts, a next action with its date, and a "To do" block sorted by due date on the dashboard. It sends no notifications: you see what's late by opening it. It doesn't import Excel files either, so the first entry is manual.
Key takeaway: the best tool is the one you keep updated. If you stop filling in your spreadsheet after ten days, change the tool, not your discipline.
For follow-ups: the follow-up email that gets a reply.