Tracking is useful only when it changes a decision
A job-search tracker can easily become another administrative chore. The point is not to record every possible detail. It is to avoid duplicate applications, know what needs attention and learn which applications move forward.
Start with a system you will actually update after sending an application or receiving a reply.
Keep the fields that affect the next step
For each application, record the company, role, source link, date applied, current status and next action. Add the CV version used and a short note only when it will help you later: a salary range, a referral, a recruiter name or an interview question.
This is enough to answer practical questions:
- Have I already applied to this role through another platform?
- Which applications need a follow-up this week?
- Which CV version was used for the interviews I received?
- Which roles are closed, so I can stop spending attention on them?
Use statuses that reflect real work
Avoid a long taxonomy that no one maintains. A useful early version can be: saved, applying, applied, interviewing, offer, rejected and closed. Add a dated stage when there is a real interview or task. The status should tell you what is happening; the next action should tell you what to do.
Review patterns, not individual outcomes
Once a week, review the applications that changed. Look for small signals: perhaps roles from one source lead to more recruiter screens, or a particular CV version performs better for a certain type of work. One rejection is not evidence. A group of comparable applications can be.
The result is not more tracking. It is a job search where you can see what deserves your time next.