The columns that actually matter
| Column | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Company and job title | Obvious, but use the exact title from the posting. |
| Link to the posting (and a saved copy) | Postings disappear when the role closes; you'll need it for interview prep. |
| Date applied | Drives follow-up timing. |
| Resume and cover letter version | So you know exactly what the employer has read. |
| Stage | Where the application is right now (see below). |
| Contact person | Recruiter, hiring manager or referral, with how you reached them. |
| Next action + due date | The single most important column. Every active row should have one. |
| Notes | Salary range, interview questions, impressions. |
Use a small, fixed set of stages
- Saved — worth applying to; not yet tailored.
- Applied — submitted, with date and version.
- In contact — a recruiter or someone on the team replied.
- Interviewing — at least one interview scheduled or completed.
- Offer — verbal or written offer received.
- Closed — rejected, withdrawn or no response after follow-ups.
When to follow up
| Situation | Follow up after |
|---|---|
| Applied through a portal, no contact person | Usually no follow-up needed; if you find a recruiter, 7–10 days |
| Applied with a referral or direct contact | 5–7 business days |
| After an interview | Thank-you within 24 hours; status check on the date they gave, or after 1 week |
| After a final interview | On the promised date, then once more a week later |
Hi Priya, I wanted to follow up on the Android Developer application I sent on September 8. I'm still very interested in the role, especially the offline-first work you mentioned in the posting. Is there any update on timing? Thank you, Alex
A 20-minute weekly routine
- Add every new application with its version and next action.
- Sort by next-action date and send all follow-ups that are due.
- Close rows with no response after two follow-ups or 30 days.
- Look at your numbers: applications sent, replies, interviews. If replies are under about 1 in 10, improve your resume or targeting before sending more.
- Pick next week's target roles and save them in Saved.
Spreadsheet or dedicated tool?
A spreadsheet works well for up to a few dozen applications and gives you full control. A dedicated tool becomes useful when you want the posting, the tailored documents, the stage and the reminders to stay connected automatically, so you don't have to copy information between tabs.
Track applications in Tunquest
- Create an account and run a job search. Roles you save go into your pipeline with the posting attached.
- Generate the resume and cover letter for each job from your profile; the version stays attached to that job.
- Move each job through stages (applied, interviewing, offer, closed) and use the follow-up tools so every active application has a next step.
With a free account, Tunquest finds up to 3 matching jobs a day in Canada and tailors your resume to each one. You review everything before you apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many applications should I send per week?
Quality beats volume. Many people do better with 5 to 10 well-tailored applications a week than 50 generic ones.
Should I track jobs I'm not qualified for?
Only if you plan to apply. Save them in a separate list of target roles instead of your active tracker.
When should I give up on an application?
After two polite follow-ups or about 30 days of silence, mark it closed and move on. You can still reply if they contact you later.