Download a ready-made spreadsheet to track your UK job applications. Available in Excel, Google Sheets, and CSV. Free, no sign-up required.
Free, cloud-based, real-time sharing
Offline use, advanced formatting
Universal. Import into any tool
Choose Excel, Google Sheets, or CSV format. All three contain the same columns and conditional formatting.
Add or remove columns based on your needs. Consider adding 'Cover Letter Sent', 'Interview Type', or 'Referral' for more detail.
Fill in the company, role, date, and URL as soon as you apply. Don't let applications pile up. Tracking in real time is key.
Add a follow-up date 5–7 working days after applying. Check your spreadsheet daily and send follow-ups on time.
At the end of each week, review your pipeline. Are you applying enough? Getting interviews? Adjust your strategy based on the data.
When your spreadsheet gets unwieldy (30+ applications), export as CSV and import into ApplyArc for visual Kanban boards, AI tools, and automatic reminders.
You apply on Reed, tab back to your spreadsheet... and forget. By the next day, you can't remember if you applied to that Totaljobs listing or just saved it. Fix: keep the spreadsheet open while applying. Log each one within 60 seconds of submitting.
Most spreadsheet templates skip follow-up dates. Without them, you never chase up. In the UK, recruiters expect a follow-up 5-7 working days after applying. Add a 'Follow-up Date' column and check it every morning.
Company name and job title aren't enough. You need the salary range (in GBP), the source (Reed, LinkedIn, Indeed), and the recruiter's name. When you get an interview call, you need to know instantly which role they're talking about.
Your spreadsheet tells a story. If you've applied to 25 marketing roles and gotten 0 interviews, your CV positioning is wrong. If Reed applications convert better than LinkedIn, focus more on Reed. Review weekly.
Spreadsheets work brilliantly for 10-20 active applications. Past 30, they become a chore. Scrolling through rows, manually checking follow-up dates, copy-pasting salary data. That's when a dedicated tracker like ApplyArc saves you real time.
A spreadsheet stores your data. ApplyArc's AI Career Coach reads it and gives you advice. Here's what changes when you move beyond rows and columns.
The Coach spots trends you'd miss in a spreadsheet. Applying to 20 roles with no interviews? It tells you why and suggests changes to your CV or targeting strategy.
Instead of staring at a 'Follow-up Date' cell and writing an email from scratch, the Coach drafts the follow-up for you. Tuned to UK hiring norms and the specific role.
Paste a job description, and the AI generates a tailored cover letter in seconds. No spreadsheet can do that. Free users get 10 per month.
Got a Tesco or Deloitte interview? The Coach generates competency-based questions using the STAR format. It reads your application notes and personalises the prep.
Start with the spreadsheet. Switch to ApplyArc when you hit 20+ applications and want AI help. Your CSV imports in under a minute.
Best for most UK job seekers
Downside: Needs internet connection to edit
Best for offline and advanced users
Downside: Requires Microsoft 365 or LibreOffice
Best for importing into tools
Downside: No conditional formatting or formulas
| Feature | Spreadsheet | ApplyArc (Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Kanban board | ❌ | ✅ |
| Automatic follow-up reminders | ❌ | ✅ |
| AI cover letters | ❌ | ✅ 10/month free |
| Chrome extension (LinkedIn, Reed, Indeed) | ❌ | ✅ |
| Import from CSV | N/A | ✅ |
| Price | Free | Free (Pro: £19/mo) |
| Best for | < 20 applications | Unlimited applications |
A good job tracker spreadsheet should include columns for: company name, job title, date applied, application status (Applied/Interview/Offer/Rejected), contact person, follow-up date, salary range, job URL, and notes. The template above includes all of these plus conditional formatting.
Spreadsheets work well for tracking fewer than 20 applications. Once you go beyond that, a dedicated tool like ApplyArc offers advantages: visual Kanban boards, automatic follow-up reminders, AI cover letter generation, and Chrome extension to import jobs from LinkedIn, Indeed, and Reed. You can start with the spreadsheet and import your CSV into ApplyArc when you're ready.
Yes. Export your spreadsheet as CSV and import it directly into ApplyArc. Your job applications, statuses, and notes will be preserved. ApplyArc also provides quick dashboard access while browsing LinkedIn, Indeed, Totaljobs, Reed, and other UK job boards via the Chrome extension.
Google Sheets is best if you want free cloud access from any device. Excel is better for offline use and advanced formatting. CSV is the most portable format. It works with any tool and can be imported into dedicated trackers like ApplyArc. We provide all three formats.
For manual tracking, copy the job URL and details into your spreadsheet after each application. For quick access to your tracker, use ApplyArc's Chrome extension. It gives you one-click dashboard access while browsing Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library, Indeed UK, LinkedIn, and other sites. Deeper job-saving integration is planned.
Yes. The spreadsheet template on this page is completely free. ApplyArc also offers a generous free plan with up to 50 jobs, a Kanban board, Chrome extension, and 5 AI generations per month. No credit card required.
Most career advisors recommend tracking 10–30 active applications at a time. Below 10, you're not casting a wide enough net. Above 30, it becomes hard to give each application the attention it deserves. A spreadsheet handles up to 20 well; beyond that, a dedicated tracker like ApplyArc is more manageable.
Yes. Always track rejections. They help you spot patterns: are you being rejected at the same stage? For the same type of role? This data is valuable for adjusting your strategy. In a spreadsheet, set the status to 'Rejected' and add notes on the reason if known.
Update it every day during an active job search. Log new applications immediately after submitting. Check follow-up dates daily. Do a weekly review to assess your pipeline and adjust your strategy. Daily updates prevent the 'spreadsheet backlog' problem.
A job tracker is a personal tool for job seekers to organise their own applications (spreadsheets, ApplyArc, Huntr). An ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is employer software to manage incoming candidates (Workday, Greenhouse, Lever). This page is about personal trackers. Tools for YOUR job search, not for hiring teams.
Yes. The template works for any country. The salary column defaults to GBP (£) but you can change it. If you're applying to both UK and EU roles, add a 'Country' or 'Location' column to filter by region. ApplyArc handles multi-region tracking natively if you upgrade later.
Yes, always. Speculative applications (where no role is advertised) are common in the UK, especially for SMEs and startups. Log them with a status of 'Speculative' and set a follow-up date for 10 working days. These applications have lower response rates but often face less competition when they do convert.
Import your CSV into ApplyArc and get visual Kanban boards, AI cover letters, automatic reminders, and an AI Career Coach that sees your full pipeline and tells you what to do next. All free.