First job
Your first applications, with a clear next step.
Keep requirements, deadlines and follow-ups together without losing track.
THE SHORT ANSWER
Track each opportunity with a deadline and a next action. Read the requirements before adapting your application. Keep an accurate record of what you sent, and follow the employer’s instructions.
- 01OpportunityRead the original requirements.
- 02EvidenceUse real projects and experience.
- 03Next stepName one action and date.
- 04RecordUpdate the status and back up.
A practical method
Capture the opportunity
Save the role title, organisation, deadline and where to apply. Read the original listing instead of relying on a repost. Keep application requirements with the record so they are visible when you prepare the documents.
Build from real evidence
Choose course projects, part-time work or volunteering that demonstrate the requested skills. Describe what you actually did. AI may help you ask better questions about your draft, but do not add invented achievements or credentials.
Define the next action
Use a concrete action: review the brief, finish the portfolio, submit the form or prepare an interview example. Add a date if one is relevant. Change the status after completing the action.
Back up your record
The tracker stays in this browser and does not send your applications to a server. Export the CSV before clearing browser data or moving devices. Do not store passwords, identity documents or other sensitive material in the notes.
A worked example
Example record: ‘Library assistant — Campus library — application due Friday — next action: adapt my example of helping customers’. After submission, change the status to Applied and record the confirmation date.
A common pitfall
A tracker helps organise work; it does not submit applications or guarantee an interview. Avoid entering private information that is not needed to plan the next step.
Put it into practice
Add one opportunity, give it a next action and export a backup when you have finished.
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