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Why you Should Use Excel When Job Hunting

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No one really enjoys Excel spreadsheets or job hunting, but even though you aren’t particularly excited about the idea of filling out an Excel spreadsheet they can help keep you organised and make everything easier.

So why should you use Excel when job hunting?

It’s The Greatest Organisational Tool There Is
Make your life easier during a job search and you will be happy you did. You need to focus on researching and preparing for interviews and not worry so much about what the name of the hiring manager is. Excel displays everything for you in one convenient location, allowing you to focus on what really matters during a job search.

It Makes a Great Reference Point
While you might enjoy your current job you could find yourself on the market in couple of years time. You need to have someplace to start-off when this happens. If you put all of the professional resources you have, such as contacts and leads, in one single place then things are much easier when the time comes for finding a new job. It also allows you to give your friends some advice and tips when they are pursuing opportunities of their own.

It Makes Ranking Positions Easier
By having all the job information down in a spreadsheet it’s much easier to analyse and sort potential jobs. Assure you include important details about each job such as the salary and how long you’ll be commuting. That way you can make a more informed choice when choosing which job to accept.

Now you’re probably wondering how to create that ultimate job search spreadsheet? Here’s how:

Use a “Contacts” Tab for Network Contacts
When you’re searching for a job you can put together a list of all the people who can help as contacts. This could be your old employer, the person you networked with at a conference, an old colleague who started at a new company recently. It can be anyone.

Research Jobs
Use your network to find jobs that you may not know otherwise exist. Look at the industry websites and through the career webpages of companies you’d love to work for. Write down each job you’d want to apply for with a tab in your Excel spreadsheet dedicated to “Job Progress”. Give each company their own row and add another column for your progress; including columns for when you send the application and when the interview will be, along with other important milestones and dates.

Take Plenty of Notes
Include columns in your spreadsheet for notes such as “Company Contacts”, “Interview notes” and “follow-up materials”. There should also be space for the names and emails of your interviewers, which you might need in the future. Note down everything you’d possibly need later, including the location of the job, the expected salary, how far away it is from your favorite coffee place – if it’s important it needs to be noted down.

After you’ve put together your spreadsheet you’ll find that Excel is a great way to tie every aspect of searching for a job together. It won’t take any time at all to make the right decision about your career.

We have put together the ultimate Excel spreadsheet for you. Sign up to our newsletter to get access to your job seekers spreadsheet. Also available as fillable and printable PDF.

TIP: Don’t have Microsoft Excel? Upload our Excel spreadsheet to Google Drive and easily edit it on any device.

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