Junior Fullstack Engineer at SerpApi

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Braden Roth  • Peerlist

Searching for jobs is often overwhelming, chaotic, and emotionally draining—especially when juggling multiple applications, deadlines, and interview processes. Spreadsheets have long been the default tool for job hunters wanting to keep track of their job search. Every <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.jobscan.co/blog/job-search-spreadsheet-and-job-tracker/">career blog</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.linkedin.com/advice/3/youre-struggling-keep-track-job-applications-hjlbc">coaching platform</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/jobsearchhacks/comments/1jlmckp/the_tip_that_helped_me_secure_3_offers_in_two/">Reddit advice thread</a> seems to preach this same gospel: “just open Excel or Google Sheets and log every lead.” The Muse hands you a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.themuse.com/advice/job-search-spreadsheet-track-application">downloadable tracker</a> and swears it will feel like magic once you start color-coding 30 columns. Indeed’s editorial team echoes that sentiment, offering a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/job-search-spreadsheet">step-by-step tutorial</a> that turns your already grueling job search into a manual data-entry chore. SpreadsheetPoint sweetens the deal with a <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://spreadsheetpoint.com/templates/job-tracker-spreadsheet/">template with ready-made tabs</a> for job details, pre-interview tasks, and interview stages, yet still assumes you’ll happily maintain three separate sheets by hand.Even productivity-oriented tools such as <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.notion.com/templates/category/job-application-tracking?srsltid=AfmBOopzNwEAXilhwqq0kwRUnsDPYSwLyuO24Im_6EUfgzsMFT5jvOcu">Notion</a> market spreadsheet-style templates as the ultimate fix, quietly ignoring the reality that human beings forget to log important details, misspell statuses, and accidentally drag a cell out of alignment at 2 a.m. after their 47th application. And Reddit is full of well-meaning users linking Google Sheets they cobbled together; <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/jobsearchhacks/comments/1e9paqj/these_are_the_google_sheets_i_use_to_track_my_job/">r/jobsearchhacks</a>, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/jobs/comments/emwcvs/protip_create_a_spreadsheet_of_jobs_youve_applied/">r/jobs</a>, and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://www.reddit.com/r/recruitinghell/comments/1fxombf/sharing_an_application_tracker_google_sheets/">r/recruitinghell</a> all celebrate spreadsheets because—until now—there hasn’t been anything better. But once your search scales, the limitations of a spreadsheet become obvious. A spreadsheet never reminds you to follow-up on applications or interviews from several days ago; it can’t alert you if you forget to apply to a job lead you saved last week; and it can’t offer insights to help you easily see which sources are working. Spreadsheets silo context, scattering interview notes, thank-you drafts, meeting links, and follow-up reminders across different apps where they’re too easily forgotten. They’re error-prone and fragile: it’s easy to break formulas, delete or overwrite data, or mislabel rows—especially when your focus is already stretched thin. They lack consistency in how information is entered or categorized, aren’t mobile-friendly when you’re on the go, and offer search capabilities that are limited at best. There’s no sense of context tying leads, notes, and interviews together, and no built-in structure or encouragment to help you stay motivated. And as your search grows, spreadsheets simply don’t scale—they become harder to navigate, harder to maintain, easier to break, and less useful when you need them most.<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="break-all link-break text-gray-500 hover:underline" href="https://job-journal.fly.dev">JobJournal</a> flips that script. Instead of forcing you to babysit cells, each opportunity is treated as a living record: timeline-aware suggestions appear automatically on your dashboard; notes are attached to the stage where they belong; helpful insights visualize which sources convert; and universal searching with tags and filters helps you easily find whatever you’re looking for, whether it’s from yesterday or from 6 months ago. JobJournal features a bird’s-eye overview of your activity, along with a customizable weekly application goal, helping you keep track of your progress and stay motivated. And smart suggestions spare you from typing the same job title, company name, source, or location again and again. By focusing on workflows rather than rows, JobJournal replaces the brittle spreadsheet paradigm with a purpose-built system that scales from a single dream role to 100 concurrent applications—without breaking your flow or compromising your privacy.

JobJournal

A Ruby on Rails application that empowers cross country athletes and coaches to track their progress and achieve both personal and team goals. It features intuitive team management, comprehensive run and streak tracking, and goal-setting to cultivate a supportive and competitive environment. Secure authentication is handled with Devise and Google OAuth 2.0, and Strava API integration enables real-time synchronization of running activities. To facilitate team communication, PaceMaker includes built-in team messaging with topic-driven discussions, delivering real-time updates via Turbo Streams and ActionCable. PaceMaker also offers PWA capability for enhanced user-friendliness.