A CRM for a job search is a log of the people around it: one row per person, what they offered or you promised, and the date of your next touch. Start with the five to ten people tied to live applications. A spreadsheet tab does the job. Ashby's data shows referred candidates reach interview far more often than inbound ones, so keep people and applications in two lists, joined by company name.
Do you need a CRM for a job search?
Yes to the idea, usually no to the software.
Your applications list answers "what's the status of this one?" A people log answers a different question: who do I owe a message, and by when? A stage-based list has no place for "Sam said he'd pass my resume on, and I haven't sent it."
Add the log once you have five or more conversations live. Below that, your calendar and a notes app are enough. Recruiter CRMs like Recruit CRM are built for the other side of the table, so ignore those results.
Why track people at all? What the funnel data says
Ashby analysed 38 million applications across 93,000 jobs, from January 2021 to December 2024. Its chart data shows about 40% of referred candidates went from application to interview, against 3% of inbound applicants. Of those interviewed, 16% of referred candidates reached the offer stage, against 6% of inbound.
Referrals averaged 1% of applications. That's the route worth keeping tidy, because a referral is a conversation someone else already started for you, and it's the easiest thing to lose in a list organised by stage.
Those are averages across Ashby customers' postings, and referred candidates aren't a random sample. Read them as a reason to look after the few referral conversations you have, not as the odds that a referral works for you.
What does one row per person need?
Log only fields that change your next conversation. Seven columns cover it:
| Person | Company | How you know them | What they said or offered | What you promised | Next touch | Linked application |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Where they work | Ex-colleague, meetup, recruiter | Intro, review, advice | Resume by a day | One date | Role and company |
The three that earn their place are what you promised, the next touch and the linked application. If you only fill in three, fill in those.
Don't import your whole contact list. Add the five to ten people tied to a live application, and add others when a conversation starts. That keeps the log from becoming a second job.
How do you link people to applications?
Put the company name in both lists. On the application row, set Source to Referral when someone sent you there. The columns for the applications side already include Source, so you don't need a new one.
Then keep two rules. Every application with a referrer has a person row, and every person row at a company with a live application names it.
An example, with invented names. A backend engineer has 22 applications and nine people rows. One row reads: Sam, ex-colleague at Northwind, offered to pass my resume to the platform team. I promised the resume by Tuesday. Next touch Thursday 12 November. Linked application: Northwind, Platform Engineer.
On the applications list, that row reads: Source Referral, status Applied, 17 days since any reply. If your list has a days-quiet column, that's the one flagging it. The person row tells you who to message first, and what you owe him. A quiet application with a person attached gets a message to the person, not a cold email. When there's nobody to message, who to email when you have no contact covers writing to a stranger.
How do you run a referral, from ask to thank-you?
Each step is one update to the person's row.
- Ask. Mogul's wording is whether they'd feel comfortable reviewing your resume and considering a referral if the fit looks real. An example: "Would you be comfortable passing my resume to the platform team if it looks like a fit?" A no, or no reply, is their answer, and it says nothing about you.
- Note whether the referral went in, and update the linked application's Source.
- Tell them what happened after an interview or an offer. People who helped want to know it went somewhere.
- Close the loop with a thank-you within one to two days.
How often is too often to update a referrer? Repeated reminders tend to wear people out, and a monthly look at your open loops is enough. The practical answer is to ask the person how they'd like to hear from you.
What about recruiter and hiring-manager threads?
If recruiters message you while you're employed, each one gets a row too. Write down what they promised and whether they stated a pay range. A hiring manager isn't a separate relationship: put the name on the application row.
Keep this log somewhere personal, not on a work laptop or in a work account. For notes about each interview round, what to log after each interview round is a separate job from this one.
Where does the log live? Spreadsheet, notes or a CRM tool
Start in the sheet. Move only when the people rows outgrow it. Each option below has the same catch: more setup, and one more place to update.
A second tab in your spreadsheet
Commenters in a Hacker News thread described tracking their searches in spreadsheets, text files, Gmail labels and Obsidian, so most people already run this in a sheet. A tab keyed by company sits next to the applications list.
A Notion template
Notion has a Job hunting CRM template. It suits you if you already keep your notes in Notion and want the people log next to them.
A job tracker with a contacts feature
Huntr lists a Contact Tracker and a "Retain New Connections" feature. Its page says the free version includes job tracking, without saying what the paid plan adds. Check where contacts sit before paying.
A personal CRM
Dex, a personal CRM for job seekers, lists follow-up reminders. Jobifer's page describes linking contacts to opportunities and logging the introductions you've sent, with replies staying in Gmail.
What to do with your people and applications this week
- List the people tied to your live applications. Five to ten is plenty.
- Give each one a row with a promise and a next-touch date.
- Mark Referral as the Source on those applications.
- Send the one thank-you or update that's overdue.
Then run the log for a week before you try a tool. The rest of the tracking setup is in guides for tracking a tech job search.
Catching the quiet applications
If a quiet application can sit in your list unnoticed, HighCircl Tracker is coming soon, with early-bird access if you subscribe for updates. It flags an application with no reply for 14 days. Nothing in it goes to employers, recruiters or HighCircl's hiring clients.
FAQ
Do I need a CRM for my job search?
Usually not. A second tab in your spreadsheet covers the five to ten people tied to live applications. A tool starts to earn its place only when the people rows outgrow a tab.
What should a job search CRM track?
Per person: what you promised, the date of your next touch and the application it links to. Everything else is optional.
Can I use a spreadsheet as a CRM for a job search?
Yes. Hacker News commenters track their searches in spreadsheets, text files and notes apps. Key the people tab by company name so it joins your applications list.
Is there a free CRM for job search?
Some options include a free tier. Huntr's page says its free version includes job tracking, and a spreadsheet tab costs nothing. Check each tool's page before relying on contacts being free.
How do I ask someone for a referral?
Ask whether they'd feel comfortable reviewing your resume and considering a referral if the fit looks real. If they say no or don't reply, that's their answer, and you can thank them and move on. Thank anyone who helps within a day or two.