Kanban Board vs Spreadsheet: Best Way to Track Job Applications

When it comes to organizing your job search, you have two main options: traditional spreadsheets or visual Kanban boards. Which one is right for you?

The Spreadsheet Approach

Pros: - Free and familiar (Excel, Google Sheets) - Flexible—add any columns you want - Good for data analysis with formulas

Cons: - No visual representation of pipeline - Manual status updates - Difficult to see progress at a glance - Overwhelming as rows grow - Not mobile-friendly

The Kanban Approach

Pros: - Visual pipeline shows status instantly - Drag-and-drop updates - Easy to prioritize applications - Mobile-optimized - Reduces cognitive load

Cons: - Requires dedicated tool - May cost money for premium features

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Spreadsheets if: - You're tracking fewer than 5 applications - You prefer data-heavy analysis - You're very comfortable with Excel/Sheets

Choose Kanban if: - You're actively job searching (10+ applications) - You value visual organization - You want to reduce mental overhead - You access from multiple devices

The Verdict

For most job seekers, Kanban boards win. The visual representation makes it dramatically easier to manage multiple applications, and the drag-and-drop interface saves time.

Spreadsheets work for casual job browsing, but when you're seriously hunting, Kanban is the professional choice.

Try both and see what fits your workflow best. Many successful job seekers start with spreadsheets but switch to Kanban once they hit 10+ applications.