Hi Barry
I'm about to embark on a job search. When I've done them before I've used a
spreadsheet to track progress but it can get very messy after a while.

I believe a database is probably a better tool for the job but I have absolutely
no idea how to go about designing one.

I've had a look at your website and the list of readymade models but none seem
to be what I'm looking for.

I'm after the ability to track all correspondence related to each job vacancy -
including attaching data such as job-specs and forms to the record.

It needs to cater for when multiple agencies feature the same vacancy (although
I'd only be progressing the lead - and hence tracking it - with one) and when
I may have multiple vacancies active with any one agency.

(On my old spreadsheet tracker I used bookmarks and hyperlinks to jump around
between the various rows of data - but this has its limits!)

Also, not all vacancies have the same origins. Some are adverts on job boards,
some from a cold call, some are direct advertising by the company itself -
so there is no one 'trigger' for a record to begin and no obvious (to me!)
unique identifier.

And neither do all vacancies follow the same process steps.

Some will be two interviews then offer; some will be one; some will include
additional steps; some require an online application via their own website....
and so on!

Sometimes I won't even know who the hiring company is until some way into the process.

I'm sure there are a whole other load of complications that don't immediately spring to mind too!

I'm not sure if all the possible variables will actually make it impossible to model
into a database (in which case I'll dust off my old spreadsheet) -
but I feel as if I need to at least ask the question!

So. Can it be done? Or am I asking the impossible?

Thanks,

Gary Cooper