In this guide
Applications, follow-ups and tracking
How to set up job alerts that actually help
Design job alerts around real job titles, sensible filters and a manageable frequency, then review them so they keep finding relevant roles.
Start from the job titles employers use
The same job can be advertised under several titles. Search once without filters, open the adverts that match what you want, and note the titles they use. Those titles become your alerts.
Illustrative example
Titles for one target role
- Target: coordinating projects in a marketing team.
- Titles found in matching adverts: Marketing Coordinator, Marketing Executive, Campaign Coordinator, Marketing Assistant (senior), Project Coordinator (Marketing).
- Alerts created: one for each of the first three, one combined search for the last two.
Filters that reduce noise
- Location radius or remote-only, set to where you would really travel.
- Contract type: permanent, fixed-term, temporary or part-time.
- Exclusion words, where the site allows them, for roles you never want.
- Posting date, so a daily alert only shows new adverts.
Be careful with salary filters. Many adverts do not state pay, and filtering on salary can hide them.
Choose a frequency you will keep up with
Daily alerts suit fast-moving roles and rolling deadlines. Weekly digests suit specialist roles that appear rarely. If alerts arrive faster than you read them, they become a backlog and good roles get missed.
Add alerts from the employers you want most
Job boards do not carry every vacancy. Many larger employers, universities, councils and health bodies let you register for alerts on their own careers sites, and some roles appear there first or only there. Pick a short list of organisations you would particularly like to join and set up their alerts too.
Alerts are also useful for research. Reading a fortnight of adverts for your target role shows which skills, tools and qualifications come up repeatedly, which tells you what to evidence on your resume and what might be worth learning next.
Review alerts every two weeks
Alert review
- Delete alerts that sent nothing relevant in two weeks.
- Add new titles you noticed in relevant adverts.
- Check the location and contract filters still match what you want.
- Unsubscribe from sites that send roles you did not ask for.
Jobs found through alerts still need the usual checks. Be cautious with alerts from unfamiliar sites, and check any employer you do not recognise before sharing personal details.
Common questions
How many job alerts should I have?
As many as you can read and act on. Several narrow alerts usually work better than one broad alert that sends mostly irrelevant roles.
Are job alerts from unknown sites safe?
Some are not. Be cautious with sites you did not sign up to, and check employers independently before sending documents or personal details.
Put it into practice
See how Luceria helps with thisDrafted with AI assistance and checked against Luceria’s editorial standards. Examples are illustrative, not real people’s results. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.