Manual Job Entry

Manual Entry in Callings.ai lets you add jobs from any source by pasting a URL for automatic extraction, pasting job description text, uploading files (such as PDFs or Word documents), creating quick placeholders, importing the job list you already keep in a spreadsheet or another tracker, or using the Chrome Extension while browsing. The AI automatically extracts job title, company, requirements, and details to create a complete tracker entry.

Add any job from any source to your tracker, even if it's not on a major job board.

Overview

The Manual Entry tool allows you to add jobs to your tracker from sources that automatic matching might not cover. Whether you found a job in an email, a private company portal, a PDF document, or even a screenshot, you can add it to Callings.ai to keep your entire job hunt centralized.

Privacy Note: Jobs you add manually are private. They are not shared with other users or published to the platform. They are visible only to you.

Ways to Add Jobs

There are six ways to manually add jobs, designed to handle different situations:

1. From a Link

Best for: Public job postings (Job Boards, Company Careers Pages)

If you have a direct URL to a job posting, this is the easiest method. 1. Copy the URL from your browser. 2. Select the From a Link tab. 3. Paste the URL into the input field. 4. Click Add from link at the bottom of the window, or press Enter.

The system will visit the link and automatically extract the job details, including title, company, description, and requirements.

Compatibility: This method works for most URLs, including: - Most company career pages - LinkedIn job listing URLs - Many job boards (Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.)

Limitations: In some cases, the system cannot automatically extract job details: - Password-protected pages: If the job posting is behind a login wall, the system cannot access the content. - Blocked pages: Some websites block automated access even if the page is publicly visible.

If the link doesn't work: Fall back to the Paste Text method: copy the job description text directly and paste it. You can still include the original URL in the "Source URL" field for your personal reference.

Note: Adding from a link uses the same extraction system as the Chrome Extension. If the Chrome Extension cannot add a job from a particular URL, there's a high chance that pasting the URL here won't work either.

2. Paste Text

Best for: Emails, Private Portals, or when Links fail

Sometimes a link might be behind a login wall or the automated scraper can't read it. In these cases, simply copy the text. 1. Select the text of the job description (from an email, document, or webpage). 2. Select the Paste Text tab. 3. Paste the text into the large text area. 4. (Optional) Add a "Source URL" if you want to remember where you found it. 5. Click Add from text at the bottom of the window.

Tip: Make sure to include the Company Name and Job Title in the pasted text so the AI can identify them correctly.

3. Upload File

Best for: PDFs and Word Documents (e.g., job descriptions received by email)

If you have a job description saved as a file, for example a PDF or Word document that a recruiter sent you by email. 1. Select the Upload File tab. 2. Drag and drop your file or click to browse. Its name shows under the drop zone; click Remove to pick another one. 3. Click Add from file at the bottom of the window. The system will upload and process the file to extract job details.

Supported Formats: - Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX, TXT - Images: JPG, PNG, TIFF - Max file size: 20MB

4. Placeholder

Best for: Quick capture when you don't have full job details yet

Sometimes you hear about a job opportunity (through a referral, networking event, or casual conversation) but don't have the full job description yet. The Placeholder tab lets you capture what you know now and fill in details later.

1. Select the Placeholder tab.
2. Enter the Company Name and/or Job Title (at least one is required).
3. Optionally add Location (with auto-complete suggestions).
4. Optionally add Notes (e.g., who referred you, context from a conversation).
5. Click Add Placeholder Job at the bottom of the window.

Use cases for placeholders: - A friend mentions their company is hiring, but you don't have the job posting yet. - You met a recruiter at a networking event and want to remember to follow up. - You're tracking a company you want to apply to once a role opens. - You want to quickly capture an opportunity and research it later.

Tip: You can always edit the placeholder job later to add the full job description, URL, or any other details once you have them.

5. Import List

Best for: Moving the jobs you already track in a spreadsheet or another app

If you have been tracking your search in Excel, Google Sheets, Notion, Airtable or another job tracker, bring the whole list in at once instead of adding jobs one by one.

1. Select the Import List tab.
2. Upload your file, or paste the rows. To paste, select the rows in your spreadsheet (headers included), copy them, and paste them into the box. Any list you typed yourself works too, even as plain sentences.
3. Click Read my list at the bottom of the window (a file starts on its own). Callings' AI reads every row of your list, whatever your columns are called or however your sheet is laid out, and works out each job and where it stands, usually in under a minute.
4. Review what was read, and correct it. Each numbered job shows the stage it will land in and the day you applied; change either in place, and click the pencil next to a title or company to fix it. Click the arrow on the left of a job to see its description and its note. Uncheck anything you do not want. To tag every job of the list, click + Add tag (optional) under the list.
5. Click Import (it shows how many jobs are checked) at the bottom of the window. The jobs are added to your tracker.

What gets imported: - Company, job title, location and link for each job, taken from the posting's text when your list has no column for them. - The stage it was in. Callings reads everything in the row, not only a status column: "Phone screen", "Ghosted", "Don't apply", a Yes/No column, your comments. It picks one of your own tracker stages, including stages you created, and the job's note says what decided it (for example "Marked Don't apply"). - The day you applied, when your list says it (a date column, or a comment like "applied 3/2"), and the outcome (interview, rejected, no response, offer). Callings never guesses a date; pick one next to the job's stage. - The official job posting, when your list has a link to it. Callings reads the posting, as it does when you add a job from a link: the job gets the posting's description and details, its company is identified, and its fit report and match score are prepared. When the posting is no longer online (or the link is not a job posting), the job is added from your list instead: a regular job in your tracker, whose description is your list's copy of the posting when it kept one, or empty ("No description available") when it did not. - Your list's copy of the posting, when your list kept the posting's text (in its own column, or pasted after your own notes in a cell). If the official posting was found, your copy is kept in the job's note for reference; otherwise it becomes the job's description and the job gets its match score. - The people your list names, anywhere in it: a recruiter in your notes, the hiring team in a pasted posting, someone who signed an email you copied. Each becomes a contact linked to the job, in My Contacts, and is listed in the job's note. Someone already in your contacts (same LinkedIn profile, email, or name at the same company) is linked to the job, never added twice. A person with a LinkedIn profile is completed from it automatically on plans that include saving people from LinkedIn. A first name alone is kept in the note only. - A note on each job. It says which file (or pasted list) the job came from and when, why it got its stage, where you found it, then your own words about the job (comments, feedback, salary, contacts, next steps), so nothing you wrote is lost. Next to each title, a short summary such as "(job description, note, 1 contact)" says what the job will carry; click the arrow on its left to see each part. Columns that are not about the job (formulas, a prompt template, your resume pasted on every row) and empty rows at the bottom of the sheet are left out.

Come back to it later: If you close the window before importing, your Job Tracker shows "Your imported list is ready for review" with Continue and Discard. Continue opens the list where you left it, with your corrections. A list waits for a day; reading a new list replaces it.

Undo an import: Changed your mind? Click Undo import on the last step, or on the "jobs imported from your list" banner in your Job Tracker, within a day of importing. It removes the jobs that import added, along with anything you added to them since. While some jobs are still being added, the banner shows how many are in so far and the button is Cancel import instead: it removes the jobs added so far and stops the rest.

Already tracked: Jobs already in your tracker (same link, or same title and company) and jobs listed twice are flagged and left unchecked, so importing the same list again does not create duplicates.

Supported formats: - Files: CSV, Excel (.xlsx), TSV, and text files (.txt, .md), up to 5 MB and 500 rows. - Pasted text: rows copied from any spreadsheet, a table, or a free-form list. - For an older Excel file (.xls), open it and save it as .xlsx or .csv first. From Google Sheets, use File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv), or copy and paste the rows. - A workbook with several sheets is read whole: the jobs on every sheet are listed together (for example last year's search kept on a sheet of its own). When the same job is on two sheets, the second one is marked as listed twice and starts unchecked.

6. Chrome Extension

Best for: Adding jobs while browsing job boards and company websites

The Chrome Extension is the fastest way to add jobs while you're actively browsing. It lets you save jobs with a single click without leaving the job page.

How it works: 1. Select the Chrome Extension tab to check your extension status. 2. If not installed, click Install Chrome Extension to add it from the Chrome Web Store. 3. Once installed, browse job sites as usual (LinkedIn, Indeed, company career pages, etc.). 4. Click the Callings.ai extension icon to save a job to your tracker instantly.

Extension Features: - One-click save: Add jobs without leaving the job page. - Works everywhere: LinkedIn, Indeed, company sites, and more. - Auto-extraction: Job details are captured automatically. - Visual feedback: Icon shows job status at a glance.

Extension Status Indicator: The Chrome Extension tab shows your current extension status: - ✅ Installed: The extension is active and ready to use. - ⚠️ Not Installed: Install the extension to enable one-click job saving. - ℹ️ Non-Chrome Browser: The extension only works in Google Chrome. Use other methods (From a Link, Paste Text, Upload File) to add jobs.

Note: For detailed setup instructions and usage tips, see the Chrome Extension Guide.

Tags (optional)

Every add method (From a Link, Paste Text, Upload File, Placeholder, and Import List) lets you tag the job. Click + Add tag (optional), under the link, text, file or job fields, type a tag and press Enter, then add as many as you like before you add the job. The tags are applied to that job automatically, and to every job of an imported list (on Import List, you can add them before reading your list or on the review step, once you see what was found).

Tags are free-form labels you create to organize your jobs your own way. There's no fixed list and nothing is pre-filled: you decide what the tags mean for your search. As you type, you'll see suggestions from tags you've used before so your wording stays consistent.

Examples of how to use tags

• Track the source: label where the job came from, such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Referral, Recruiter, or Company site. This is handy when you add jobs from many places and want to know later which sources lead to interviews.
• Flag your favorites or priority: Dream Job, Favorite, Backup, Stretch.
• Note logistics: Remote, Hybrid, Relocation, Visa sponsor.
• Make your own categories: anything that helps you group jobs, like Startup, Public sector, or a personal project name.

After each job is added, the selected tags clear so the next one starts fresh, while the tags you just used remain available as quick suggestions.

Tags you add here appear in the Tags column of the Job Tracker table (enable it in Table Settings) and feed the tag breakdown in Progress Analytics. Your job tags are private and kept separate from tags used elsewhere in the app.

Tip: Pick a small, consistent set of tags and reuse them. Consistent labels make the autocomplete more useful and give you a cleaner breakdown in analytics.

Key Features

• Universal Import: If you can see it, you can track it.
• AI Extraction: The system automatically identifies and recognizes information within the job listing, including job title, company, requisition ID, requirements, and description.
• Duplicate Detection: When you add a job that already exists in your tracker, you are notified with the existing job's details (title, company, stage, and when it was added). You can choose to skip the duplicate or add it anyway.
• Quick Placeholders: Capture opportunities instantly when you don't have full details yet.
• List Import: Bring a whole spreadsheet or another tracker's export, with each job's stage, applied date and notes.
• Browser Integration: Use the Chrome Extension for seamless one-click job saving while browsing.
• Confidentiality: Manually added jobs are never shared with the public pool.
• Source Tracking: Keeps a record of where the job came from (URL or file).

Tips & Best Practices

• Use "Paste Text" as a backup: If "From a Link" fails (e.g., due to a password-protected page or blocked website), copying and pasting the text is a foolproof alternative. Include the original URL in the "Source URL" field for your reference.
• Upload documents from recruiters: If a recruiter emails you a job description as a PDF or Word document, use the Upload File tab to add it directly to your tracker.
• Create placeholders for leads: When you hear about an opportunity but don't have details yet, use the Placeholder tab to capture it immediately. You can always add more information later.
• Install the Chrome Extension: For the best experience while browsing job boards, install the Chrome Extension. It's the fastest way to add jobs to your tracker.
• Consolidate everything: Don't keep a separate spreadsheet for "offline" jobs. If you already have one, bring it in with Import List, then keep adding here so you can use the Job Fit Report, Interview Prep, and Kanban Board for every opportunity.
• Tag as you add: Click + Add tag (optional) and tag the job at creation (for example with its source or priority). It's faster than tagging later, and consistent tags power the analytics breakdown. See Tags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What happens if I try to add a job that's already in my tracker?
A: The system checks for duplicates before adding. If it finds a match (by URL or by job title and company), a notification appears showing the existing job's details, including when you added it and its current pipeline stage. You can choose to skip the duplicate or add it anyway if you want a separate tracker entry.

Q: If I add a job to my tracker, will other people see it?
A: No. Manually added jobs are strictly private and only visible in your account. They are not shared with other users or published to the platform.

Q: How long does processing take?
A: Usually between 15 to 90 seconds for URL and text extraction. This includes scraping the content from the source and processing the data to extract job details. Placeholders are created instantly since no extraction is needed.

Q: Do manually added jobs get a match score?
A: Yes. Once processing finishes, the job is scored against your resume just like any other job in your tracker. Placeholder jobs are the exception: with no job description yet, there is nothing to score until you add the details.

Q: Can I edit the details after adding?
A: Yes. Once the job is added to your tracker, you can edit the job listing, including title, company, description, and more. This is especially useful for placeholder jobs where you add more details later as you learn more.

Q: What are the optional Tags?
A: Tags are your own labels for organizing jobs (for example a source like "LinkedIn", a priority like "Dream Job", or a note like "Remote"). Click + Add tag (optional) under the fields, then add any tags before adding the job. There's no fixed list, so use whatever categories work for you. Tags show in the Tracker table's Tags column and feed the Progress Analytics breakdown. For URL and file adds, tags are applied once the job finishes processing.

Q: Do I have to add tags?
A: No. Tags are completely optional. You can add jobs without ever clicking + Add tag (optional). You can always add or change tags later from the Job Tracker.

Q: Can I import my job search spreadsheet or another tracker's list?
A: Yes. Use the Import List tab. Upload a CSV or Excel file, or copy the rows from your spreadsheet and paste them. Most job trackers can export your saved jobs as a CSV file; import that file the same way. You review the jobs before anything is added. See Import List.

Q: My spreadsheet uses its own words for statuses. Will they be understood?
A: Yes. Callings' AI reads everything in each row ("Applied", "Phone screen", "Ghosted", "Offer!!", a Yes/No column, your comments) and picks one of your tracker's stages, with the applied date and outcome when your list has them. The review step shows the stage of every job before you import, and you can uncheck any job.

Q: Can Callings work out when I applied?
A: Only from what your list says: a date column, or a date in a comment ("applied 3/2", "rejected 10/1"). It never guesses one from a posting date or the day you import. If your list has no dates, pick the date next to each job's stage on the review step, or add it on the job later.

Q: Does importing a list fetch each job posting?
A: Yes, when your list has a link to it. Each job is added from its official posting, with its fit report and match score; your list's stage, dates and notes are kept on it, and your list's copy of the posting goes into its note. A posting that is no longer online is added from your list instead.

Q: Can I undo an import?
A: Yes, for a day. Click Undo import on the last step of the import, or on the "jobs imported from your list" banner in your Job Tracker. It removes every job that import added, including notes or documents you added to them since. Jobs that were already in your tracker are never touched. The contacts the import created are removed too, unless you have since added them to another job. If the import is still adding jobs, the button reads Cancel import: it removes what was added so far and the remaining jobs are not added.

Q: I added many jobs at once. Why do I see a few banners instead of one per job?
A: When more than three jobs are being added at the same time (for example by an AI assistant or the Chrome Extension), the banners above your Job Tracker are grouped: one for jobs being added, one for jobs added, one for jobs already in your tracker, and one for jobs that could not be added. Click Show to see the jobs in a group, or Dismiss all to clear it.

Q: Is my imported file kept?
A: The file itself is not stored. What Callings reads from it is kept for one day so you can review and import it, then deleted. The jobs you import stay in your tracker, private to you.

Q: What's the difference between the Placeholder tab and the Chrome Extension tab?
A: The Placeholder tab is for quickly capturing job opportunities when you don't have the full job posting yet (e.g., from a referral or networking conversation). The Chrome Extension tab helps you install and use the browser extension, which lets you save jobs with one click while actively browsing job boards.

Q: Why would I use the Chrome Extension instead of From a Link?
A: The Chrome Extension is faster and more convenient when you're actively browsing job sites. You can save jobs without copying URLs or switching tabs. Use From a Link when you already have a URL saved somewhere (like from an email or note).

Q: A recruiter sent me a job description by email. How do I add it to my tracker?
A: You have two options depending on the format: - If it's an attachment (PDF or Word document): Use the Upload File tab to upload the file directly. - If it's in the email body: Copy the job description text and use the Paste Text tab. You can optionally include a link to the company careers page in the "Source URL" field for reference.

Q: I found a job on a specialized or niche job board. Which method should I use?
A: Try these methods in order: 1. Chrome Extension: If you're on the job page and have the extension installed, this is the fastest option. 2. From a Link: Copy the job URL and paste it. This works for most public job boards. 3. Paste Text: If the above methods don't extract the details correctly, copy the full job description text and paste it directly. This is a reliable fallback that works with any source.

Q: The job listing is behind a login wall (requires sign-in to view). How do I add it?
A: When a job posting requires authentication, automated extraction can't access the content. Here's what to do: 1. Sign in to the job board and navigate to the job listing. 2. Select and copy the entire job description text from the page. 3. Use the Paste Text tab to paste the content. 4. Optionally add the URL in the "Source URL" field so you can return to the original posting later.

This is a common situation with company career portals, recruiter platforms, and some premium job boards. The Paste Text method works regardless of login requirements because you're providing the content directly.

Related Topics

• Chrome Extension
• AI Job Search
• Job Tracker Overview

Every opportunity deserves to be tracked, no matter where you found it. Whether it's a tip from a friend, an email from a recruiter, or a posting on an obscure job board, Manual Entry ensures nothing slips through the cracks. Your entire job search, all in one place.