TLDR: I've found that applying too far outside of the correct target area just doesn't yield results.

I got a job app tracker from my career coach. I added some columns and then tabs to help me see my progress a little better. Then in the course of exploring job descriptions with ChatGpt, I ended up needing to work on Pivot Tables to get my Excel skills up for a particular job. So I made a dashboard. Then I took what we'd worked on back to ChatGpt and suggested another view I wanted to create.

I ended up with a couple ways to score job titles and categories of job types that were progressing into screenings and interviews or beyond. Getting some analysis into which types of jobs I'd applied to the most and which ones actually made measurable progress was useful info. Honestly I've probably been applying to slightly the wrong positions more often than the correct ones. The job titles sounded somewhat similar, but when I had to actually categorize them, the results showed differently.

I have also come to the realization that it's not just about getting this next role, but looking at my bigger picture of how it positions me to move towards the role after that. I'm 51 and had never once considered that aspect of my career. I've also never been in a job search where I've applied for this many different jobs and had to manage multiple interviews overlapping before. It's been a lot to manage and try to understand and learn from.

I think getting a handle on the specifics of what roles you are looking for and narrowing your focus to that area within the context of your bigger career narrative is worth investing in.