Get Tability: OKRs that don't suck | Learn more →

2 OKR examples for Job Applications

Turn your spreadsheets into OKR dashboards with Tability

Tability is a cheatcode for goal-driven teams. Set perfect OKRs with AI, stay focused on the work that matters.

What are Job Applications OKRs?

The Objective and Key Results (OKR) framework is a simple goal-setting methodology that was introduced at Intel by Andy Grove in the 70s. It became popular after John Doerr introduced it to Google in the 90s, and it's now used by teams of all sizes to set and track ambitious goals at scale.

OKRs are quickly gaining popularity as a goal-setting framework. But, it's not always easy to know how to write your goals, especially if it's your first time using OKRs.

We've tailored a list of OKRs examples for Job Applications to help you. You can look at any of the templates below to get some inspiration for your own goals.

If you want to learn more about the framework, you can read our OKR guide online.

The best tools for writing perfect Job Applications OKRs

Here are 2 tools that can help you draft your OKRs in no time.

Tability AI: to generate OKRs based on a prompt

Tability AI allows you to describe your goals in a prompt, and generate a fully editable OKR template in seconds.

Watch the video below to see it in action 👇

Tability Feedback: to improve existing OKRs

You can use Tability's AI feedback to improve your OKRs if you already have existing goals.

AI feedback for OKRs in Tability

Tability will scan your OKRs and offer different suggestions to improve them. This can range from a small rewrite of a statement to make it clearer to a complete rewrite of the entire OKR.

Job Applications OKRs examples

We've added many examples of Job Applications Objectives and Key Results, but we did not stop there. Understanding the difference between OKRs and projects is important, so we also added examples of strategic initiatives that relate to the OKRs.

Hope you'll find this helpful!

OKRs to secure a new job through rigorous application and follow-up

  • ObjectiveSecure a new job through rigorous application and follow-up
  • KRApply to at least 20 relevant job postings each week
  • TaskSearch for 20 such job postings weekly
  • TaskDefine what job positions are relevant to your skills
  • TaskSubmit applications to these selected jobs
  • KRMaintain a tracking sheet to follow-up and engage with at least 3 companies weekly
  • TaskSchedule and conduct weekly follow-ups
  • TaskIdentify three companies for engagement weekly
  • TaskCreate a tracking sheet for company follow-ups
  • KREstablish contact with 5 different recruiters in target industry
  • TaskIdentify five recruiters in the target industry
  • TaskDraft personalized outreach messages to each
  • TaskSend outreach messages via LinkedIn/email

OKRs to secure satisfying employment amidst summer distractions

  • ObjectiveSecure satisfying employment amidst summer distractions
  • KRNetwork with at least 2 industry professionals daily
  • TaskAttend online industry-related workshops or webinars
  • TaskRegularly participate in LinkedIn discussions
  • TaskArrange weekly information interviews with industry professionals
  • KRCustomize and fine-tune resume for 100% of applications
  • TaskIdentify job posting requirements and align resume skills accordingly
  • TaskIntegrate relevant keywords into the resume text
  • TaskReview and customize resume layout and design
  • KRApply to at least 15 targeted jobs per week
  • TaskUpdate resume and cover letters for each application
  • TaskSubmit applications and track progress weekly
  • TaskResearch and identify 15 specific jobs to apply to each week

Job Applications OKR best practices

Generally speaking, your objectives should be ambitious yet achievable, and your key results should be measurable and time-bound (using the SMART framework can be helpful). It is also recommended to list strategic initiatives under your key results, as it'll help you avoid the common mistake of listing projects in your KRs.

Here are a couple of best practices extracted from our OKR implementation guide 👇

Tip #1: Limit the number of key results

Having too many OKRs is the #1 mistake that teams make when adopting the framework. The problem with tracking too many competing goals is that it will be hard for your team to know what really matters.

We recommend having 3-4 objectives, and 3-4 key results per objective. A platform like Tability can run audits on your data to help you identify the plans that have too many goals.

Tip #2: Commit to weekly OKR check-ins

Setting good goals can be challenging, but without regular check-ins, your team will struggle to make progress. We recommend that you track your OKRs weekly to get the full benefits from the framework.

Being able to see trends for your key results will also keep yourself honest.

Tip #3: No more than 2 yellow statuses in a row

Yes, this is another tip for goal-tracking instead of goal-setting (but you'll get plenty of OKR examples above). But, once you have your goals defined, it will be your ability to keep the right sense of urgency that will make the difference.

As a rule of thumb, it's best to avoid having more than 2 yellow/at risk statuses in a row.

Make a call on the 3rd update. You should be either back on track, or off track. This sounds harsh but it's the best way to signal risks early enough to fix things.

Save hours with automated Job Applications OKR dashboards

AI feedback for OKRs in Tability

Quarterly OKRs should have weekly updates to get all the benefits from the framework. Reviewing progress periodically has several advantages:

Most teams should start with a spreadsheet if they're using OKRs for the first time. Then, you can move to Tability to save time with automated OKR dashboards, data connectors, and actionable insights.

How to get Tability dashboards:

That's it! Tability will instantly get access to 10+ dashboards to monitor progress, visualise trends, and identify risks early.

More Job Applications OKR templates

We have more templates to help you draft your team goals and OKRs.

Table of contents