Where Applications Land
If you set your job listing to receive applications through WorkCampConnect (instead of by email or external link), every application a work camper submits lands in your Applicant Inbox on the employer dashboard. You'll also get an email notification each time a new application comes in.
The applicant inbox is the central place to review candidates, read resumes, reply, and track who you've contacted. It's designed to handle a typical work-camper hiring season — dozens to hundreds of applications across multiple listings — without losing track of anyone.
Opening the Applicant Inbox
- Sign in to your employer dashboard.
- Click Applications in the main navigation.
- You'll see all applications across all your active listings, sorted by most recent first.
What an Application Includes
Every application that comes through the portal includes:
- Applicant name and contact info (email, phone if provided)
- The position they applied for
- A cover note they wrote when applying
- Their resume (PDF download) if they uploaded one
- Their location and travel availability
- Any answers to required questions you set up on the listing
- The application date and time
Click any application in the list to open the full detail view.
Replying to a Candidate
From any application, you can reply directly through the portal — your message goes to the candidate via email and stays attached to their application record.
- Open the application.
- Scroll to the Reply box.
- Type your message. Common replies include:
- Asking follow-up questions about availability, experience, or specific skills
- Inviting them to a phone interview
- Letting them know they're being considered
- Politely declining if they're not a fit
- Click Send Reply.
The candidate receives your message in their email and can reply directly. The whole conversation thread stays on the application record so you can refer back to it.
Tips for Good Replies
- Reply fast. Work campers apply to several jobs at once. The first employer to reply often gets the candidate.
- Be specific. "Are you available June 1 through October 15? What size is your rig?" beats "Tell me more about yourself."
- Even when declining, be kind. A short "Thank you for applying — we've gone in a different direction this season but we appreciate your interest" goes a long way. The work-camping community is small.
Filtering and Sorting
As applications pile up, the filter and sort tools help you stay organized:
- Filter by listing — see only applications for one specific job
- Filter by status — New, Contacted, Interviewing, Offered, Hired, Declined
- Filter by date — last 7 days, last 30 days, or a custom range
- Sort by newest, oldest, or by status
Updating Application Status
Each application has a status field you can update as you move through your hiring process:
- New — Just received, not yet reviewed
- Contacted — You've replied or reached out
- Interviewing — In active conversation about the position
- Offered — You've made an offer
- Hired — They accepted
- Declined — Not moving forward
Changing status helps you see at a glance where every candidate stands — especially useful when you have many applications across multiple positions.
Downloading Resumes
Click the Download Resume button on any application to save the candidate's resume PDF to your computer. Resumes are the candidate's own files; the portal doesn't reformat or alter them.
Marking a Listing as Filled
Once you've hired someone, you can mark the listing as Filled from your Listings page. This:
- Stops new applications from coming in
- Removes the listing from public view
- Keeps existing applications in your inbox so you can finish responding to them
Marking listings as filled (instead of just letting them expire) is a courtesy to applicants — it tells them not to keep applying to a position that's no longer open.
Reviewing a Hired Candidate Later
WorkCampConnect's review system lets work campers leave reviews of employers they've worked for. Encouraging your hired work campers to leave a review when their season ends helps build your company profile and attracts better candidates next time.
Common Questions
Can applicants see each other?
No. Each application is private between the applicant and you.
Can I export applications to a spreadsheet?
Bulk export isn't available through the dashboard yet. If you need a CSV of applications, contact [email protected] and we can pull one for you.
What if an applicant's contact info is wrong?
You can still reply through the portal — it sends to the email they registered with, which is what they used to apply.
Do I see applicants who have applied through other paths (email or external link)?
If you set the listing to receive applications by email or external link instead of through the portal, those applications go straight to your email inbox or your own application form — they don't appear in the portal's applicant inbox. The portal applicant inbox only shows people who applied through WorkCampConnect.
What happens to applications after a listing expires?
Applications stay in your inbox even after a listing expires or is marked as filled. You don't lose them.
More Employer Help
For posting listings, see How to Post a Job Listing. For editing or renewing existing listings, see Editing & Renewing Listings. For credits and billing, see Credits & Billing.