Mandatory application acknowledgment and transparent status tracking

User story

As a job seeker, I want to receive automatic confirmation when my application is received and see its current status at every stage of the process, so that I know my application wasn't silently discarded and can plan my search accordingly.

Description

Every job application submitted through the platform must trigger an immediate acknowledgment to the applicant. Applications must progress through clearly labelled stages — received, under review, shortlisted, rejected, offer — and the applicant must be notified of each transition. Employers who fail to update status within a defined window should be flagged.

Acceptance criteria

1. Applicant receives in-app and email notification within 60 seconds of submission confirming receipt
2. Application status page shows current stage with timestamp of last update
3. Employer must mark application as reviewed or rejected within 30 days or receives a compliance flag
4. Applicant is notified within 24 hours of any status change
5. If employer closes the role, all pending applicants are notified automatically
6. Status history is preserved and visible to the applicant for 12 months

Original request

Job seekers should receive mandatory acknowledgment for every application they submit, and be able to track the status of each application through defined stages.