How long should I wait to follow up after I apply for a job?

Job Search

Jul 18

Episode 411 | Authors: Emilie Aries & Irene Ziemba

Applying to jobs can be exhausting, frustrating, and confusing. You might apply to dozens of jobs, and never hear back from prospective companies - even with a rejection!

Because applying for a job can feel like throwing an application into a black hole, it can be really tempting to follow up immediately to assuage your nerves and try to forge a real connection with a human.

But while reiterating your interest in a position can draw positive attention to your application, it can also backfire if done carelessly.

So how do you decide when, whether, and how to follow up after submitting an application?

Read the job description carefully

Save a copy of the job description in case it gets removed later on, and then re-read it before following up on your application. Pay special attention for these key details:

Find the hiring manager’s information if you can.
It’s always more powerful to reach out to a specific person (either via email or by sliding into their DMs on LinkedIn) rather than reaching out to the entire HR or recruitment team.
nOTE If tHEY specifically ASK YOU NOT TO REACH OUT.
If they have a policy against follow-up, don’t do it. It’s not only disrespectful of their wishes, it can also backfire by giving the impression that you don’t read carefully or can’t follow instructions.
Check to see if a closing date or hiring timeline IS posted.
If there is, your best bet is to wait and follow up after the application period has closed.

Giving the job description a closer look before sending any follow-up can set you up for success in more ways than one.

Be empathetic when following up

Being successful in the job search is all about persuasion, and to convince someone that you’re the right candidate for the job, you first need to understand and empathize with that person.

In today’s job market, the average corporate job opening receives 250 applications - so you can imagine how swamped an HR or recruiting professional’s inbox can be on a daily basis.

So when following up, you want to balance communicating your enthusiasm with not contributing to hiring managers’ overwhelm. Odds are the person on the other end of the hiring process is just as buried by the job search process as you are.

SO How long should I wait to follow up?

This is a question I get from countless job-seekers who want to know how to strike the perfect balance between expressing their interest and not coming across as overly eager. And if you give this question a quick search online, there are endless experts who proclaim to have the perfect be-all, end-all answer.

But the fact of the matter is, there’s no one right timeline to follow up!

It depends on a variety of factors you’ll want to consider, not the least of which is how badly you want that job.

But if you’re looking for an overall guideline, 1-2 weeks after you submit your application is your best bet.

Staffing firm Accountemps surveyed more than 300 human resource managers about the best time to follow up after submitting your resume and found that:

36% say one to two weeks
29% said in less than one week
25% said in two to three weeks
10% said in three weeks or more

As you can see, there’s not a lot of consensus on this question, even among folks in hiring! But the key takeaway here is this: all 300 HR professionals survey did agree that following up is an essential part of the job search process.

BE SURE TO tailor your communication

When you do choose to follow up, make sure you’re writing is brief and specific. Be sure to include:

The basics
Include your name, the position you applied to and the date you applied. That might even be great information to include in your subject line, when possible.
Any names you have to drop
If you have a referral or VIP name to drop, be sure to do so early on in your message. Be shameless about any connections you have already inside the organization.
Your gratitude and enthusiasm
Always open your message with a quick expression of excitement and appreciation. Remember: people want to hire people who want to be there, so make that clear!
End with a question
Don’t just send a message that will simply sit in and clog up their inbox - send a message with a specific ask at the end, even if it’s a small one. This will make it clear to the recipient that your intent is two-way communication and make it easy for them to understand how they can reply to be helpful to you. A good question to end on is one around timing, such as, “Do you have an estimated date when you’ll be moving forward with the next stage of this hiring process?”

Example follow-up emails

Let’s take a look at some examples that incorporate all these best practices:

SUBJECT: HR Associate Application | FIRST & LAST NAME
Hi there -
I’m writing to follow up on the application I submitted on June 15th for the HR Associate position. I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute my skills and experience in HR compliance to the work of your organization, and would love the opportunity to discuss the position, organization, and my qualifications further with you.
Do you have a timeline for when you’ll be moving forward?
Thank you so much for your time and consideration.
FIRST & LAST NAME

Here’s another example to consider:

SUBJECT: HR Associate Applicant, Former Co-Worker of Jenna Smith
Dear Hiring Manager,
I applied for the HR Associate position on June 15th through the online portal, and I wanted to personally introduce myself. I learned about this position through Jenna Smith, who I used to work with at HR Company, and who referred me internally for this role.
I’m excited about the opportunity to support your team’s compliance work and I believe my 10 years of experience would make me a great fit for this position.
Can you please confirm that you received my application?
If you have any questions or need additional information from me, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
FIRST & LAST NAME

Don’t over-do it

After your initial follow-up, exercise some patience before reaching out again. You might want to “bump up” your message once more, perhaps 1-2 weeks after your initial follow-up message. When doing so, consider mixing up your mediums by switching from email to LinkedIn message or vice versa.

If you’ve applied to an absolute dream job, go for it - be a little shameless! Sometimes persistence pays off.

But beyond one or two follow-up messages, there’s not much more you can do. Know that at the end of the day, you’ve done your due diligence and you’ve done your part. You’ve applied and followed up, and now it’s time to move on.

Don’t get too caught up on the outcomes and don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Control what you can control in this process, and let go of the rest.