How to Follow up on a Job Application (with Email Samples)

How to Follow up on a Job Application (with Email Samples) Youre about to see a killer resume follow-up email sample.Better yet? Youre going to learn how to write one yourself.Why is it so important? Think about this:When following up on a job application, youre treading on very thin ice.No matter how you cut it, youre about to ask the hiring manager a rather annoying question: When will you make up your mind?You dont want to seem too pushy or impolite. But not following up might mean another candidate will fill your spot.Luckily, there are some proven ways of following up on a job application. Play it right and youll dramatically boost your chances of getting hired.This guide will show you:A step-by-step formula for following up on every job application.How to follow up on a job application to land more interviews.Sample follow-up email better than 9 out of 10 other ones.How to follow up on a job application status by phone.Want to save time and have your resume ready in 5 minutes? Try our resume builder. Its fast and easy to use. Plus, you ll get ready-made content to add with one click. See 20+ resume templates and create your resume here.Sample resume made with our builderSee more templates and create your resume here.One of our users, Nikos, had this to say:[I used] a nice template I found on Zety. My resume is now one page long, not three. With the same stuff.Create your resume nowAlready had your interview but still no response? Learn how to follow up from our handy guide: Follow-Up Email after an Interview: 10 Samples Templates That Work1Following up on a Job Application: The BasicsSo youve submitted your resume. Congratulations. But its just the beginning of the hiring process.The first step is the hardest:You wait.Its frustrating, I know. Yet you have to give the employers some time to review your application before you can follow up.And yes, follow-ups are more than OK. A recent study asked how long should a job seeker wait to follow up with the hiring manager after submitting a resume. The answers?Less than one week: 19%One to less than two weeks: 43%Two to less than three weeks: 30%Three weeks or more: 8%They shouldnt follow up: 0%When to follow up on a job application?Theres no fixed rule, but in general: no sooner than a week after submitting your resume.Two weeks and no reply? Now you definitely have to follow up.When to follow up on a resumePro Tip: Before you follow up, have another look at the job posting. Sometimes employers explicitly state that they do not want you to reach out to them to ask about your application status at this stage. In other cases, the exact response date is provided in the job ad. Play by the rules. Following up before the due date will be rude at best and will hamper your chances of landing the job at worst.Alright, so youve waited. Its been a week or two since you applied and theres still no answer. Game on!Heres how to follow up on a job application or resume:1. Use your connectionsGo through your business and professional contacts to see if you know anyone from the company.If you do, ask them to inform the proper hiring manager about your application, or to put you in touch with someone in charge of the recruitment.Don't have any contacts in the company?2. Get the hiring managers contact detailsFirst, check if contact information is provided in the job offer.If youve applied via a job board and theres no direct email address in the job posting, check the companys website for your hiring managers email address.Not there? Call the companys main desk and simply ask. Thatll do the trick.Then...3. Write a follow-up email directly to the hiring managerUse a clear subject line, for example: Following up on a job application for [position title].Be polite and humble in the body of your message.Say youre still interested and reiterate why youre the perfect fit.Keep the resume follow-up email short.Lets see how it works in practice.Sample Resume Follow-Up EmailHello [Hiring Managers Name],Last week, I applied for the position of [positi on title]. I would like to kindly ask you if you could provide me with your decision timeline.I am very enthusiastic at the prospect of joining your team and leveraging [your specific skills, knowledge, and experience] to help you [what profit youd bring to the company].Please let me know if you need any more details about my application. I look forward to speaking with you and sharing my ideas on how to help you with your upcoming challenges.Kind regards,[Your signature][Your LinkedIn profile][Your phone number]You might feel tempted to try and impress the hiring manager by sending an old-school follow-up letter after an application, but its really not a good idea.Were living in a digital age where good communication means fast communication.A paper follow-up letter for your job application status can reach the hiring manager too late to make any difference or, worse yet, it might be treated as some unsolicited junk mail and never get opened.Writing a resume follow-up email is defi nitely your best option.Another week gone and still no response?4. Make a phone callBegin with asking if its a convenient time for the hiring manager to speak with you.If not, ask when you can call them back.Thenbase your phone follow up on the sample script below:What to Say When Following Up on a Job ApplicationSample Follow Up-Phone Call ScriptHello [Hiring Managers Name], my name is [Your Name]. I submitted my application for the [XYZ] position two weeks ago. I just wanted to make sure you received it and to let you know that Im still interested in the position. Id love to talk with you about how I can help you with your upcoming challenges. If you need any additional information, please let me know.Voila!The study cited before also found that 46% of hiring managers prefer to be contacted by email, however, 39% were open to follow-ups by phone. Why?Working professionals get hundreds of emails every day (122 on average, to be precise).Your job application and your follow-up might have gotten lost in the hiring managers inbox (somewhere between a newsletter she barely cares for and an internal email about a corporate Christmas Eve.)A quick phone call will help you solve this problem.Whats next?5. Dont get creepyUnless the hiring manager set a response deadline and failed to keep it, dont follow up more than twice.Accept the fact that a given company might not be interested in you and just move on.Calling or emailing every day or, worse than that, showing up in person to ask about your application will surely discourage the company from hiring you.By the way, its plain rude not to respond to any of your follow-ups. If a company doesnt treat you with respect now, why expect them to do it once you start working with them?Remember, theres plenty of fish in the sea, so...6. Keep job seekingEven if you think youve found a perfect job for you, dont give up on applying to other companies while waiting for the response.Dont obsess over one job posting. No matter how great a candidate you are, you might not make it for reasons beyond your control.Already interviewed and want to write a perfect interview follow-up email? Have a look at our dedicated guide and learn how to make the most of it: How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)2Heres When To Follow Up SoonerTheres one instance in which you dont have to worry about timelines, employer preference or waiting long enough.Its when youre offered a position with a different company, but still havent heard back from your top pick.If such is the case, follow up straight away.Message your dream employer and tell them:That youve received another offer.That youre ready to turn it down if youre still in the running.Include a date youre expected to respond.Sound like too much of a gamble?Well, it might be. But sometimes its worth it.Heres a personal storyI got my current job solely because of the right follow-up.I received another offer, but didnt really want it. What did I do?Here s the key: I provided value.I wrote a sample article for the Zety blog. Then I attached it to the following email message:Hi,Please excuse my bothering you. Ive just received a job offer which Ill be happy to turn down if youd care to have a look at my writing and give me a go.Please find attached a sample article for your blog. Free of charge! Let me know what you think.The following day I got one of the shortest emails Ive ever read: When can we schedule an interview?Trust me, this strategy can work out for you as well. But remember: if you do it, you have to give your prospective employer a sneak peek of your skills.Make them realize that they cannot afford to miss out on you.Pro Tip: Not getting interview invites? Recruiters and hiring managers look up candidates on LinkedIn and other social media platforms. Your online presence might be to blame. When looking for a job, make sure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date and that youre not sharing anything inappropriate or unpro fessional across your online accounts. Read our guide to make the most of your LinkedIn profile: How to Check Your Online Presence Before Recruiters Look You Up.Want to learn how to email a resume the right way and get ahead of your competition? Read our guide: How to Email Your Resume to Get More Job Offers (Examples)3How to Know Exactly When to Follow UpThe job application follow-up has two purposes. First of all, to remind the hiring manager about your candidacy. Secondly, to help you put an end to the dreadful uncertainty.Has my job application reached the hiring manager? Have they already seen my resume?Guess what: you dont have to ask yourself these questions.Theres an easy way to know if and when your resume has been opened.First of all, you can start tracking your emails by using free email tracking software such as MailTag.Sure, knowing that your resume email has been opened doesnt guarantee that the hiring manager has actually read your resume. But youll be able to make an better informed decision about following up.Then again, theres one more thing you can do.Make an online resume and include the link in your job application email.Imagine you no longer have to ask Have you, by any chance, seen my resume already?Youll know exactly when to follow up and what to say.Key TakeawayFollowing up on job applications might feel awkward, but its expected of you. Dont think youre bothering the hiring manager - you really arent.Heres a quick recap of the key steps on how to follow up on a job application or resume:Follow up at least one week after applying.Try to find the hiring managers contact details and write a personalized follow-up email.Reiterate your interest in the position and say why youd perform well in the job.After another week without response, call the company to check if they received your application.If youre offered another job, follow up with your most desired employer right away.Inform them about your response deadline and emphasize that the yre your number one choice.Do you have any additional questions on what to say when following up on a job application? Want to learn more about writing resume follow-up emails? Give us a shout in the comments and well answer you questions.