How do you follow up after submitting a job application?

Why following up matters

A thoughtful follow-up tilts the odds in your favour. It demonstrates genuine interest, keeps your name near the top of the pile, and sometimes uncovers useful signals — like the role being filled or the process stalled — that let you redirect your energy elsewhere. A bad follow-up is worse than none. The difference is timing, audience, and substance.

The timing rule

Wait seven to ten business days after submitting. Sooner than that looks anxious. Later than three weeks and most postings have already moved to interviews with someone else.

The exception: if the posting states a specific decision timeline ("we'll be in touch within two weeks"), wait until that window closes before you follow up.

Who to follow up with

Not HR, not the "careers@" inbox, not the applicant tracking system. Follow up with:

1. The hiring manager, if you can find them on LinkedIn. This is the best target.
2. A recruiter at the company, if named in the posting or on the company's LinkedIn page.
3. Anyone who already referred you, to let them know the status and ask if they've heard anything.

If you genuinely cannot find a human, replying to the automated confirmation email is acceptable. It is less effective than reaching a person, but it puts your message in a thread someone might read.

What to say

Keep it short. Four to six sentences. Three parts:

1. Reference the role and remind them you applied. Specific title, date of application.
2. Say one useful thing. Mention a recent company announcement, a follow-up question you'd want answered in an interview, or a piece of your background you didn't emphasize in the application.
3. State your continued interest and ask about timing. Politely.

Example:

Hi [Name],

I applied for the [role title] position on [date] and wanted to follow up. I saw [company's recent announcement / product launch] this week and it reinforced my interest — the work you're doing on [specific thing] is closely aligned with what I did at [current or recent role].

Happy to send over references or a work sample if useful. Would you be able to share any rough timeline on next steps?

Thanks for your time, [Your name]

What not to say

• "Just checking in" (adds nothing)
• Anything that sounds desperate or frustrated
• Long recaps of your resume
• Criticism of their timeline
• Multiple follow-ups in the same week

The second follow-up

If you don't hear back after the first, wait another two weeks and send one more note. After the second unanswered message, stop. Move on. The role is either filled or the process is dead, and continued follow-up at that point only damages your reputation.

When the follow-up gets a response

Some follow-ups trigger useful responses even when the application itself did not. A recruiter might reply with "the role has moved to final round, we went with internal candidates" — which is real information. Others open a conversation that leads to an interview slot. Either way, the follow-up has done its job.

One channel matters more than the rest

If you can identify the hiring manager and send a LinkedIn message rather than an email, open rates and response rates go up significantly. LinkedIn messages also create a record of you as a named, visible candidate — which can surface your profile in future searches for similar roles at the same company.