How to Follow up After Sending Your Resume? [with Email Templates and Tips]

Does this ring a bell for you?

What did you do? Gave up?

These are frustrating moments as your favorite job vacancies don’t always appear on job portals. Here’s what you should have done – follow up after sending your resume. Don’t just take silence for an answer from the hiring manager. Take a “Yes” or at least a “No” so that you can move forward.

In this article, we will share:

• The steps involved in following up on your application.
• When you should follow up and when you shouldn’t.
• Email templates to get you more interviews.
• Resume follow up best-practices.

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Should I Follow up on My Application?

If you’re not having a job, you should consider your job search as your full-time job. Looking for jobs is not just about applying for jobs and going for interviews if you get selected. There’s a lot more to it.

Your job description as a job seeker has many duties and responsibilities including:

• Checking out jobs on different platforms
• Tailoring your resume and cover letter to match different jobs
• Applying for jobs
• Updating your LinkedIn account and web portfolios
• Following up applications
• Measuring the number of jobs applied vs the interviews scheduled and doing the necessary changes
• Scheduling interviews

This is a continuous process until you land your dream job.

In this process, following up on your resume is an important step toward getting the attention of the hiring managers.

If you have applied for a company that you always wanted to work in and you’re interested in the role, you should follow up on your application after giving the recruiting team a decent time to get back.

In fact, sending an email asking for an update will help you understand which stage of the hiring process they’re in so that you could wait for them or move on with your job search. Also, It’s a professional way to restate your interest in the job.

When You Should Follow up on Your Application?

This is a common question from candidates – is it too early to follow up? Or is it too late?

Wait for a week after applying for any position – hiring managers receive hundreds of applications (sometimes thousands) for jobs through different platforms. They collect all these applications and send them through an applicant tracking system (ATS) to shortlist candidates. Then, they’ll go through those shortlisted job applications and pick about 10-15 candidates for interviews. The process may slightly change based on the number of applications received – However, all this work could take about 1 to 2 weeks.

In some cases, job advertisements explicitly mention their timeline – then you should adhere to that.

A smart way to identify when to follow up on your application would be to use email tacking software – there’re many FREE and paid email tracking tools available online – with these tools, you will be notified when your email was opened by the hiring manager.

Email tracking software does not give you a definite picture of whether the hiring manager downloaded your resume or read your application – but, the day your email was opened would be a great day to send them a reminder.

Sometimes you shouldn’t wait: when to follow up early?

There’re instances when you shouldn’t wait for 1 to 2 weeks to follow up – this is when you’ve already got another offer and you’re ready to turn it down for this one.

If it’s your dream company or the role, why not take the lead. Send a follow-up email asking for a quick update about your application and inform them that you’ve got an offer that you would like to turn down if you get this.

DO NOT oversell you. Be humble throughout your writing and inform why you would still prefer their organization or the position.

If they’re not ready to give you an early interview or not replying to you, we suggest you go with the offer in hand. The reality about jobs is that they’re always not what you’re expecting – the company culture, working environment, and career growth are things that you’ll only experience when you actually get there. Maybe you’ll find better opportunities in the job at hand.

How to Follow up on Your Application?

There’re many ways to follow up on your application. Don’t use all of these methods and make a scammer impression on the hiring managers – use one or two methods and be very careful about repeating them.

1. Use internal connections

If you got a friend working in the company, you could get them to inquire internally about the status of the hiring process and your application. However, this depends on the company – some recruiters do not like you to use internal sources to inquire about your application.

Also, it’s not an ethical practice to influence the hiring team by an internal employee. To be on the safe side, ask your friend for a general status update instead of a personal one.

2. Message through the job portal

If you applied for the job through LinkedIn, Indeed, or a similar job search engine, they sometimes provide you the access to directly message the hiring managers. If the hiring manager is welcoming follow-up messages from the job seekers, that would be a green light for you to send one right away.

3. Send a direct email to the hiring manager

If you have the email address of the hiring manager, sending a direct email would be the most efficient way to stand out.

Use the same email thread that you sent the resume previously for the follow-up message. This serves two purposes:

• Firstly, this is the professional way as the follow-up message is related to your previous email.
• Secondly, your previous email with the resume come back to the top of the list.

4. Make a phone call

There’re two types of hiring managers in this world. The first type answers call from the candidates and the second type does not.

Take your chances. If the hiring manager is in a positive mentality checking out the resumes, you will be able to get a quick update about your application, if you’re talented and lucky enough, you could turn it into a simple phone interview.

How to Write a Follow-up Email?

A follow-up email could be the first professional email interaction with the company – make it count. Consider the following aspects while writing your email.

Make it brief

You’re writing to a hiring manager who could be in the middle of shortlisting thousands of resumes. The worst thing they expect from you would be a page-long follow-up message. Be clear about what you’re going to write.

The objective of your follow-up email should be to ask for an update and inquire about the hiring timeline – also, communicate that you’re still interested in the job. Don’t ask too many questions in one email.

Have a clear subject line

If you previously sent your resume in an email, you don’t need a new subject line as you could reply in the same email thread.

If you’re sending a fresh email to the hiring manager, write a clear subject to the email. This will ensure that the hiring manager understands your requirement at a glance. Clearly include the position title in the email subject.

Find the recruiter’s contact details

If the recruiter’s contact email is not provided in the job advertisement, try to find it. You could use the company’s general phone number to call and find out or you could use social media platforms such as LinkedIn. Sometimes, the company website could be used to get the contact details of the HR division.

Finding the right hiring manager’s name would give you an edge as they wouldn’t get any follow-up emails if they haven’t put their contact information in the job posting. This is a great way to show your research skills – also, shows your interest in the position.

Be professional

Use professional writing language. Depending on the position you’re applying for, this email will showcase your email writing skill – show the hiring manager that you’re well-versed in email writing.

Include a call to action (CTA)

Put the right CTA. Your objective is to get an update about your application and the hiring timeline. Highlight it at the end, or your email will disappear in the virtual trash.

Follow-up email examples

Example 01

CORRECT

Subject: Following up on the marketing manager position

Dear Ann,

I recently applied for the position of marketing manager at ATC holdings and thought of sending a follow-up message to check your hiring timeline.

As a qualified marketer with over 6 years of experience in FMCG in North America, I hope I would be able to bring a fresh perspective to your marketing team. I would love to meet you and the Chief Marketing Officer to discuss further how I can bring value to the new position.

I have attached my resume again for your review and you can reach me at 253-536-6243 or by replying to this email.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best Regards,

Example 02

CORRECT

Subject: Regarding the Creative Writer position

Dear Josh,

Its been a week since I applied for the Creative Writer position at cloudattick.com. I thought of sending a follow-up message as I am super passionate about the role. I have been waiting for this role in your company for the last 12 months.

My experience in writing is so related to the type of content at cloudattick.com. Few of my guest articles are already published on your website and I have put the links to them. I attach the same application for your reference.

Kindly send me an update about your hiring timeline. Look forward to hearing from you and meeting you for an interview.

Regards,

Example 03: you’ve got another job offer

CORRECT

Subject: Regarding the HR assistant position

Dear Sue,

I recently submitted my application to the HR assistant position at Mandarina Hotel a week ago and wanted to check whether you’ve moved forward in the hiring process. Kindly send me an update about my application.

As I am actively looking for a job, I recently got an offer from a manufacturing company for an HR executive role. However, I am passionate about joining your company as I prefer to work in the hospitality sector – I would like to turn down the offer if you could set up an interview for me.

I hope my previous experience in talent acquisition and administration would be valuable assets going forward with your planned expansions. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

Regards,

Tips to Improve Your Resume Follow-up Email

• If you’re applying for 10-15 jobs a day or more, create an email follow-up template to save time
• Attach your resume and cover letter again in your follow-up email – make the hiring manager’s life easy – don’t make them go back to search for your resume
• Use your internal connections to get to the right hiring manager
• Show your enthusiasm throughout
• Proofread your email – send an email free of grammatical errors

Face a Rejection Like a Boss

Wait for another week after sending the follow-up email. Didn’t get any response? Move on!

Maybe a better offer is waiting for you. Work for it. If they’re not even bothered to respond to your follow-up message, it could probably be a bad working environment.

If the company has moved forward with other applicants, don’t keep following up every week no matter how passionate you’re about the job – instead of getting shortlisted, you’ll be blacklisted in the company. The last thing you could do is to take a call and ask whether the position is closed. If so, communicate your interest to the hiring manager and ask him to pass your resume for future opportunities in the company.

Measure the number of interview calls you received vs the number of positions you applied for. If the numbers are seriously down, you should look at your application, your qualifications, and whether they match the jobs you’re applying for.

This could be because of a problem in your resume – maybe it is not ATS friendly – or maybe the template you’re using is too common or not attractive. Try our resume builder to create an ATS-friendly modern resume.

Tips to Improve Your Chances of Getting an Interview

Create a great resume and a cover letter and follow up on the progress with the hiring manager. Moreover, consider the following points:

• Consider “looking for a job” as a full-time job – keep track of everything.
• Apply for jobs while waiting – do not depend on a single employer and put all your time and effort into it.
• Tailor your resume and cover letter to different companies you’re applying for.
• Use multiple job search platforms – not every job is posted on one platform.
• Create a professional-looking resume with one of our modern resume templates.
• Search jobs with similar keywords. For example, if you’re looking for a marketing manager position, search for content manager, marketing executive, head of marketing, and digital marketing specialist positions as well.

Summary: Sending a Follow-up Email

• Wait for 1 to 2 weeks.
• If you didn’t hear from the hiring manager, follow up on your application.
• An email is the most professional medium to follow up on a job application.
• Follow the professional email etiquettes.
• Keep your email short and to the point.
• Include a clear subject line – come straight to the point – ask for an update about your application – ask for their hiring timeline – finish with a CTA.
• If you don’t get any response to your follow-up email – move on

FAQs

How many follow-up emails should I send following a job application?

Send one follow-up email and wait for about a week. If you are not getting any response, probably they might have closed the position. However, there’s nothing you will lose by sending another email. Ask for an update again. Maintain the same enthusiasm and politeness.

I sent a follow-up email for my job application. Should I call them as well?

If you’ve already sent a follow-up email to the hiring manager, wait for at least 3 to 4 days before making a phone call. Hiring managers are busy people but most of them are well-structured. They won’t miss your email – probably will get back in a couple of days. Give it some time and if there’s no response, try calling them.