When should you call a job after applying

When you submit an application for employment or leave a resume with a company, you may or may not be told when a hiring decision will be made. Following up on the status of the opening a week or two after applying will let the employer know you’re still interested and available. Touching base in a professional manner also lets you emphasize your interest and enthusiasm for the position.

When to Contact

Most companies request approximately two weeks time to advertise the job, collect applications and review them before narrowing the pool of applicants who will be called in for personal interviews. Wait the standard length of time before making your call, unless the position is advertised as something that must be filled immediately. If this is the case, you can reasonably call to check on the status of your application within a week of applying.

Call the Right Person

If you put your application to the attention of a particular person in the organization, this is the individual to follow up with. If you submitted an application to the company's website or left it with a front desk receptionist, call the main number and ask who is responsible for making hiring decisions. The company might have a hiring manager or a human resources department. If it's a small business, the department manager or even business owner may be the decision maker. If in doubt, ask the receptionist.

Example:

I'm calling to follow up on a job application I submitted two weeks ago. Could you tell me the name of the individual who is responsible for making that hiring decision?

Introduce Yourself

Prepare a short pitch for the hiring manager that details who you are, what you're applying for and touches on anything memorable that may stand out on your application. This approach makes you look professional and organized and it makes it easier for the hiring manager to recall you or access your application.

Example:

Hi, this is Susan Smith. I submitted an application for your office manager position two weeks ago, and I'm calling to follow up on the status of the job. You may remember the ivory resume stationary I used as an attachment to my application.

Good afternoon, this is Jane Doe calling. We spoke on the phone a couple weeks ago about a customer service job in your Boulder branch office. I'm the one who enrolled at the University of Denver the same year you mentioned graduating from DU.

Sell Yourself

If the hiring manager tells you the position has been filled, thank her for her time and ask that your application be kept on file for future reference.

Example:

Thank you for the update. I appreciate the time you spent considering my credentials. Please keep my application on file and don't hesitate to contact me if a similar position opens up because I remain very interested in joining your team.

If the position is still open, use the call as an opportunity to sell yourself. Offer to provide additional information that may be helpful in evaluating your qualifications. Inquire about a possible meeting to learn more about the job and how your skills align with the job description.

Example:

I’m happy to hear the position is still open. As I'm sure you saw my application, I have 10 years experience in office management and I believe you would find me to be a highly organized individual with superior time management skills. I’d love the opportunity to meet with you in person and discuss how I can benefit your organization.

It’s common knowledge a job seeker should follow up after an interview, but did you know it can be extremely helpful to follow up on your job application, too? It can be nerve-wracking to be the first one to establish contact after the faceless online job application process, but standing out from other candidates early on makes a huge difference. Knowing how to follow up on a job application increases your chances of getting hired.

How do I submit the best online job application?

Don’t apply to multiple jobs at the same company all at once or apply for the same position multiple times. It creates the perception you’re just mass applying and might not be qualified for any of the roles.

Apply with an ATS-friendly resume. If you haven’t heard back, your resume might have ended up in application limbo. Make sure your resume is optimized for applicant tracking systems with our resume comparison tool:

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How do I find the right person?

One of the hardest parts of following up during the application process is figuring out who to follow up with. It’s common to reach a recruiter before a hiring manager and that’s fine — corporate recruiters have the connections to move you forward in the interview process.

Check your network

If you have connections at the company, reach out to them. Ask about the company and its culture, if they know much about the role or team you’re interested in, and find out if they can give you a personal introduction to the point of contact for the role you’re interested in.

Check the application

It’s rare to see an application that lists contact information anymore. A lot of the time, a job description will at least list a team or department or even the title that the role reports to.

Check the website

Part of thoroughly learning about the company is reading over their website. Use that research to look over staff pages and find appropriate contacts. Narrow it down to one or two people.

Check LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great place for company research. Go to the company’s page and select “see all employees on LinkedIn.” From here you can also see if you have any connections that already work at the company.

You can also use LinkedIn’s search with the company name and keywords associated with the role, team, or department. Learn how to use LinkedIn’s search operators to refine your search even further.

How long should I wait to follow up on a job application?

Usually, there’s a reason why it can take a little while to hear back from a company. There’s a lot of moving pieces in the hiring process and open roles change quickly. Recruiters usually won’t follow up immediately so that their company doesn’t seem desperate. If a candidate isn’t a fit, some recruiters find it rude to rapidly reject their applications.

Lizbeth Hernandez, Jobscan’s internal recruiter, says that “Anything between 5 to 7 days is a good time period to reach out to me,” and notes that her own reply time to candidates varies depending on business needs.

After you’ve followed up initially, follow up a second time, about a week later. Don’t repeat what you did the first time; try reaching out at a different time of the day and day of the week, with a new format and subject.

How often should I follow up on a job application?

One or two communications, spaced about a week apart, is enough. Megan Spurr, Senior Group Lead Social Media Manager for Microsoft (Xbox & Social AI) and hiring manager warns, “When I see the same applicant’s name in my inbox […], I feel like they might be a little more needy than I am looking in a candidate.”

You might feel annoying when following up but it’s okay to follow up on an application submitted online as long as you’re respectful, polite, and considerate throughout the process. Don’t spam your contact or reach out to everyone associated with the company.

Should I follow up by phone or email?

You might be tempted to call the company’s front desk and directly ask for the manager of the department. But in modern times when most communication is done digitally and phone calls are often scheduled; out-of-the-blue calls do more harm than good.

Hernandez finds unscheduled phone calls distracting: “I’d be really caught off guard if anybody reached out to me via phone. I might be working on one thing, so I have to shift gears at a moment’s notice. I’m not in the best state to answer it.”

Email is the best method of reaching out to follow up, because you can demonstrate how interested you are in the role but also be respectful of your contact’s time.

It’s also best for you — as Spurr says, “It’s the best way for me to group my tasks and make sure that I sort things to complete!”

Never follow up on a job application in person unannounced. It’s invasive and aggressive, especially early in the application process.

How do I write a follow-up email for a job application?

Reaching out to a potential employer can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.

Be polite, empathic, and friendly. “As an in-house recruiter,” Hernandez says, “These will be people we’ll be working with. Aggressive or rude [communication] moves me away from them.”

Personalize your communications. Don’t sound formulaic or like you’re working from a script or template. Here’s a few examples of how to start the conversation:

• “I applied for [position] online but also wanted to personally connect and introduce myself.”
• “I’m checking on the status of my application because I’m really interested in [company] and excited about [position].”
• “I’ve been looking for a role that fits me at [company] for awhile, so I was so excited to apply for [role]. I’d love to discuss more about how my [experience] can help [company] with [position and/or company goals] further.”
• “I applied for [position] and was wondering if there’s anything else on my end that I can provide.”
• “I wanted to make sure you received my application because my background is a great match for what you’re looking for in the [position].”

The most important thing is to make it clear that you’re excited about the role as well as interested and educated about the company.

“I am more interested in the candidates that tell me why they are interested in the role, rather than a general ‘Please look at my resume and let me know if you have any questions’ communication,” advises Spurr.

Hernandez agrees, “I don’t like ‘Hey, I applied.’ It’s not cognizant or thoughtful.’”

Use what you learn about the company’s culture during your research to align your communication tone.

How do I stand out when following up?

In this early stage, there’s a lot you can do to demonstrate your value and stand out from other applicants.

Do your research on the company, their values, and their product or services. Being able to speak fluently about areas where you’re a great fit and what you like about the company demonstrates your excitement for the role. Most companies want eager evangelists, not just warm bodies.

Do the work for them. Tie together your experience with the needs of the role. Hone your pitch into a brief but informative snippet. Make sure it’s straightforward and clear how you’re a fit for the role, using direct experience where you can.

If you’re not sure where to start, in a roundabout way you can even ask your contact. Spurr says, “The candidates that have stood out to me […] asked me what they might be able to do to move into a position like this.”

Demonstrations of your skills will make you stand out, especially if you’re generous with them. Hernandez relates a story where a designer candidate reached out to her. He’d taken the time to look over the Jobscan website and offered to set up a phone call to give her some professional redesign suggestions, free of charge. “He offered to do that even before I reached out to interview him,” Hernandez says. “It definitely made him stand out a lot.”

Following up early in the application process might be a scary idea. But don’t let that stop you from making a difference, standing out, and ingratiating yourself with a potential employer before any other candidate even steps foot into an interview.