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Follow up emails
Informational interviews
Thank you emails
LinkedIn Messages
Other
The hard part is over — you've applied for the job. Great! Now all you need to do is sit back and wait for a response, right?
Well, maybe not. While a lot of conventional job advice — like always handing in resumes in person, or tracking down recruiters' personal details to contact them at home — can be a bit outdated, following up on an application is still a good idea. The recruitment process is often a long and drawn out one, and while hiring managers have the best of intentions, things do sometimes fall through the cracks. If you don't want your application to be one of those things, a simple follow-up can help keep you stay in the loop.
Why a Quick Follow Up Is a Good Idea
A well-crafted follow-up email can help prompt a hiring manager to keep you in mind during the early stages of the application process. Keeping your name fresh in their mind means that they may be able to prioritize your candidacy as they're looking to fill an open spot on their team or moving to the interview stage. It also shows a genuine interest in the role and a willingness to go above and beyond — as long as you don't overdo it.
How to Follow Up on a Job Application
Being proactive isn't the same thing as being pushy or impatient. In other words, don't follow up on an application before the hiring manager has even had a chance to open it, don't send multiple follow-ups during the same stage of the application process, and don't pressure the hiring manager for an accelerated time frame or quick response. Hiring managers are busy people, so a healthy dose of patience is key.
Also, make sure you're sending your follow-up to the right place. Generally, job postings will contain the name of the contact person for the job; if not, you can do a bit of sleuthing yourself to find out who the hiring manager is. Sending an email to the first contact address you can find for a company — or, worse, to every contact address you can find — is likely to be a waste of time at best, so take the time to ensure that you have the right email address.
What to send a hiring manager after applying (+ Sample Email Templates)
Subject: Follow up on my application for the Associate Designer role
Hi Katie,
I hope everything's okay with you! I'm Kim Thomson and I’m reaching out because I recently applied for the Associate Designer position I saw on Angel List. I noticed you recruit for Design roles at Resume Worded!
I'm not sure you're the right person to contact, but I thought I'd reach out to you because I was specifically interested in the XYZ project I saw Resume Worded come out with. From your LinkedIn profile, it seemed like you might be the right person to speak to.
If you're open to it, I'd love the opportunity to learn more about you and the company. Would you be free for a 15-minute call on Thursday, say 3pm (I can work around your schedule so feel free to let me know a time that works)? I've also attached my resume in case it helps. I really appreciate your consideration and look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks a mil,
Kim
Insight
You can send a note like this to a hiring manager or recruiter after applying to a job. This can be a simple but big differentiator for your application when compared to all other applicants.
Try to find the most relevant contact - usually, it's not too difficult to find the recruiter or hiring manager of the exact team. If you can't find the right contact, you can also just reach out to a generalist recruiter at the firm and ask for an introduction to the right contact.
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Simple follow up email to a hiring manager after applying
Subject: Product design at Resume Worded
Hi [Hiring Manager's Name],
I recently applied for the open [job title] position. I know how busy you are, but I just wanted to touch base and check in on your decision timeline. I'm excited about the opportunity to join [company name] and [perform a job duty, eg. design cutting-edge software, work on much-needed policy change].
I'd love the chance to talk about how my experience [relevant detail from your past experience, eg. generating sales leads] can help your team [achieve a specific objective, eg. become the leading software developer in the country]. I've attached my application materials for your convenience and am happy to provide any additional details as you move on to the next stage of the hiring process.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
[Your Name]
Insight
This follow-up email is a great way to strike a balance between enthusiastic and accommodating. It lets the hiring manager know in no uncertain terms that you're still interested in the job without pushing them for an immediate response. Providing specific details of your experience can help spark their memory of your application, and reattaching your resume and other materials means they don't have to go digging through old applications if they've forgotten.
A follow-up like this is best sent if it's been a while since you applied and you haven't heard back, as it may prompt a response if your application has somehow gotten waylaid or there have been unexpected delays in the hiring process.
Found this template useful? Bookmark it and you'll never get stuck on an email again. Also, please share it with your network! It helps us keep these templates free.
What to send a hiring manager after applying [Sample email]
Subject: Product design at Resume Worded
Hey Paul,
It was super cool to meet you at the Advance Design Thinking workshop earlier! Really enjoyed our conversation on your interests in architecture and how you got into product design.
You mentioned you were expanding the team at Resume Worded, so after the event I looked at open roles and found this Product Design role which looks like a great fit for me.
I submitted my application online, but thought I'd also send over my resume and portfolio for your reference. Let me know if you need any further information.
Thanks a mil,
Rohan
Insight
If you have a contact at a company you just applied to, here's a template you can use to make sure your application doesn't get buried amongst others. Notice how this email highlights a conversation he had with the contact and explains why he's applying.
Sending this kind of email right after you apply for a job also makes it easier to reach out again if you don't hear back.
Found this template useful? Bookmark it and you'll never get stuck on an email again. Also, please share it with your network! It helps us keep these templates free.
LinkedIn message to a hiring manager after applying
Subject: Request to connect
Hey Tim,
I've been following Resume Worded for a while now and was excited to find the Project Manager opening yesterday.
I just submitted my application online, but thought I'd send you a request so we could stay connected. If you need any further information, please feel free to let me know!
Thanks!
Rohan
Insight
You can use this template to reach out to hiring managers at companies you just applied to. It's important to try find a relevant contact to send this to (e.g. track down the hiring manager on LinkedIn), as opposed to contacting irrelevant contacts.
Sending this kind of LinkedIn message (or even better, an email!) right after you apply for a job also makes it easier to reach out again if you don't hear back
Found this template useful? Bookmark it and you'll never get stuck on an email again. Also, please share it with your network! It helps us keep these templates free.
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