How to follow up on a job application (with email templates)

When should you follow up on a job application?

A job application follow-up is appropriate only after you have re-read the posting, the confirmation message and the portal. If the employer says not to contact the team, respect that. If it gives a closing date or review schedule, use that context rather than counting a fixed number of days from submission.

Career centers at the University of Arizona and the University of Denver both suggest waiting about two weeks after applying before asking for an update, to give the employer time to review applications. Treat that as a practical default when no better information exists, not a hiring rule. Some employers review continuously; others wait until applications close. A strong candidate can still wait weeks without hearing anything.

• Do not follow up before a stated response date has passed.
• If the closing date is still in the future, review may not have started.
• Distinguish a missing submission confirmation from ordinary waiting.
• Keep applying elsewhere while this opportunity is uncertain.

Who should you contact, and how?

Use the contact provided for the vacancy or a recruiter listed on the employer’s official site or profile. When you already have a genuine conversation thread, reply there so the context stays together. A no-reply address is not a useful destination; check the employer’s stated process instead of guessing personal addresses.

Email is a practical, low-interruption option when an address is published for recruiting. A short professional-network message can work when a recruiter for the role is clearly identified there; our guide on how to message a recruiter covers that channel in more depth. Avoid contacting several employees about the same application, switching platforms repeatedly or showing up uninvited at a workplace.

• Verify the recipient before sending documents or personal details.
• Use a neutral greeting such as “Hello Hiring Team” if you have no verified name.
• If no contact is available, checking the portal and moving on is acceptable.
• A phone call is reasonable when the posting invites calls; keep it to one short question.

What to include in a follow-up email after applying

Identify the role, job ID if available and submission date. Add one brief, relevant reason you remain interested, then ask whether the team can share the next-step timeline. You are requesting information, not demanding an explanation for the delay.

Keep it to a few sentences so it can be read in under a minute. Do not resend a long cover letter or list every qualification. The University of Denver suggests a subject line with the position and your name and a quick reminder of relevant qualifications. Attach your resume only when useful, and make sure it matches the version you submitted rather than quietly replacing it.

• Subject line pattern: “Application follow-up: [Job title], [Job ID] – [Your name].”
• Opening: the role and the date you applied.
• Middle: one sentence connecting a specific qualification to the job.
• Close: one question about timing, thanks, and your phone number.

Job application follow-up email templates

Adapt these templates rather than sending them word for word; the names and organizations are invented. Replace bracketed text, cut anything that is not true for you, and keep the final message short.

Common follow-up mistakes and how to fix them

Most follow-ups fail quietly because they are hard to answer, not because they are rude. Check your draft against these patterns before you send it.

• Too vague: “Just checking in on my application.” Fix: name the role, job ID and date so the reader can find your record in seconds.
• Too long: a second cover letter. Fix: one relevant qualification in one sentence.
• Too early: a message two days after applying. Fix: wait for the stated timeline or about two weeks.
• Pressuring: “I need an answer by Monday” without a real reason. Fix: mention a deadline only when you genuinely have one.
• Scattered: the same note to five employees. Fix: one verified contact, one channel.
• Mismatched attachments: a newer resume that contradicts the one you submitted. Fix: attach the submitted version or none.

Handle real deadlines and submission problems directly

If the portal failed or no confirmation appeared, this is a submission question, not an attempt to speed up selection. Check your account and email first, then contact the published support channel with the vacancy ID and approximate submission time. Avoid repeat submissions unless instructed; they can create confusion about which record is current.

If you have a genuine competing offer deadline, say so accurately and ask whether the employer can clarify its timeline. Do not invent urgency. The team may be unable to move faster, and you must decide about the offer you actually hold without assuming another will arrive; our guide to evaluating a job offer can help with that decision.

How many times should you follow up?

Usually once. Record the date and any response in your job application tracker. If the employer gives a new timeline, use it. If one reasonable inquiry goes unanswered, continuing other applications is more useful than a sequence of reminders. A second message needs a reason, such as a promised update that did not arrive, a genuine material change or a real deadline.

After a rejection, stop asking about status. If a real person sent the decision, the University of Arizona suggests you may thank them and ask for feedback, though some companies have policies against giving it. Keep the request short and do not dispute the decision; see how to respond to a job rejection. After an interview, the context changes: use an interview follow-up email instead.