One of the most frustrating parts of any job search is waiting to hear back on the progress of your application.
In the UK, employers now receive an average of 280 applications per role. As a result, recruiters can become overwhelmed and hiring processes take longer.
Being proactive in your job hunt can help set you apart from the crowd – and the key to being remembered for the right reasons is in a polished and professional follow-up.
Even the most highly-qualified and experienced candidates can be accidentally overlooked. A strategic follow up message can move you from a sea of applications to the interview shortlist.
In this blog, we will break down when and how to follow up on job applications to give yourself the best possible chance of securing the role you want.
When should you follow up on a job application?
The ideal time to follow up on a job application will be different for every role.
As a general rule, don’t follow up until the application deadline has passed. Recruiters will want to collect the information of all prospective candidates before they create a shortlist of people to invite to the next stage.
We recommend sending your first follow-up message one week after the application deadline. That way, recruiters have had enough time to review all the applications, and a gentle nudge will put you front of mind.
Before following up, ensure you read the job advert thoroughly to ensure it doesn’t state “no follow ups”. Sending a message in this instance won’t make a great impression!
How to follow up on a job application
Contact the right person
First things first, you need to make sure you contact the right person.
There are a few different ways to do this:
- Check the job advert for a specific email address.
If you can’t find it there, have a look on the company’s website to locate the right person. We don’t recommend taking a scattergun approach and contacting everyone within a department, as this can become frustrating for the recruiter.
- If you have personal connections within an organisation, ask them to mention your application to the hiring manager.
If they don’t have a direct link, ask if they can give you contact details for a key person in Recruitment or HR to ensure the right person reviews your application.
- Find the recruiter in charge on LinkedIn and send them a connection request.
We recommend sending a follow-up message on LinkedIn if you haven’t found an alternative means of contact, and only if your connection request is accepted.
Focus on quality over quantity
If you have applied for dozens – or sometimes hundreds – of roles, you need to be strategic about how you follow up.
Rather than following up with everyone – which will be incredibly time-consuming and difficult to track – send follow up messages for the roles you really want, and where your experience will make a significant difference within the company.
A job search is a job in itself. Make sure you focus your energy where it really counts, so you give yourself the best possible chance of success.
Create a compelling message
Now that you know which roles you want to follow-up with and when to do so, it’s time to write your follow-up message!
When drafting your follow-up message, keep it concise and to the point. Avoid repeating information from your CV, or generic language like “just checking if you have seen my application.”
Your goal is to emphasise the measurable impact you could have in the role, and demonstrate your alignment with the company goals and values.
Here is an example follow-up email for a Financial Director role:
Subject: Following up – [Job Title] application
Dear [Recruiter’s Name],
I hope you are well.
I wanted to follow up on my recent application for the Financial Director role at [Company Name] on [application date].
I appreciate how busy the recruitment process can be at this level, but I wanted to reiterate my strong interest in the role. I believe that my expertise in [XX] and [XX], and my success in [XX] make me ideally placed to contribute to this position.
Please let me know if there is any further information I can provide at this stage.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards,
[Your Name]
[Your Phone Number]
[Your LinkedIn Profile]
Send this message around one week after the application deadline has passed. If you don’t receive a response, send a nudge approximately one week later.
After this point, wait to hear from them, or move on to your next application. If you send countless messages, busy recruiters may become irritated and not wish to engage with you any further.
Tailor your CV
Finally, it’s important to remember that your follow-up is only as effective as the CV you have submitted in your application.
Your CV should be tailored to every role and mirror the language in the job description. Keep track of your professional successes so that you always have a list of clear and relevant qualitative examples of the experience you can bring to an organisation. You can then briefly mention these in your follow up message to remind the recruiter of the strength of your application.
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Following up on an application requires additional effort in an already time-consuming job search.
But, if you’re strategic about how you follow up, you can both demonstrate your value and instil confidence in your abilities – key traits that help you stand out in a candidate rich market.
The first step to making a great impression is a strong CV. At The CV Guru, our team of expert writers can create tailored CVs to suit the requirements of even the most technical job description. Plus, if you’re working on a tight deadline, we can deliver a first draft within 24 hours with our express service.