You tailored your resume, wrote a great cover letter, and hit submit. And then... nothing. Crickets.

Most job seekers just wait. They assume that if the company wants them, they will reach out. But in a competitive market, a polite, well-timed follow-up email can pull your application out of the ATS black hole and put it directly in front of a human being.

In this guide
  1. When is the right time to follow up?
  2. Who should you email?
  3. 3 Follow-Up Email Templates
  4. Mistakes that will ruin your chances

When is the right time to follow up?

Timing is everything. If you follow up too soon, you look desperate and annoying. If you wait too long, the role might be filled.

  • The Sweet Spot: Wait one to two weeks after submitting your application.
  • If the job posting had a closing date: Wait one week after the closing date.
  • If you were referred by an employee: Wait one week, then ask your referrer to ping the hiring manager internally.

Who should you email?

Do not reply to the automated noreply@workday.com email. You need to find a real human. Here is the hierarchy of who to contact, in order of effectiveness:

  1. The Hiring Manager: Search LinkedIn for the department head (e.g., "Director of Product Marketing at Acme Corp").
  2. The Internal Recruiter: Search LinkedIn for "Technical Recruiter Acme Corp" or "Talent Acquisition Acme Corp".
  3. A Mutual Connection: Anyone you know who works there.

Once you have a name, use a tool like Hunter.io or RocketReach to find their corporate email address.

3 Follow-Up Email Templates

A good follow-up email is short, polite, and adds value. Do not write a second cover letter. Here are three templates depending on your situation.

Template 1: The Standard Follow-Up

Use this when you are reaching out to a recruiter or hiring manager cold, one to two weeks after applying.

Subject: Application Follow-Up: [Job Title] - [Your Name]

Hi [Name],

I hope you're having a great week. 

I recently applied for the [Job Title] position and wanted to reiterate my strong interest in the role. I know you are likely reviewing many applications right now, but given my background in [1-2 key skills from the job description], I am confident I could make an immediate impact on your team's goals for [specific project or metric].

I have attached my resume for your convenience. Please let me know if you need any additional information from my end.

Best regards,

[Your Name]
[Link to your LinkedIn Profile]

Template 2: The "Value Add" Follow-Up

This is the most effective template. Instead of just asking for a status update, you provide something useful related to the company.

Subject: Following up: [Job Title] application / [Your Name]

Hi [Name],

I submitted my application for the [Job Title] role last week, but I wanted to reach out directly because I've been following Acme Corp's recent launch of [Product/Feature]. 

I actually spent some time this weekend analyzing the new onboarding flow and put together a quick 1-page document with three ideas to reduce drop-off, based on my experience doing similar work at [Current Company]. 

I've attached it here along with my resume. I would love the opportunity to discuss these ideas and the [Job Title] role with you. 

Best,

[Your Name]
[Link to your LinkedIn Profile]

Template 3: The Referral Follow-Up

Use this if someone inside the company referred you, but you haven't heard back from recruiting.

Subject: Checking in: [Job Title] application - [Your Name] (Referred by [Employee Name])

Hi [Name],

I recently applied for the [Job Title] role after speaking with [Employee Name], who highly recommended your team. 

[Employee Name] mentioned that you are currently focused on scaling the [Specific Department/Project], which aligns perfectly with my work over the last three years at [Current Company]. 

I wanted to check in on the status of my application and see if you had any questions about my background. I've attached my resume for quick reference.

Thanks for your time,

[Your Name]
[Link to your LinkedIn Profile]

Mistakes that will ruin your chances

  • Following up more than once: Send one email. If they don't reply, let it go. Sending three follow-ups will get you blacklisted.
  • Sounding entitled: Do not say "I am waiting for your response" or "Please tell me when my interview is."
  • Messaging them on personal social media: LinkedIn is fine. Instagram or Facebook is creepy.
  • Calling them: Unless you are applying for an aggressive outbound sales role, do not cold-call a hiring manager's cell phone.

Remember, the goal of a follow-up email is simply to bump your name to the top of their inbox. Keep it brief, be professional, and then move on to your next application.