You’ve applied for the job—now what?
There’s significant work that goes into applying for work. If you’re doing it the right way, you would have customised your resume to showcase your most relevant skill set; you’ve written a killer cover letter, and you have contacted your references for a heads up.
But once that’s out of the way, you’re in the waiting game. It can be nerve-wracking waiting for that email or phone call from recruiters and hiring managers. Now you’re wondering what’s the best way to follow-up on your application without coming across as annoying or desperate.
Here’s the low-down on how you can follow up on your application and potentially increase your chances of being hired.
Connect with the hiring manager
If you’ve done your research prior to applying for the role, you’ll know the hiring manager or the recruiter to whom you’d addressed your application to.
If you haven’t, fear not—social media is on your side. A quick Linkedin search should provide you with the people you’re looking for and their email address.
You want to shoot them a brief email letting them know you’ve applied for the role online, but you also want to express your interest in the role directly.
This will communicate that you’ve followed the application instructions, and are willing to make the extra effort to ensure that your application gets in front of the right eyes.
Sending an email over a phone call is preferred because it’s a lot less intrusive to one’s schedule. The last thing you want is to annoy them before they even get the chance to get to know you.
Send your follow-up email promptly
You don’t want to wait too long to hear back about your application. It’s common courtesy to wait a week before sending a note. Just keep in mind, that it can take a few days for someone to respond to your email, so try not to take it personally.
Be polite
Be polite and genuine. Be conscious of the language you’re using in your email. You wouldn’t want to come across accusing the staff of ignoring you or misplacing your application.
Assume that the office has been extremely busy with applications and haven’t gotten around to yours yet. This also means you should keep your message brief but impressionable.
Your email can sound something like:
Hi [hiring manager/ recruiter’s name],
I applied online to the [position title] last week through your website. I haven’t yet heard from your office and would like to confirm that you’ve received my resume and application.
I also wanted to reiterate my interest in this position because I think I would make a great fit for the role [add why you would make a great fit].
Please let me know if you require further materials from me. I can be reached at [phone number] or via email at [email@email.com]
Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
[your name]
Edit your email
Now is not the time to get sloppy. Always edit and proofread your emails. If you’re terrible at spelling and grammar, you can run your text through grammarly.com or install the plugin for your browser. That way, you can catch any minor slips before you send any future emails.
Send only one email
If you still haven’t heard back from the company, don’t be tempted to send another email. The office might be busy and haven’t gotten around to all the applications yet, and you don’t want to be remembered as the candidate who wouldn’t stop sending reminder emails. Play it cool.
Keep looking
Though rejection may be disheartening, it simply means that the role just wasn’t the right fit after all—we assure you, a better opportunity awaits!
Get back to your job application strategy. If you still require some guidance on how to put together a resume or a cover letter, contract the Majer team for some advice.
