Few things in life are as nerve-wracking as job hunting. You can send your resume to dozens of hiring managers and not hear back from any of them. In those situations, application follow-up emails can be your greatest allies if you know how to use them correctly.
A solid follow-up email can be a powerful tool to help you land a new role. In this article, we’ll talk about why you should send one after applying for a job, and some mistakes you should avoid. Then we’ll leave you with three templates you can use.
Let’s jump in!
Why You Should Send Job Application Follow-Up Emails
Picture this scenario. You filled out an application for your dream job, and you have all the desired skills listed in the posting. However, weeks after sending in your resume and cover letter, you still haven’t received a response.
One of the big issues with modern hiring is there’s often no opportunity for feedback. Depending on the position, companies are likely to get so many applicants that replying to every single one of them would be too time-consuming.
This means that often, all you get after applying for a job is radio silence. That’s understandable, but in select cases, you’ll want to follow up to make sure you don’t lose out on a fantastic employment opportunity.
Simply following up on a job application with an email can be enough to move your name to the top of the list of potential hires. It shows you care about the position while also highlighting your attention to detail and professionalism.
However, job application follow-up emails aren’t advisable in every case. Some companies will outright tell you not to contact them after submitting your resume. If you ignore those instructions, you may be rejected immediately.
Beyond that, you’ll want to wait a reasonable amount of time before you send a job application follow-up email. A day or two is not long enough for a company to review all their inquiries, so be patient and hold out for at least a week.
3 Examples of Job Application Follow-Up Emails
In this section, we’re going to break down three examples of job application follow-up emails. For each, we’ll discuss what elements you should include, who to address it to, and what to avoid.
1. Contacting the HR Manager Directly
Perhaps the most delicate aspect of a job application follow-up email is knowing who to address it to. In most cases, businesses have one person who’s explicitly in charge of hiring. Depending on the application process you went through, you might already have their contact information.
If you don’t, it’s wise to do some digging to see if you can find out who the ideal recipient is. A smart place to start is looking up the company’s website and checking out any team information available there.
Usually, the person you’re seeking will have a job title involving recruiting or Human Resources (HR). Once you have their email address and an appropriate amount of time has passed since you submitted your application, it’s time to reach out.
Here’s what your job application follow-up email should:
- Include your contact information
- Remind the recipient of who you are and mention your application
- Explain the purpose of your email
- Reiterate your interest in the position
- Thank the recipient for their time
- Use a professional sign-off
It’s essential to convey that you understand the importance of their time. Hiring or HR managers spend plenty of hours wading through initial applications, so asking them to make an extra effort to address your follow-up email is no small request.
Job Application Follow-Up Email Template for Contacting Hiring Managers
Here’s a quick template you can use if you’ve already interacted with the hiring manager at the company you’re applying to:
John Doe | Sometown, TX 11111 | (222) 222-2222 | [email protected] | www.example.com
Hello Ms. Goodall,
We recently had a brief but fruitful conversation about the open position at your company. As you might recall, I mentioned my expertise in X and how that could help your business moving forward.
I wanted to reiterate my interest in this position and let you know I’m available in case you’d like to follow up with an interview. I’m confident I would make a great addition to your team and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerly,
John Doe
Of course, with any email template, it’s vital that you personalize the content to fit your situation. This means mentioning the company by name and including any specifics that will show you’ve put thought and effort into your message.
When it comes to job application follow-up emails, concision is key. You want to make sure you don’t go ignored, but at the same time, you have to respect professional boundaries. It’s a thin line to walk. However, if you pull it off, you can dramatically boost your chances of getting noticed.
2. Addressing Multiple Hiring Committee Members
The hiring process gets more complicated the more people there are involved. Depending on how big the company you’re applying to is, there might be more than one employee who needs to sign off for you to come on board.
If you can’t find contact information for a single person in charge of hiring, there’s a chance you’re dealing with an entire department or committee. Since you’re addressing a group, the dynamic of your job application follow-up email has to change slightly.
You’ll still want to mention all the same points we listed in the previous example. However, you’ll also want to play up your strengths and keep your tone a bit more formal.
Job Application Follow-Up Email Template for Addressing a Hiring Committee
If it seems likely that you’re appealing to a hiring committee or department, here’s a quick template you can use:
To whom it may concern,
My name is John Doe. I recently submitted an application for an open position at your business. I wanted to reach out to reiterate my interest and to mention some details regarding my qualifications for this role:
- Your past experience
- Standout skills you’re confident in
- Notable projects you’ve worked on
Considering my experience, I believe I would make a valuable addition to the team and be a great fit for your company.
I want to thank you for your time once more, and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Respectfully,
John Doe
Since you’re trying to win over multiple people at once, there’s no space to reference individual interactions. You want to keep this email all about the facts. The more impressive you are on paper, the better your chances with a hiring committee.
One caveat, however – try not to list too many items in the ‘details’ section. The committee already has your resume. Here, you want to focus solely on standout qualities that may encourage them to take another look at your original application.
3. Reaching Out to Small Business Owners
Most of the time, contacting the owner of the company with a job application follow-up email will be seen as overstepping. However, if you’re trying to land a position at a small, local business, it may be more appropriate.
In this scenario, the business owner is more likely to be involved in the hiring process. If no other HR manager is listed online, it’s safe to assume they’re the ideal recipient for your job application follow-up email.
Even though this scenario is a little different than those we’ve covered above, you’ll want to hit all the same general points in your email.
Job Application Follow-Up Email Template for Reaching Out to Small Business Owners
Here’s an example of how you might want to proceed when addressing a small business owner about a recent job application:
Hello Ms. Goodall,
I wanted to reach out because I applied for a position at your company recently and I wanted to introduce myself properly. My name is John Doe and I’m a web developer with X years of experience in the field. I’ve worked with Y and Z companies and I specialize in A and B.
I understand you must be busy, but I wanted to take a minute to express my strong interest in this role. I’ve followed your business for some time and I think I would make for an excellent addition to your team.
If you’re available, I’d love to talk more about this opportunity. Thank you in advance for your response.
Sincerly,
John Doe
Since you’re speaking directly to an individual, it’s appropriate to let a little bit of your personality shine through. If you’re lucky, contacting the business owner directly will impress them enough to make you a top candidate.
Once again, we only recommend it this route there aren’t any other obvious recipients. Otherwise, you might ruffle some feathers.
What to Avoid in Your Job Application Follow-Up Email
We’ve gone over several examples of how to write a quality job application follow-up email. With that in mind, here are some things you should avoid at all costs when crafting one:
- Don’t make the email too long. A lengthy email is more likely to scare away recruiters than it is to sway them over to your side. Their time is limited, so be respectful of it.
- Don’t assume they know who you are. You’re probably one among dozens of applicants, so take a minute to go over your top qualifications and skills once more.
- Address the email to the right person. There’s someone specific in charge of hiring at most companies. If their contact information is listed online, there’s no excuse for addressing the wrong person.
- Wait a bit before sending a follow-up email. A day or two is not enough time for HR to go through every application they receive. Give the process around a week or so and then send your follow-up email.
- Follow the application process guidelines exactly. If the job posting states that applicants should not reach out after submitting their resumes, don’t send a follow-up email.
Keep in mind, a job application follow-up email doesn’t guarantee you’ll be hired. What it can do is increase the chances your resume will receive a closer look.
Conclusion
Follow-up emails don’t have to be scary. In some cases, simply demonstrating your continued interest in the role can lead to more careful consideration of your application.
The most important aspect when it comes to sending a job application follow-up email is addressing it to the right person. If you have that information, you’ll know how to proceed. Adapting your language to your specific situation is key to ensuring you get their attention, so do your research carefully.
Do you have any questions about job application follow-up emails? Let us know in the comments section below!
Article thumbnail image by Dylen / shutterstock.com
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